ABOUT THE BOOK
Ruiz wrote The Four Agreements as a response to what he saw in the world as "the domestication of the planet." In essence, this book is a response to how we live within the "Book of Law," which is Ruiz's term for the judgments we impose upon ourselves as a result of fear-based truths taught to us as children. Ruiz offers a solution to domestication, fearfulness, and judgment through his Four Agreements, which are principles that outline a wise, nonjudgmental, and peacefully persevering way of life.
The significance of this book cannot be underestimated, as evidenced by the fact that it spent more than 8 years on the New York Times bestseller list. Today, there are scores of groups that meet to discuss, dissect and practice the teachings of The Four Agreements. In addition, Ruiz and his sons continually travel and lecture on the principles outlined in the book. Ruiz has also made available an online Academy, which presents people with lectures, radio interviews, worksheets, forums, and a tool to track their progress.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Narielle Living is a regularly featured writer for the Hampton Roads magazines Next Door Neighbor and Guest Speaker, and has published hundreds of articles for online sites such as ehow.com and DIY.com. Her debut novel, Signs of the South, is a paranormal mystery available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Chesapeake Bay Writers, and the James York Writers. A former massage therapist, she also studied Philosophy and Religion. Narielle lives in southeastern Virginia and is currently working on her third novel. Narielle can be found on Twitter, @NarielleLiving or her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Narielle-Living/307597632586503.
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
When something is said to us that is negative, such as name-calling or a labeling of us as stupid, incompetent or lazy, we take it personally because on some level we believe these hurtful statements to be true. Ruiz's second agreement, then, is intimately linked to the first agreement, for both tenets urge us to be careful in our giving and reception of words. While the first agreement emphasizes the profound constructive and destructive powers of words, the second agreement encourages us to understand that many people do not appreciate the effects that their words have, and that as a result they often say things that they do not truly mean.
According to Ruiz, it is important to remember that the words and actions of others are not a reflection of you. To assume that another person's behavior is directly related to you is to assume that others are living within the world that we have created for ourselves in our heads, when in fact only we reside this world. This fact indicates that when other people pass judgments on you, they are living within their own mental world of arbitrary rules and perceptions. You thus should not take what these people say completely at face value.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Quicklet on Don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
Don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
+ About The Book
+ Introducing the Author
+ Overall Summary
+ The Smokey Mirror
+ ...and much more
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