The fifth commitment

Don Miguel Ruiz revisits the teachings of the ancient Toltecs, which offer the possibility of a new life filled with genuine happiness and love. Like its predecessor, The Four Agreements, The Fifth Agreement continues the teachings of Toltec philosophy that has already transformed the lives of countless people around the world. This book is based on the following precepts: Be impeccable with your word; Take nothing personally; Don't jump to conclusions; Always give your best; Be skeptical, but learn to listen. In his bestselling book, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel described the sum of uncontrollable elements in our lives as the source of our domestication. This includes all the habits, attitudes, ideas, and behaviors we learned as innocent children from parents, mentors, friends, and teachers. The author called this the "collective dream," what society expects of us. Now, his son expands on this idea and illustrates where it comes from. As children, we act naturally, according to our tendencies. We laugh, eat, sleep, explore, and create. We don't judge ourselves or regret our actions until we are gradually introduced to symbolism. And we change our behavior to satisfy not only our own wants and needs, but also what society imposes on us. Symbols are a huge part of all our lives, and without them, the world wouldn't function. However, most of these symbols are in some way culturally and socially biased. They cling to certain values, things we admire and desire, and norms, to behaviors we consider acceptable. This is how we grasp all these ideas of what we should have and do, and when we grow up, we are completely conditioned by this domestication. We lose the authenticity and selflessness we have by nature. Don Miguel Ruiz taught us how to break with the beliefs that impede our growth and make commitments to our freedom. And now, in The Fifth Agreement, the author joins his son, Don Jose, to present the final precept, which complements the other four, and offers the reader a life filled with genuine happiness and free from the expectations of others.