A Self-Help Book: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

  I have not read a lot of non fiction books lately, although I have been wanting to read more auto-biographies. One that I really want to read is Chanel Miller's "Know My Name: A Memoir." One book that I read over the summer is "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. It is more of a self-help book based on Toltec wisdom, an ancient civilization in Mexico between the 10th and mid-12th centuries CE. The four agreements are: Be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions and alway do your best. As I explained in my small group on Zoom yesterday, I wanted to start this book to help me through a bit of a tough time. The agreement that I took away from this book was don't take anything personally. A short description of this section is that the actions that other people do are not a reflection of you. They live in their own reality, and therefore have a different outlook on life. To avoid personal suffering, try and not take other's actions to heart as much. I tend to be hyper-aware of what others think about me based on how they act which usually leads to quite a lot of overthinking. When I first read this book, it really put things into perspective for me. I think it is a bit easier said than done to completely change the way you think about other's actions but this book was a great way to begin the process of changing my mindset. Usually, I do not read books like this one, but I actually enjoyed this guide and I have referred back to it since my first time reading it. I'll include an image below!