The Four Agreements
By Don Miquel Ruiz
By Bella on 03-10-2008
Don't take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
Don't make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment, It will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self -judgement, self -abuse and regret.
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Posted by mkb32 on Mar 20, 2008
P.S. I printed this and taped on the wall next to my desk. (BIG smile) |
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Posted by Bella on Mar 20, 2008
It is the 'Pay it forward' process, Michele! My dad always said that teachers (people, books, animals, experiences, etc....) would come our way when we are ready, and our only responsibility or payment for the good turn given us is to share or teach it to someone else down the line. Knowledge or good things are never to be hoarded, but to be shared with others. I too have a copy posted on my wall and I constantly repeat them to myself when ever a issue comes up. My personal most used one is the do not take things personally, which ties in so tightly with the never make assumptions. I was an assumer who took everything personally!!!! Did not make for good relationships or to my own happyness -- to much Drama. |
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Posted by Bella on Mar 20, 2008
Your welcome Michele, and thank you for the kind words. (Sorry for the long winded first response) |
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Posted by David on Mar 20, 2008
Thanks for sharing Bella! Important words. |
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Posted by sosayssunny on Mar 24, 2008
You are right on the money with this post ... I have a set of principles on my website I call "The Rules of Polite Discourse" and they fit right in with what you wrote: http://www.sosayssunny.com/polite.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My prior roommate and I compiled the list of commonsense rules and I composed the text. The impetous was because she came from a family who fought bitterly: She would come back to college after a visit home, crying, and had scars of a childhood divorce. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I formatted it really nicely, printed it on ledger size paper (11"x17"), and burnished the edges with a lighter to make it look like an anchient document. We adopted it as our family charter and were roommates for 5 years after college. I can't say we didn't fight -- but when we did fight unfairly, the other one would point to the Rules on the fridge and we would try harder to respect one another. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The verse at the top, regardless of your religion or spirituality, is a good one: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." -- Ephesians 4:29 NIV -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope you enjoy! |
Bella, you are so generous. I am blessed by your words of affirmation and example of awareness of the importance of identifying one's own powers of influence/ownership.