Toltec Wisdom in The Four Agreements

Oh, the wisdom we've lost over the ages. Don Miguel Ruiz aimed to recapture some of the intrinsic knowledge he was exposed to, but perhaps didn't fully absorb, growing up in rural Mexico.

More about the Toltec civilization can be found in the Ancient History Encyclopedia. 

Ruiz's short book, The Four Agreements, spent several years on the NYT best sellers list. Apparently, a lot of us are searching for simple truths and a little more agreement in our lives.

Instead of following his family's Toltec healing tradition, Ruiz went to medical school and became a surgeon, like several other authors* I enjoy. Coincidence? OK. Or maybe I have a thing for writers influenced by their near-death experiences. Hm.

Is this self-help book worth a read? Well, if you're looking for a headache cure and suspect the answer might lie within your own head, yep. Definitely worth reading.

The Four Agreements are: 

1. Be Impeccable with your Word
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally (Less Spock-like than it sounds)
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best (Don't worry, no Tiger-mom stuff here. Think Stuart Smalley instead. Your best will vary with your health, mood, energy level - and that's OK.)

My thoughts? If you're looking for answers - or just about anything - you can find it in a book :D

~Diane Stresing

*Michael Creighton, Atul Gawande, Abraham Verghese.