Quotes
The Four Agreements
6 memorable lines from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, each with the idea behind it.
“Be impeccable with your word — speak with integrity, and say nothing about yourself that you would not say in front of your deepest critic.”
Ruiz's first agreement as the foundation: your word is the most powerful tool you have. Use it to create, not to destroy.
“Don't take anything personally — nothing others do is because of you. What they say and do is a projection of their own reality.”
Ruiz's most liberating principle: most of what you interpret as about you has more to do with the other person's wounds than yours.
“Don't make assumptions — find the courage to ask questions and express what you really want.”
Ruiz: most conflict is born of assumptions we never tested. Clarity — even uncomfortable clarity — is better than the conflict that assumptions produce.
“Always do your best — but your best will change from moment to moment. What matters is that you showed up.”
Ruiz: perfectionism is the enemy of action. Your best at 7am is different from your best at midnight. Honor both.
“The first agreement (impeccability of word) is the most difficult — and the most transformative.”
Ruiz: gossip, self-criticism, and passive aggression all begin with language. Transform your language, transform your life.
“All of the agreements are ultimately about the same thing: freeing yourself from the dream of the day.”
Ruiz: the Toltec framework is a path out of the social dream (the story of who you are) into awareness — the capacity to see clearly without distortion.