The Agreements Revisited
It was over 20 years ago that I first met Don Miguel Ruiz, I met him at a weekend retreat in New York State in a small crowd of people. I went to see him because my minister at the time was doing a series on the Four Agreements, and I wanted to see who this guy was and what it was all about. His English was very broken but the light in his eyes was multilingual. I was so moved I began to read the book on my own and realized that the agreements as they are laid out in his book was one of the simplest concepts I had ever seen and would take a lifetime to apply them to the degree that I would find the freedom of my own mind. I still work with them today.
The Four Agreements, just so that we're clear are: be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions and always do the best that you can. The Four Agreements works whether you're five years old or 50. The breaking of the simple agreements can cause much pain and discomfort in one’s life. I recently met someone who had never heard of the four agreements, I didn't even know that was possible anymore. This book has sold over 12 million copies in the United States alone and has been translated into 52 languages, yes 52 languages - Oh my!
If you have read the book and it is sitting on a bookshelf somewhere and you're not actively applying the agreements, you are missing out on one of the simplest formulas for peace and happiness. To let this book get lost under dust on your shelf is the mistake. I have met individuals who didn't think much of it, didn't particularly care for the theology behind it, and didn't finish reading this very small book. To each their own.
To actualize the work of the Four Agreements I took a deeper step I went on a spiritual journey with both Don Miguel Ruiz and his son Don Jose. We went to Teotihuacan, Mexico with a small group of seekers, processed some inner work, climbed the pyramid of the sun, and flew in a hot air balloon. This journey taught me more about setting powerful intentions than any other work I'd ever done. I am clear my intention is love. Practicing the Four Agreements allows me to express my intention. Don Miguel would tell you this - there can be no exception to being love, and I agree. When love is your intention, the tectonic plates of your world will shift accordingly, but first it might feel like your world is falling apart.
So – dust off that book, revisit the agreements, set the intention to be a place of love, integrity, compassion, and generosity and share your journey with others. DON’T GO ALONE, TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU into the vast landscape of your individual being. We need each other.
NOTE: Join Veda King Blanchard in a guided study of The Four Agreements coming in October! Register Here!
