The Four Agreements Overview

Be impeccable with your word

• What you say matters. This includes how you talk to others and yourself
• Words come back to you. What you put out is often what we get back.
• impeccable: from Latin word “peccatus” meaning “sin” and “im” meaning “without”
• sin: to go against yourself
• in other words, don’t go against yourself

Don’t take anything personally

• Don’t rely on the opinions of others for your self-worth
• What others think of you is about them, not you.

Don’t make assumptions

• When someone says no, that means no - don’t invent anything further inside of your head (such as ‘They must hate me’)
• Filling in the gaps can cause us to create a false reality, leading to conflict and hurt feelings that are not necessary.
• Clear communication is essential. Don’t pretend to know.

Always do your best

• If you do the best you can, you have no reason to be ashamed of yourself or feel bad or guilty.
• Your “best” will vary from day to day. Some days will be easier than others.
• Doing your best doesn’t mean overstretching yourself. It doesn’t mean doing as well as others. It simply means doing the best you can at any given moment.

references