The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

A quiet code for inner peace, personal freedom, and everyday truth.

There are books that shout at you to change, and then there are those that gently remind you—you were always enough, just buried under layers you didn’t ask for. The Four Agreements is one of those sacred reminders. Simple in words, seismic in effect, it offers four guiding truths drawn from ancient Toltec wisdom. These agreements are not rules, but invitations—to live with less suffering and more soul.

Let’s breathe into them, one by one:

1. Be Impeccable with Your Word

Your word is your wand.
It casts the spells you live by—on yourself and others.
Being impeccable means speaking with integrity, saying only what you mean, and refusing to use language (internally or externally) to shame, wound, or manipulate.

Ruiz reminds us that gossip, self-criticism, and careless words poison our lives slowly. But when you use your word to uplift, heal, and express love, you reclaim your personal power.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about presence. Say what you mean. Let your word be a blessing.

“Impeccability of the word can lead you to personal freedom, to huge success and abundance.”

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally

Nothing others do is because of you.
This one can be a quiet revolution—especially for the tender-hearted.

When someone criticizes, lashes out, or even praises you, they are projecting from their internal world, their own wounds, stories, and shadows. Taking things personally gives their words power over your peace.

This agreement helps you hold your center. It’s not about becoming cold or detached. It’s about choosing not to carry what was never yours. It’s an invitation to radical emotional freedom.

“Whatever happens around you, don’t take it personally... Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.”

3. Don’t Make Assumptions

Assumptions are the birthplace of heartbreak.
We assume we know what others mean. We assume they know what we need. We assume silence means consent or rejection. And we suffer.

Ruiz encourages us to ask questions instead. To seek clarity instead of comfort. To replace mind-reading with honest dialogue.

This agreement teaches us that most conflict doesn’t come from truth—it comes from the spaces between what we think and what we never say.

“Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.”

4. Always Do Your Best

Your best is not a fixed point. It’s a rhythm. It changes with your energy, your emotions, your day.

Doing your best isn’t about exhausting yourself or striving for flawless results. It’s about showing up. It’s about giving what you can, today, from where you are.

Some days, your best is fierce and full. Other days, it’s tender and quiet. But when you do your best—without judgment, without shame—you avoid regret, and life meets you with grace.

“When you do your best, you learn to accept yourself.”

Final Reflection

The Four Agreements is not a book to be read and shelved—it’s a way of being to return to, gently, like breath.

On the journey of healing, detangling, and softening into your truth, these four compass points can hold you steady. Speak truth. Hold your power. Seek clarity. Show up fully.

Because peace isn’t found in some perfect life—it’s created in the quiet ways you honor your truth.