Book Review: The Four Agreements

By Veronica Baginski

I recently read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz which was published in 1997 but draws on wisdom from the Toltec people who lived in Mexico between 950 and 1150 AD. The Aztecs regarded the Toltecs as intellectuals and Ruiz brought their knowledge to the masses. It was endorsed by Oprah in 2001 and again in 2013 while also being on the New York Times best seller list for over a decade. Here are some key takeaways from the book.

Rule 1: Be impeccable with your words

Impeccable was purposefully chosen for this rule. The word impeccable comes from the Latin word peccatus meaning "sin", and the "im" in the beginning of impeccable is the Latin prefix that means "without". Ruiz is ultimately saying your words should be without sin or without error. It also highlights the importance of taking responsibility for your words so if you say you were going to do something, you shouldn’t articulate the words aloud unless you mean to follow through with them.

Rule 2: Don’t take anything personally

This rule highlights what most people today need to hear. With everything that is said on social media, you should not take things personally and you should focus on your own worth. Your self-love and self-worth are what should define you in your mind and not what someone articulates to you. Someone who is judging you or insulting you has no idea what your life or even your day has been like so their words should not be taken to heart. Feedback is good and necessary. However, you shouldn’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take feedback from.

Rule 3: Don’t make assumptions

This rule points out how making assumptions clouds your judgment and your viewpoint of a situation or a person. Making assumptions creates havoc and chaos in your life. How many times have you assumed something about someone’s behavior in a situation only to find out there are problems at home or someone they love is sick. Making assumptions will never lead you to concrete conclusions until you have open and honest communication.

Rule 4: Always do your best

The fourth and final rule sums up the other three rules because it gives you the final step of how to live your life while avoiding regret. The goal is to look back on every situation you go through that has a bad or unfortunate ending and think “at least I did my best.” This method of thinking alleviates the stress of a job gone wrong because you were lazy or didn’t commit to the outcome. By always doing your best, you can move forward in life knowing your competence, compassion, and confidence in a job well done.