As you know by now, the book The Four Agreements is a personal favorite of mine. Written by Don Miguel Ruiz, it translates the Wisdom of the ancient Toltec (pre-Aztec) Mesoamerican culture into four simple truths, or agreements, that when appropriately applied, provide total freedom. Freedom from pain, freedom from self-judgment. Freedom from the shackles our domestication imposes upon us.
Our domestication, you say? Yes, our domestication. When we are children, we are wild and totally free. As time goes on, we run afoul of the rules of the world, and we gain responsibility. This domestication forces choices upon us guided by our human imperfections. We make agreements that sap our freedom.
We allow ourselves to be abused by the world around us, by our loved ones, and most profoundly by ourselves. We become The Victim. We are obliged to The Judge. Finally, we develop a Belief System. This troika, The Victim, The Judge, and the Belief System combine to keep us in line. They prevent us from being truly present and mindful.
But aren’t we, as Dr. Jordan Peterson, author of The Twelve Rules for Life,” might say, defined by the burdens we choose to carry? Aren’t we made whole by overcoming obstacles by overcoming challenges and building responsibility? Yes, of course, but most people are consumed by responsibilities. Our domestication has made us slaves to The Victim, The Judge, and The Belief System.
There are three Toltec Masteries that enable the application of The Four Agreements into our lives. The first is the Mastery of Awareness. We fail to know or even to understand our dependence on pain. Fear born of hate, anger, envy, and sadness becomes normal. These are the shackles of our freedom. Being aware means you understand yourself through careful introspection, you can follow the darkness you bring into the world. You can say the words, “I am not free, and I am bound by agreements I’ve made with myself that must be broken.” Once aware, we must change.
The Mastery of Transformation is at the heart of my practice with myself and with my clients. High-performance is about consistently exceeding your standard norms over the long term. This is all about change. Mastering Transformation is a lifelong pursuit. As said by M. Scott Peck said to love is to manifest spirituality. To love oneself is to grow. To grow is to feed your spirit.
Without intention and necessity, we cannot succeed. The Mastery of Intention is the foundation for the successful integration of the Four Agreements into your life. External modes of Necessity are Duty and Deadlines. Internal methods of Necessity are Identity and Obsession (the good kind!). Achieving a balance between these four is one way to amplify your intention.
Dear readers, thank you for indulging me this last year. You honor me with your interest, your guidance, and your love. I am indebted and thankful to so many.
I will be taking a break from writing as we enter the Holiday Season. You can expect me back and on track on January 6th, 2020. Mercy, another decade on the horizon. Let’s make this next one the best of our lives.
In Service,
James
