This book often pops up as a recommendation by bookstagrammers and so I was curious to read it. And I must say it didn't disappoint. It is a short, easy-to-read 130 pager. The author succinctly conveys four guiding principles that lead to personal freedom. These are based on wisdom passed down from the Toltec philosophers of Mexico.
The four agreements though might sound simple, are extremely impactful when practiced on a daily basis.
- Be impeccable with your word
- Don't take anything personally
- Don't make assumptions
- Always do your best
As the author explains the context behind each of these agreements, I'm sure most of us would nod our heads as these are relatable to our lives and situations we have faced.
Apart from these agreements, the one idea that made a strong impact on me was about the domestication of humans and our belief system. The author correlates our beliefs to a Book of Law that rules our mind. The inner Judge uses this Book of Law to judge everything we think, feel and do.
"Everything lives under the tyranny of this Judge. Everytime we do something that goes against the Book of Law, the Judge says we are guilty, we need to be punished, we should be ashamed. This happens many times a day, day after day, for all the years of our lives."
A few favorite lines from this book:
"Taking things personally is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about "me".""When we believe something, we assume we are right about it to the point that we will destroy relationships in order to defend our position.""Doing your best is taking the action because you love it, not because you're expecting a reward.........If you take action because you have to, then there is no way you are going to do your best.""We must forgive those we feel have wronged us, not because they deserve to be forgiven, but because we love ourselves so much we don't want to keep paying for the injustice"
Do check out this book for more such powerful insights conveyed in simple writing.