Review of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

By Mike Kay

Miguel Ruiz presents elegant simplicity in the life-changing text of “The Four Agreements.”

This ancient Mexican wisdom is delivered in the measured tones of a man who has himself followed a conventional medical career only to return to the shamanic roots that really hold the key to happiness in our existence.

Unlike other life improvement texts, this one concentrates on very basic issues that drive every aspect of our lives. As there are only four we are unlikely to forget them as we go about our everyday activities. As with so many abundance seeking and attraction books, “The Four Agreements” promises that you can realize your own personal dream simply by removing the self-imposed blockages we have built up.

The four agreements are simple to read: Be impeccable with your word, Don’t take anything personally, Don’t make assumptions and Always do your best. It’s the sort of advice your father might give you but Ruiz translates them from the heart. He showed me that doing your best is dependent on how you are. Doing your best in troubled times will not always be the same as doing your best when the playing field is level. I also quickly recognized how the four agreements are linked. Doing my best is about me and not about others’ perception of me. If others choose to judge you, that is for them.

This is a slim volume at only 96 pages but it has an incredibly powerful message. If more life changing messages were this short, perhaps the world would indeed be a better place. The voice of Miguel Ruiz is vaguely new-age but in “The Four Agreements” the messages will communicate clearly with everyone who reads them.