Reflections on The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Recently, I have listened the audiobook of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. The book is about understanding how our belief past to us from everything around us, parents, school, friends, televisions  from the childhood affect how we understand the world. The author recommends readers to internalize 4 beliefs,in the author's word, Four Agreement to get rid of agreements which is not for us. The book is very poetic and powerful. It beautifully explain how our belief and thinking mind affect our mental state and eventually our life, and the four agreements are powerful to avoid unnecessary worries, and make peace on earth. However, I think the author makes the book vague and open to interpretation, not specific. Different people will interpret these information differently, thinking they understand what the point of the book is, and I have some part that I cannot really agree. I think I need to be critical, and I should not believe what the author is saying unconditionally. What he is saying also his belief, not truth, and I have to decide what to believe myself. In this blog, I would like to interpret the beautiful book in my way, so that I can use it in my life.

Introduction:Domestication and the Dream of the Planet

We, our brain see the world in our own way. What we see, what we believe, how we feel are strongly affected by our early childhood. Steven R. Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People calls the way of the seeing the world paradigm. Don Miguel Ruiz use the word, dream. Dr.Steven R. Covey didn't go deep into how exactly our perception is formed, but Don Miguel Ruiz explain his deep insight about the dream. I think it is really interesting.

He explain the importance of Attention and Language. in childhood, we use our attention to learn about the world, like how to behave, what is good or bad, what is acceptable or not acceptable. Not only attention, people like parents, teachers, people in church teach what is good or not, what to believe or not to believe with language.

"You should not do that!."
"You should be a doctor."

Every language is an agreement, and these little agreements are accumulated, and the belief of you is formed. These agreements affect how you see the world, your personal dream or paradigm. We did not have chance to choose our belief because we were so small, and believed what others say unconditionally. 
However, once you are aware of these agreements, you can choose to get rid of unnecessary agreements or agreements that hurt yourself.  

"I am not worthy of love."
"I am ugly."
"I am useless."

These agreements hurt the person who has them over and over again.

When I was a junior highschool student, I didn't go to school, and stayed at home, playing video games all the time. I had similar agreements toward myself, but try to neglect it. I felt useless, I did not have future. When I was a high school student, one book helped me to have a different agreement,"I can change and grow by following collect principles of growth." The book is Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I believed it, and I believe it now.

The effect of paradigm or dream to our life is huge. One agreement can change one's life. By being aware of them, we can rewrite our agreements and live our own life that you would like to live.

Remind: People do not see the world as it is, but as they are conditioned to through their paradigm or dream. They create their dream with their attention and language from people like their parents, friends, education at places like home, school, church and so on. They have different agreements as you do.

I think knowing this can change how we treat others, and what I can do for others to understand them.

As I write, I realized the article is becoming long. I would like to go on the four agreement in the next one.