There are few books that stand the test of time, and for me they are usually the most straightforward and deceptively simple in nature. One such book is ‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Don Miguel is a Toltec Shaman or Spiritual Master. In his Mexican culture, there is a vast and comprehensive understanding of the nature of reality and how we as humans fit into this framework. His seminal book, originally published in 1997, describes the four main principles or agreements by which we create our reality. Agreements can be likened to rules or basic truths; they are universal and applicable to everyone.
The first principle or agreement is the most important and covers everything. The other three just build upon the first. This first principle is, “Be Impeccable With Your Word”.
What does impeccable mean? Impeccable means flawless, or without error.
What does our word mean? Word implies our thoughts, speech, and subsequent actions. Essentially, what we ‘create’ in our mind, body, and emotional worlds.
Thus, impeccability points to absolute honesty and integrity in the way we communicate with ourselves and others.
People are only just beginning to understand the direct relationship between our thoughts, our words, and our behaviors. For many, it appears that these subtle realms are separate and distinct with each having no consequence or relationship to the other. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Our thoughts are actual things; albeit subtle ‘things’ that we cannot see, taste, touch, smell, or hear. Thoughts are made of mind energy and thoughts are the building blocks of our manifested physical reality. Everything that you see was first a thought.
Our word or speech is a more concretized form of our thoughts. If you want to know how someone thinks, listen to their speech. Do they complain? Do they have a million excuses? Do they interpret everything as negative? Or is the speech of someone agreeable, interesting, energetic and inspiring? Even more rare, does the person refrain from speaking unless absolutely necessary; preferring to remain silent?
Speech reveals everything about the nature of one’s mind.
Taken a step further, our behavior and actions are just our thoughts more solidified. What we do with our day, how we prioritize things, what we choose to occupy our time with and how we go about interacting with our world also reveals everything about who and what we are.
Contrary to what many people believe, it is impossible to lie to one another. Though we might want to portray ourselves in a particular light and attempt to persuade others of how we wish we were; our speech and our actions always reveal our truth. It is inescapable.
So, what does all this mean and how does this apply to the average person going about their lives trying to discover peace and the elusive state of joy or happiness?
First it is important to realize that you are in fact totally responsible for your state of mental, emotional, and physical health. Without accepting this as a basic truth you will never gather enough power to take control of your inner world.
The First Agreement is actually all about integrity. Having the integrity to think, speak and act with honesty and conscious awareness.
Full awareness means that you are aware of your thoughts. How many of you are actually aware of what you are thinking throughout the day? Are your thoughts positive and helpful or negative and depressing?
Full awareness means that you consciously choose what you want to say. How many of you actually think before you speak? Is what you say powerful, truthful, helpful?
Full awareness means that your actions and behavior are intentional and with purpose. How many of you actually act and behave in ways that you are proud of?
Integrity means honesty and in spiritual terms it means being honest not only with others but most importantly with yourself.
Do you make promises and regularly not keep them?
Do you over exaggerate stories?
Do you participate in gossip?
Do you tell white lies to be accepted so as not to cause waves?
Do you lie to yourself and ignore what you know needs addressing?
There are many ways in which we are not holding ourselves accountable with the First Agreement. Our word is our bond to ourselves and others. When you regularly don’t follow through with things that tells other people that you are unreliable and unrealistic. It also holds you back from feeling empowered.
When our behavior is incongruent to our thoughts and feelings we come across as fake and untrustworthy.
- Powerful people think before they act.
- Powerful people say what they mean.
- Powerful people follow through with their word.
- Powerful people hold others accountable.
- Powerful people know their worth and choose where and what to spend their time.
- Powerful people inspire others through living in integrity.
Not having integrity within our own being affects everything we do. Our entire reality is predicated upon our thoughts, words, and actions.
This is why the first agreement is really the only agreement. It holds the power of creation in it. The other three just help to further emphasis its power.
So, now that you know that being impeccable with your word creates your reality what are you going to do with this knowledge?
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