Wisdom from the Four Agreements

Very good book for young people trying to find themselves. Great for older people that may need some encouragement or just a renewal on life

I thoroughly love this book. Briefly, The Four Agreements are: 1. Be impecable with your word. 2. Don't take anything personally. 3. Don't make assumptions. 4. Always do your best. This is such a moving book because it is the real truth. You will 'feel' that as you read. Don Miguel Ruiz explains that we (humans) have become mired in others 'black magic',others 'mitote.' That we have been domesticated by others from birth. We have choosen to believe what we have been programed to believe .... that we are imperfect, we are bad, that we are seperate, etc. He explains that we can create a Heaven on Earth by reclaiming ourselves, our happiness, that is our birth right, by not believing all the lies we've been given. I don't want to give too much of this book away because it is so wonderful. The words of an incredibly wise Shaman. With each reading, the meaning becomes greater. If everyone read this book, the world would be tremendously better off.

I carry these cards with me in my car and every morning on my commute to work, I draw one card and meditate on that agreement and its message. More often than not, the card I draw addresses an issue with which I am dealing. These cards have strengthened my soul. I love them.

The Four Agreements Cards are a stunningly beautiful deck of 48 high-gloss cards of sturdy stock. Five artists illustrated this deck, so there is a lot of creative diversity to the lush images and scripts on each card. There are 12 cards dedicated to each of the four agreements. On each, the main agreement is printed at the top of the card, and a whimsical, flowing phrase is weaved throughout the image. On the back of each card are insights about that particular phrase and agreement. Some insights are only one sentence, and others are several sentences. The cards come in a square box that features the same image that is on front of the book. What is great about the container is that it's a matte finished, flip top box constructed of sturdy cardboard. Thus, it's easy to take the deck in and out of the box when wanting to look at the cards, or just drawing one to meditate upon for awhile. Some examples from the deck: One card about Always do your best features a woman with an enormous beehive hair-style. She is adorned with gold jewelry, and different shades of blue and green swirl about her. There is a golden hue that seems to emanate from behind her hair, while 2 birds have made a nest therein. The phrase? Don't Overdo. The back of this card says Always do your best, but don't overdo! When you overdo, you deplete your body and go against yourself, and it will take you longer to accomplish your goal. A card about Don't take anything personally features a man with his eyes closed, orange and yellow hues and clouds surrounding him. Several small objects seem to swirl around his head, including a hand, a planet that looks like Saturn, several tiny stars, an eye, an open book, a ribbon, etc. The phrase on the front says Everyone lives in their own dream. On the back, the card says all people live in their own dream, in their own mind. They are in a completely different world from the one we live in. Another card, dealing with Don't make assumptions, features a woman with a lampshade on her head that has flowers dangling from it. Peach and pink tones surround her as she waears a black dress with pink flowers. On the back of this card, it says The biggest assumption that humans make is that everyone sees life the way we do. We assume that others think the way we think, feel the way we feel, judge the way we judge, and abuse the way we abuse. We are afraid to be ourselves around others because we think others will judge us, victimize us, abuse us, and blame us as we do ourselves. An dark-skinned man wearing a hat strums a guitar while four birds surround him. The phrase Create a beautiful dream graces the front, and speaks of Be impeccable with your word. The back of the card says Your word can create the most beautiful dream, or your word can destroy everything around you. Impeccability of the word only creates beauty, love, and heaven on earth. What stands out about this deck is the rich colors. Both sides contain colorful images that differ f

I love the artwork on them. They are highly usable. Even if you didn't read the book, they are an excellent pack, just to have around. Each card can be used as a stand-alone card that you can display. They are just a beautiful deck of inspiring messages and I highly recommend them to anyone who likes cards.

Whether or not you've read the Four Agreements, you'll find these cards a wonderful tool to help you find personal freedom and happiness. The benefit is much greater if you've read the book as well but I wouldn't say that you can't have one without the other. Everyday, I take one card from the box, put it on my desk at work and use it as a reminder to think about the message of the particular "agreement." The teachings of the book and the reminders on the cards have made me feel like sandbags have been lifted off my back!