Good Morning,
My first read for 2009 is The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz (http://www.miguelruiz.com/fouragreements.html).
This book is a very easy and fun read. It also carries a very strong message. It covers four concepts, called ‘Questions’ based on Toltec wisdom that if employed together will bring you personal freedom. It sounds very simple and after looking over these four ‘questions’ below, it indeed can be.
1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don’t take anything personally.
3. Don’t make assumptions.
4. Be your best everyday in everything we do.
By being impeccable with your word, Don Miguel Ruiz is saying be honest in what you say, both to others and to yourself. He also means to follow through with what you say you will do.
By not taking anything personally, the author is saying that what negative and hateful things are said about us and done to us should carry no weight in our minds. This is a tough one, but if we look at people’s intentions, we may see that others are attacking not so much us, but what we represent to them. They may try cutting us down because we are successful in their eyes and they are not so they attack that success to make themselves feel better. It is a stretch, but if you can take a step back from yourself, you can see much of what is done to us which upsets us is not truly against us, as the person or being. This will allow us to not take it personally. It will take time to get to this level.
By not making assumptions, we free ourselves from the unknown. We will know what is going on around us and with others. Assumptions cause us to make mistakes and cause us to have disagreements with others based on what we assumed to be true (and what others assumed to be true which do not match up). Ask questions rather than assume and know for sure. Asking questions to find out what you need to know is a great way to dissolve assumptions into a mutual understanding.
By being our best everyday in everything we do is saying to do the best we can under the current circumstances of the day. This means that if we are ill and can only perform at 20% of our full efficiency that day, then that is our best for that day. This is not a cop out, but an understanding that we can reach 100% of our capability at any given time and should strive to do so, but not push it. And on some days, our best, our 100% is not the same as other days. It’s when we try to give more than we can that we often run into trouble. Doing our best every day in everything also means that we can be confident that we do the best we could do on whatever we are working on. It will take weight off our conscience of whether we did enough or not. We will know we did our best.
I really enjoyed this book, and will return to review from time to time. Each of these four questions is totally achievable by everyone, and I definitely see how this will bring us greater personal freedom.
Enjoy!
http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
502-533-9336
PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment