Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis (Goodreads): In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

Comments: 

I have this inherent belief that when you really need something the Universe will conspire so that you get it. This belief extends to books. Once in a while, you read a book that contains exactly the message or guidance your mind has been searching for.

Recently, I’ve been feeling a little off-balance. When this has happened in the past, my instinct has always been to withdraw into myself to try and discover why, and then how to correct it, but this time I’ve really struggled to pinpoint the why. And if I couldn’t pinpoint the why, how in the world was I ever going to find a solution?

I bought The Four Agreements because it intrigued me…and because it was short. I wasn’t expecting much because from past experience, most personal development books have one or two good messages wrapped up in a lot of unnecessary language, but I have to say…this book really, really resonated with me.

As humans, one of our biggest fears is taking the risk to be truly alive and express what we really are…i.e., to just be ourselves. We punish ourselves endlessly for not being what we believe we should be and are our own harshest critics.

The book covers four practical agreements that you can adopt to help break away from the agreements that come from fear into ones that come from love.

1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don’t take anything personally
3. Don’t make assumptions
4. Always do your best

I don’t want to spend this post writing about what each of the agreements involves (although I have included snapshots of each below) because I believe what you’d take away from each agreement will be very personal to you and your situation. The agreements sound simple, but are difficult to implement, and I am sure that you will slip along the way…as I have. Facing and overcoming your fears was never going to be easy. You just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and carry on. After all, a happy(-er) life is at stake.