You are an artist of the Spirit.
Find yourself and express yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly.
Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art.
The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz
I’ve recently been re-reading The Four Agreements: a Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s clear, concise, uncomplicated and to-the-point, spiritual advice.
The Four Agreements are:
Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. (if we could get this one under our belts, our lives would change instantly!)
Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. (another one that will completely transform our lives!).
Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
And in Don Miguels Ruiz's Book, The Fifth Agreement he outlines the last agreement:
Don’t believe me, don’t believe yourself, and don’t believe anyone else. We must become clear, free from old knowledge and beliefs that bind us. Your reality is often not about what is actually happening but instead what you have decided it means. Closely examine the stories you tell about yourself and everyone else and you just may discover a few things that are simply not true.
Now…to put this all into practice! Have you ever noticed how we can read something like this, completely agree with it and then turn around and act like it has nothing to do with our own lives?? Our habits and behaviours are just so ingrained that we often don't recognize them for what they are.
psst…I’d like to add a sixth agreement…Find humour everywhere and laugh often!
