Book Review | The Four Agreements
This book is a practical guide to personal freedom written by Don Miguel Ruiz. He goes over the four main points of: be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best. Reading through the book you really get a feel for what Ruiz is saying and how you could apply these principles in your everyday life to gain personal freedom and ultimate happiness. Throughout the book, Ruiz explains how you live in your own dream and you have the ability at anytime to change that dream. Essentially, we are all born the same. It's our experiences that domesticate each of us to shape how we are and how we view the world, shaping what are dream may be.
Some Main Points:
Being impeccable with your word, you use your words for positivity and in what you believe in. Words have so much power and can shape our views on the world and ourself. They can mean so much, or they can mean nothing at all. Sticks and stones can break you bones, and words can also hurts you. Being impeccable with your word is the first step to loving yourself. Not taking anything personally is also very hard, but also helps in loving yourself more. Knowing that others may say negative or positive things about you or others, but it's based on their experiences and how they dream the world to be. Going with that, not making assumptions. The best way to find our or make a decision on something is to ask and get the answers you need or want. Assuming anything can hurt you and/or others. You can never be certain about how someone else thinks or feels, since they probably have a total different perspective and dream than you.
To tie all the points, always doing your best. When you do your best, you know that you have put in all the effort you could and you won't have anything to regret later on. I have also learned this through working, classes, and just life. When I half-heartedly did things, I would feel less satisfied and wished that I would have done more or done it differently. When you always do your best, you are able to live your life intensely and fully. While you're doing your best, fully enjoy life. There was one great story in the book that I really liked. Basically it's a story about a Buddhist asking his Master if he were to meditate double the amount each day would he be able to transcend earlier. The Master's reply is that perhaps it would take him double the years to transcend if he doubled the amount of meditation a day. Why? "You are not here to sacrifice your joy or your life. You are here to live, to be happy, and to love. If you can do your best in two hours of meditation, but you spend eight hours instead, you will only grow tired, miss the point, and you won't enjoy your life.."(p. 78) This meaning is so great, do your best but don't overwork yourself. Dream a world of love. Love for yourself, others, and our great Creator.
Comparison and Recommendation:
I have also read his book The Mastery of Love. If I had to compare the two, they are very similar. Personally, I enjoyed The Mastery of Love over The Four Agreements but they were both very well-written with great purpose and I would highly recommend reading both of the books. I feel like these books make me more positive throughout the days and months I read them. I could definitely re-read these books to continue increasing my positivity or, especially, when I'm feeling discouraged. Each book points out great attributes that we should all pay attention more to in order to become happier and enjoy our every day life.
Being impeccable with your word, you use your words for positivity and in what you believe in. Words have so much power and can shape our views on the world and ourself. They can mean so much, or they can mean nothing at all. Sticks and stones can break you bones, and words can also hurts you. Being impeccable with your word is the first step to loving yourself. Not taking anything personally is also very hard, but also helps in loving yourself more. Knowing that others may say negative or positive things about you or others, but it's based on their experiences and how they dream the world to be. Going with that, not making assumptions. The best way to find our or make a decision on something is to ask and get the answers you need or want. Assuming anything can hurt you and/or others. You can never be certain about how someone else thinks or feels, since they probably have a total different perspective and dream than you.
To tie all the points, always doing your best. When you do your best, you know that you have put in all the effort you could and you won't have anything to regret later on. I have also learned this through working, classes, and just life. When I half-heartedly did things, I would feel less satisfied and wished that I would have done more or done it differently. When you always do your best, you are able to live your life intensely and fully. While you're doing your best, fully enjoy life. There was one great story in the book that I really liked. Basically it's a story about a Buddhist asking his Master if he were to meditate double the amount each day would he be able to transcend earlier. The Master's reply is that perhaps it would take him double the years to transcend if he doubled the amount of meditation a day. Why? "You are not here to sacrifice your joy or your life. You are here to live, to be happy, and to love. If you can do your best in two hours of meditation, but you spend eight hours instead, you will only grow tired, miss the point, and you won't enjoy your life.."(p. 78) This meaning is so great, do your best but don't overwork yourself. Dream a world of love. Love for yourself, others, and our great Creator.
Comparison and Recommendation:
I have also read his book The Mastery of Love. If I had to compare the two, they are very similar. Personally, I enjoyed The Mastery of Love over The Four Agreements but they were both very well-written with great purpose and I would highly recommend reading both of the books. I feel like these books make me more positive throughout the days and months I read them. I could definitely re-read these books to continue increasing my positivity or, especially, when I'm feeling discouraged. Each book points out great attributes that we should all pay attention more to in order to become happier and enjoy our every day life.
"Your life is a manifestation of your dream; it is an art." (p. 99)
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