The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

 A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Get ready to forget everything you think you know and set yourself free!

The Four Agreements is a roadmap of personal growth and enlightenment. This book is a simple, guiding light that shows how we can all lead happier, more fulfilling lives if we scrap our self-limiting beliefs and start acting on improving ourselves. 

The agreements in this book are simple, but ones many of us forget along the path to adulthood:

1. Be impeccable with your word 

2. Don't take anything personally

3. Don't make assumptions

4. Always do your best 

My aunt gifted me this book a couple of years ago. I looked at it and was instantly put off, assuming it was some spiritual waffle, so it sat on my bookshelves for a while collecting dust. However, I was wrong. Everything made sense when I read it. Often, humans think everything they know or believe must be true because, after all, that is their experience. We overlook the possibility that our view is merely a perception and one side. We can go through life having experienced trauma or hardship, carrying that weight into adulthood without realising the role we play in it. This easy-to-read book is a breath of fresh air and is the perfect thing to pick up when you need to get unstuck. Whether you are struggling to forgive, take everything personally, or just need a little reminder to love yourself, this is the one for you.

Quotes of interest:

'It is your perception of reality that you can change at any time.'

'You know you have forgiven someone when you see them and you no longer have an emotional reaction.'

'The real you is still a little child who never grew up... when you are painting, or writing poetry... the happiest moments of your life.'

'You don't need to blame your parents... they did the best they could, and if they abused you, it was due to their own domestication, their own fears, their own beliefs.'

'The whole world can gossip about you, and if you don't take it personally you are immune.'

'Like a sword with two edges, your word can create the most beautiful dream, or your word can destroy everything around you.'

Learn more here: The Four Agreements — don Miguel Ruiz