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There is
just one more agreement, but it's the one that allows the
other three to become deeply ingrained habits. The
fourth agreement is about the action of the first
three: Always do your best.
Under any
circumstance, always do your best, no more and no
less. But keep in mind that your best is never going
to be the same from one moment to the next.
Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your
best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it
will not be as good. When you wake up refreshed and
energized in the morning, your best will be better than
when you are tired at night. Your best will be
different when you are healthy as opposed to sick, or
sober as opposed to drunk. Your best will depend on
whether you are feeling wonderful and happy, or upset,
angry, or jealous.
In your
everyday moods your best can change from one moment to
another, from one hour to the next, from one day to
another. Your best will also change over time.
As you build the habit of the four new agreements, your
best will become better than it used to be.
Regardless
of the quality, keep doing your best--no more and no less
than your best. If you try too hard and do more than
your best, you will spend more energy than is needed and
in the end your best will not be enough.
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When you
overdo, you deplete your body and go against yourself, and
it will take you longer to accomplish your goal. But
if you do less than your best, you subject yourself to
frustrations, self-judgment, guilt, and regrets.
Just do
your best--in any circumstance in your life. It
doesn't matter if you are sick or tired, if you always do
your best there is no way you can judge yourself.
And if you don't judge yourself there is no way you are
going to suffer from guilt, blame, and
self-punishment. By always doing your best, you will
break a big spell you have been under.
There was
a man who wanted to transcend his suffering so he went to
a Buddhist temple to find a Master to help him. He
went to the Master and asked, "Master, if I meditate
four hours a day, how long will it take me to
transcend?"
The
Master looked at him and said, "If you meditate four
hours a day, perhaps you will transcend in ten
years."
Thinking
he could do better, the man then said, "Oh, Master,
what if I meditated eight hours a day, how long will it
take me to transcend?"
The
Master looked at him and said, "If you meditate eight
hours a day, perhaps you will transcend in twenty
years."
"But
why will it take me longer if I meditate more?" the
man asked.
The
Master replied, "You are not here to sacrifice your
joy or your life. You are here to live, to be happy,
and to love. If you can do your best in two hours of
meditation, but you spend eight hours instead, you will
only grow tired, miss the point, and you won't enjoy your
life. Do your best, and perhaps you will learn that
no matter how long you meditate, you can live, love, and
be happy."
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Sit
at the foot of a native elder and listen as great
wisdom of days long past is passed down. In The
Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don
Miguel Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and
presents a simple yet effective code of personal
conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors.
Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely
designed book makes a lovely gift for anyone making
an elementary change in life, and it reads in a
voice that you would expect from an indigenous
shaman. |
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