The four agreements by don miguel ruiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The four agreements by don miguel ruiz - Essay Example Dreams signify freedom. But our dreams are hardly unfettered, they are bound by the collective dreams of the family, country and religion and in the end most of us are domesticated like the animals we know, doing a lot of activities, without quite knowing why we are doing it. The general Theme of the Book is that most of the Truths in life are self evident and simple. We are unable to get to them because we create chaos and muddy the picture. Most of the solutions to various problems are within us. Also most of the problems are created by us too. The simple underlying fact of the book is that if we can make some simple but very substantive agreements with ourselves, we most certainly be more enlightened and bring happiness to ourselves and others. In this first of agreements, the focus is on one thing. It is one's word. Miguel Ruiz shows us that it is something which is very powerful and cannot be trifled with. The word is more than just an utterance. Indeed Bible has put the Word before everything1. Of course there it meant the eternal word of God. But even our words though at a lot lower level , still have a tremendous amount of power. It is who you are and what you feel. It is how you impact this world. Words have the power to create great good as it can create great evil. Miguel uses Hitler's rise as an example of how somebody's words caused not only to his country but to the World. Miguel likens the spoken word to a spell. And indeed words have the innate power to become self fulfilling prophecies. What one says, many times one believes, but it is more than that. The people who listen to us and respect us believe us when we say something. A word said in anger or frustration can have a life long impact on a child. But wha t does impeccability mean. Though it literally translates as being without sin, what Miguel means by it is word said without judgment and without anger. And the judgment has to be said aside not just for others but for oneself too. Miguel does say that even if caustic words are said about others by you, you are only reflecting on yourself. Though you cause damage to others by use of such words, you cause similar if not more damage to yourself. By doing that. Words are never spoken in vacuum. Indeed if you say a word in anger, they most likely will respond back with a word of anger. But a word of love and kindness will get back the same response. Miguel uses a phrase over here called "emotional poison". It is difficult not to notice, how drained we are after an argument or after loosing our temper, and there is an opposite feeling after pleasant words full of love and kindness have been uttered. By an extension of this gossiping is the vilest form of poison. It obviously hurts its in tended target, but if you are a part of it, it can cause intense damage to you, even if it is totally un true. Poison once mixed in water will mix through and everybody who drinks it will suffer from it. Miguel likens gossip to a computer virus, a small entity but with a potential of very large damage. What words you speak create a fertile environment for similar thoughts in your mind. A person constantly using impeccable words will always have a mind free of emotional poison. The Second Agreement Don't Take Anything Personally The second agreement presents a very interesting argument. Do not take anything personally. Indeed, even if somebody puts