A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
In the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, he outlines four guideposts to help live a happier and more fulfilling life, with less wasted energy on negative thoughts and mindsets.
1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don't take anything personally
3. Don't make assumptions
4. Always do your best
Simple concepts, yet we don't always apply them in our day-to-day life. Let's look at each as he describes them.
The Four Agreements
I'm taking the four agreements and their descriptions word for word from the book, since the author does such a good job of simplifying.
Be Impeccable With Your Word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
This is so critically important. Especially the part about not speaking bad about yourself. Life is tough, especially right now. Give yourself credit for all that you are doing, and stop letting that voice in your head convince you that you should have done more.
YOU ARE ENOUGH.
And there is no time to gossip about others. Everyone is dealing with something you have no idea about. You don't have to agree with everyone, but don't waste your time talking bad about them either.
Don't Take Anything Personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dreams. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't need to be the victim of needless suffering.
How many time have you been offended or spent hours ruminating about something someone else said, just to find out days later that their reaction had nothing to do with you? I used to take so much personally, at work and at home.
It is a relief (and a bit of an ego blow if I am being honest) to know that the world does NOT revolve around me. Everyone is managing their own lives. Their reactions and opinions are a reflection of what they are dealing with, not about who you are.
Don't Make Assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Ask for what you need. Ask others what they need. And then really listen to their response. Listen to understand, not just to respond.
Social media makes this difficult because written language doesn't have the nuance and tone of conversation. We tend to know one thing about someone (let's say, who they support in the election or their religion or race or family or occupation) and we start assuming other things about them.
But have you asked to truly understand?
Always Do Your Best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
The most important part of this is realizing that your best will change from moment to moment, day to day. Doing your best does NOT mean working yourself into a mental breakdown. Doing your best means doing what you can, to the best of your ability, in that moment.
For me it means that sometimes I am patient and funny when I read with my boys at bedtime, other nights I am exhausted and I yell from the hallway to brush their teeth and go to bed. Sometimes I clear out my inbox and feel great, other days I am late for meetings and procrastinate on deliverables.
This is life.
And you can enjoy your life so much more if you live by these four agreements.
Print them out, hang them up where you can see them, and make them a part of your daily life.
Because you deserve to enjoy this life you are working so hard for!
Cheers to your personal freedom,
Sharon
Create the Life of Your Dreams
What if your dream life could be your reality? I help clients gain clarity on the life they really want and create a pathway to achieve it. The first step is defining what success means to you in your life, family, and career - something I help each client discover, document, and refine.
Schedule a free strategy call to discuss where you are and what you want by CLICKING HERE. I take pride in providing practical, actionable steps that work in your very busy life so that you can create work/life success on your terms.
Whether it is this one call, a Life Vision Intensive, ongoing coaching, or a workshop to bring into your organization - I meet you where you are to help you get where you want to go.
Life is too short to stay stressed and stuck. I've helped so many people reclaim their life. I can help you too.
