This week we are finishing up our mini series on the 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I find the 4 Agreements to be a bit of a contract between yourself and you. A way to be. Just thought I’d throw that in. Here’s a quick review.
Agreement #1: “Be impeccable with your word”. This means to take responsibility for your actions and don’t judge yourself or others. This agreement focuses on the significance of speaking with integrity and carefully choosing words before saying them out loud
Agreement #2: “Don’t take anything personally”. Have a strong sense of self. We don’t need to rely on others’ opinions. Remember folks see everything from their unique perspective through their own filters, so what they observe is really about them. Also, not taking things personally can lessen or fully dissipate anger, jealousy, envy, sadness. I know it makes my day brighter.
Agreement #3: “Don’t Make Assumptions”. Assuming is allowing a potential misperception of a past event to inform your present moment. I’m going to assume, yes I am, that we want to live fully in this moment and make this moment count by itself, as itself. As this relates to dealing with others? Ask clarifying questions to avoid the kinds of miscommunications that could lead to sadness and drama.
Here we are at Agreement #4: “Always Do Your Best”. This one was pounded into me from when I was very young. Probably too young to really understand what it meant. And in that context, it can be a bit daunting. And, well, it was. Did I really do my best? What is my best? Who decides what my best is? What happens if I don’t do my best? What Don Miguel Ruiz suggests is that we do the best we can at this time, in this moment with the information we currently have access to. This makes perfect sense to me.
We can really only do what we can do. We can always look back and see what might’ve done. What we maybe should have done, but in looking back, we can only see what we did do. And as we are being open to living consciously, aware, and more on purpose, what we did or said in the moment, we have to accept as being our best.
Here’s a quick recipe to help bake in these 4 Agreements and how they can enhance our lives.
#1. Start from the inside with a solid filling of impeccability, or integrity with our word. Be careful to not judge ourselves or others. We know who we are and how we want to show up in the world. We know that we care and that we act with compassion.
#2. Add in a pinch,or two, of not taking anything personally. Show up as your authentic selves. What others think of you is none of your business.
#3. This is going to be an assumption-free meal, which allows us to be fully present in each moment. Treat each moment as a stand alone event, with fresh new eyes.
#4, Top it all off with your version of “Do Your Best”. Act with the confidence that you are on purpose. Be cognizant of what you are doing and why. Have comfort – that you’ve taken everything into account to be the best you can be in this moment.
Put into the oven that is your life and know that as it bakes, the person you are and the flavorful life you are creating will come out exactly to your liking.
And that is a satisfying meal that never stops pleasing.
Just sayin’