The Four Agreements (Commemorative Edition)

In this commemorative edition with a new graphic design, The Four Agreements of Dom Miguel Ruiz presents a practical guide for learning to balance social constraints with our own desires and aspirations. The commemorative version features a colorful interior and a flexible cover for greater reader comfort.

Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the ideas contained in this book explain in an enlightening way how we are influenced and profoundly modified according to the standards demanded by modern society.

For example, Ruiz says that all children are born perfectly loving, fun-loving, and genuine. However, parents teach their children patterns of behavior that they must follow to receive love and avoid criticism. Eventually, these patterns become internalized, an unconscious set of instructions for living life.

According to the author, most of these unconscious beliefs are completely arbitrary. Many of them are irrational and unnecessarily limiting. The key to freedom, according to cognitive therapists, is becoming aware of our irrational and limiting thoughts so we can replace them with healthy ones.

Ruiz asserts that children know nothing beyond their agreement with the adult realities they are indoctrinated into. Children don't argue with the meaning of words or grammar because they are learning the language. If my parents tell me I'm smart and handsome, I believe them. If they tell me I'm dumb and ugly, I believe them. Children have no choice but to agree. They are like prisoners, shackled and forced to believe that shadows of artificial objects are real.

But as we mature, we can become warriors, freeing ourselves from the shackles of conforming to our false and implanted ideas. We can accept healthier compromises.

Through the four commitments—be impeccable with your word; take nothing personally; don't jump to conclusions; and always give your best—this book offers us a powerful code of conduct that can quickly transform our lives into a new experience of true freedom, happiness, and love.