Every action, says don Miguel Ruiz, is based on agreements people make - with other people, with God, with life. But the most important agreements are those people make with themselves. In these agreements they tell themselves who they are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible. One single agreement is not such a problem, but so many agreements come from fear, deplete energy, and diminish self-worth. In The Four Agreements, don Miguel reveals the source of self-limiting agreements that take away joy and create needless suffering. For those ready to change these agreements, there are four deceptively simple, yet powerful agreements that can be adopted as guiding principles: be impeccable with your word; don't take anything personally; don't make assumptions; and always do your best. These tenets can rapidly transform anyone's life to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
don Miguel Ruiz was born into a family of healers and raised in rural Mexico by a curandera (healer) mother and nagual (shaman) grandfather. The family anticipated don Miguel would embrace their centuries old legacy of healing and teaching and as a nagual, carry forward the esoteric Toltec knowledge. Instead, distracted by modern life, don Miguel chose to attend medical school and later teach and practice as a surgeon.
don Miguel began teaching in the United States, with his mother, the Curandera, Sarita in 1987. He taught small groups of people in a small room in Logan Heights, CA. Working with Sarita, he first began with healing practices. As his knowledge of English grew, he realized that he preferred to share his lineage through oral tradition, rather than a healing tradition.
don Miguel's students grew in numbers and his mythologies and guidance grew with them. He appeared in lectures in Santa Fe, NM, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Santa Rosa, CA and in many other locales. He began to share the wisdom that resulted in the creation of The Four Agreements®, when he witnessed his various students struggling to quiet their minds. don Miguel created a specific series of practical tools, that when used by anyone, can result in consistent and long-term personal transformation.
The tools shared by don Miguel are based on common sense and shared with such simplicity, that the universal message underlying his teaching is recognized by many. don Miguel's message is simple, practical and when implemented, even incrementally, changes lives.
In the tradition of the Toltec, a Nagual guides an individual to personal freedom. Combining new insights with old wisdom, don Miguel has dedicated his life to sharing the ancient Toltec wisdom by translating it into practical concepts that promote transformation through truth and common sense.
In February of 2002, don Miguel survived a near-fatal heart attack. The impact of the heart attack on his physical body prevents him from returning to wide-spread public speaking and lecturing. He intends to complete several, limited appearances, each year.
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