The Four Agreements - A Toltec Wisdom Book Review

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is a Toltec Wisdom book on living how to live your life by taking advantage of your right to personal freedom. The book is a short easy read; Ruiz simply explains his philosophies of life. There are a few areas within the book that are a bit chatty and redundant. Ruiz has a tendency to over-explain his already simple and easy to follow outlook.

I’d heard a lot about this book through social media and the reviews on the book made it seem like a real eye-opener. But I didn’t find that Ruiz had shed light on anything really profound but just merely reminds the reader that life is what you make it out to be. He mentions agreements in the book, expressing to the reader that what we take in from our experiences affects first and foremost, how we think and feel about ourselves and ultimately affects how we live. So when we take on with something negative that has happened or something negative that someone has spoken about us, we agree that it is true. When we make agreements we either contribute or take away our happiness, our freedom.

The majority of the book is pretty self-explanatory and a little long winded for 138 pages. I checked this book out from the library; judging from the reviews, it seemed like buying was the only option. I’m happy I didn’t spend the money for a book on the basics of living. And I’m happy I took the opportunity to read. I’m going to go ahead and spill the beans on the four agreements for anyone who may be a bit curious.

Spoiler Alert!

After reading so many reviews on the book and watching videos; no one ever mentioned what the four agreements were. I was of course very curious which is one of the reasons why I read the book so I could find out what exactly these four agreements are. While these agreements make sense I feel that they could have been explained differently, albeit, better. It may be ancient wisdom but it’s also just plain old common sense.

Agreement 1:  Be impeccable with your word- speak with truth and love. He warns us to be careful of what we say because speech is the most powerful tool we have. I agree with what Ruiz is saying and this is the only agreement with which I have no issue. Speech is a powerful tool and when we use it carelessly or for evil we harm others; when we use it with care and love we bring light to others.

Agreement 2:  Don’t take anything personally-We are told not to forever hold onto hurt and negativity that has been bestowed upon us. Easier said than done (Ruiz explains in one of the chapters how to break old agreements). Ruiz argues that when someone says or does something to hurt us, it's really them hurting themselves. He attempted to give examples of how this can be true but I didn’t find them insightful.

Agreement 3:  Don’t make assumptions- When we make assumptions the potential for misunderstandings is ripened. And with this agreement he added- ask for what you need. It is our responsibility to make sure we appropriately communicate our feelings and needs. We can not assume that others know or understand.

Agreement 4: Always do your best- Work hard and give 100%. Half-assed will not do. Keep in mind that our stamina for giving our best will differ depending on the circumstances. For instance, if we’re feeling ill, we cannot expect our best to be the same as if we are well.