4 Agreements Synopsis
The forgiveness that connects Don Miguel to consciousness refers to the forgiveness of our past and ongoing failures against the agreements we still have. It is also forgiveness for letting ourselves and our fellow human beings suffer because of our accepted illusions. Also, forgiveness for the suffering that others produce because of their dreams. “The next three agreements were really born from the first agreement. The second agreement is not to take anything personally. The four agreements show us that there is another way. By freeing ourselves from social structures and expectations, we can make new deals for ourselves. In part 1 of this 2-part video, we learn about the “domestication” of man and how all the rules and values of our family and society are imposed on us by a system of punishment and reward. As young children, our true nature is to love and be happy, to explore and enjoy life; we are absolutely authentic. But then we learn to be what others think we “should” be, and because it`s not acceptable for us to be who we are, we start pretending to be what we aren`t. When we are teenagers, we have learned to judge ourselves, to punish ourselves and to reward ourselves according to agreements we have never chosen.
The Four Accords help us break self-limiting agreements and replace them with agreements that bring us freedom, happiness and love. The Four Accords©, were published in 1997 and have sold approximately 9 million copies. It has been on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly a decade. Everything we do is based on agreements we have made – agreements with ourselves, with other people, with God, with life. But the most important agreements are those we make with ourselves. The fourth agreement allows readers to get a better overview of the progress made in achieving their life goals. This agreement includes the integration of the first three chords into everyday life and also the exhaustion of one`s own potential. [8] It is a question of doing one`s best individually, which is different from the different situations and circumstances that the individual may encounter. Ruiz believes that if you avoid self-judgment and do your best in every given moment, you will be able to avoid remorse. [10] By incorporating the first three chords and giving the best of himself in all facets of life, the individual will be able to live a life without grief or self-irony. [10] “The Four Chords” not only gave me the four chords with which I made small positive changes in my life, but the book also helped me understand the process of “domestication” and how this “domestication” shaped my belief systems. Impeccable means “sinless” and a sin is something you do or believe that goes against yourself.
This means not speaking against yourself, for yourself or for others. This means not rejecting oneself. To be impeccable is to take responsibility, not to participate in the “game of guilt”. For the word, the rules of “action-reaction” apply. What you bring out energetically will come back to you. The correct use of the word creates the right use of energy to express love and gratitude, perpetuates the same in the universe. The reverse is also true. Perfection begins at home. Be impeccable with yourself and this will be reflected in your life and relationships with others. This agreement can help change thousands of other agreements, especially those that create fear instead of love. These chains are developed from an early age. We are born into social norms that dictate the dreams we may have in life.
The collective dream of the planet influences our individual dreams. This collective dream is taught to us by our parents, our schools, our religions and our politicians. Through this training, we learn to behave “correctly”, what we must believe and the difference between good and evil. Our acceptance of these social agreements should be called our domestication. When we tried to rebel in childhood or adolescence, we were punished and oppressed by more powerful parents and teachers. Just like an animal, we were rewarded for obeying these more powerful individuals. Afterwards, we all surrendered and decided to follow the collective dream and not our individual dreams. However, as we get older, we no longer need a more powerful person to domesticate and control us. These ideas are constructed in such a way that we domesticate ourselves.
Don Miguel suggests that we can free ourselves from this structure and make new deals for ourselves. These are the four agreements. If you like the job or task you do, you will do your best without trying. Your work will feel effortless and you will do much better. This final chord will help you increase the power of the other chords while freeing you from the old patterns. By making a pact with these four key agreements, an individual is able to significantly influence the level of happiness they feel in their life, regardless of external circumstances. [6] Doing your best does not mean doing your best physically. This means doing your best individually, which can vary depending on the situation and your current situation. One way to do your best is to incorporate the previous three chords into your daily life.
By doing this, you can avoid feelings of regret and accept that people are doing their best at every moment. You`ll come to appreciate the action itself, rather than just enjoying the rewards associated with the actions. Similarly, Don Miguel suggests that we should work hard because it makes us happy and not an external motivation. Don Miguel gives an example of salaries. If the main motivation in our work is money, we will never do our best. In addition, we will be stuck in well-paying jobs but without fulfillment or joy. Due to the lack of fulfillment in their work, these people then spend their weekends partying, drinking, and doing other things that harm their lives. If doing your best means working hard because you love work, your work will feel effortless. In this way, the final chord – always do your best – will increase the power of all other chords and help you break free. Why not try breaking one of the hundreds or thousands of chords you have right now? Maybe you`re thinking you`re not good at painting – take out the watercolors and have fun creating something. By following the step-by-step process, you can gradually change things for the better. We learn to behave and what we should believe and accept as normal.
Ruiz says that because we didn`t choose these rules and agreements, we should ask ourselves why we accept them and live according to them. We must not only accept our dreamlike life, but also have understanding for others. Don Miguel reminds us that we are not responsible for others; we are only responsible for ourselves. When we accept that we are no longer responsible for others, we will no longer be hurt by the actions of others. We act less personally against ourselves when we know that others behave solely because of their own dreamlike lives. Don Miguel describes this as immune to the emotional poison of others. If you avoid this emotional poison, you can move around the world easily. Ruiz tells us that as children, we are all taught strict rules that we let ourselves live as adults. The society in which we live imposes many things on us, including the “collective dream of the planet”. The rules of this collective dream are imprinted on us by our parents, schools, religions and other influences.
Below is an overview of Don Miguel Ruiz`s “Four Accords”. It is a concise book, but provocative and full of wisdom. .