Title: The Four Agreements
Author: Don Miguel Ruiz
Genre: Non-Fiction
Why I Chose To Read This Book?
A couple months prior to me self-surrendering to Federal Prison Camp in Oxford, WI, I was listening to a Podcast in my car and the host mentioned “The Four Agreements” as one of his favorite books of all time. As soon as I got home, I added it to my future reading list. The actual Four Agreements discussed in the book stems from a group
of scientists and artists in ancient southern Mexico called the Toltecs. Over time, circumstances, mainly conquests greed from some of the Toltecs, required the knowledge gained by this group to be kept hidden and passed down in secret. Today, I am very thankful the wisdom of the Four Agreements were able to make it to print.
The Four Agreements are as follows:
1) Be Impeccable With Your Word
2) Don’t Take Anything Personally
3) Don’t Make Assumptions
4) Always Do Your Best
Simply applying and mastering just 1 of these 4 agreements would enhance your life. What could mastery of all 4 of them do? According to the Toltec’s and to others who have read this book, mastering the Four Agreements allows you to live a life of happiness, peace, and spiritual satisfaction. Sold!!!!
What I Learned:
The first agreement is “Be Impeccable With Your Word”. Sounds simple enough until you start digging into it, starting with the word “impeccable”. Impeccable means without sin or flawless. Well, there is only 1 person ever to live an impeccable life and I am not Him. Also, and more realistic, the book points out the POWER of words. A single word can cause someone to laugh, cry, celebrate, or commit bodily harm. A word can cause a riot or a war but also cause peace and compromise. If I were to be impeccable with my word, it would mean I would speak with integrity, don’t speak to hurt to gossip, and use the power of words to bring people up and not down.
“Don’t Take Anything Personally” is the second agreement. Now that you know the power your words have, how much power are you giving others that throw words YOUR way? Words only have power if you CHOOSE to give them power. Make sure your self-esteem tank is always on “Full” and do not allow others opinions or beliefs or “bad days” drag you down. Also, the bi-product of not taking anything personal, you can say what you need using the First Agreement and not worry about what others might think.
The Third Agreement is “Don’t Make Assumptions”. Think about this for a second–How quickly do we in Society convert an assumption to a belief? Your wife is in a bad mood. You assume it is NOT because you have done anything wrong so you believe it is because it’s “that time of the month”. So, you go about your day and not even inquire why she is in a bad mood and you actually make the situation worse. How many assumptions have you made because you assume everyone believes how you believe? STOP IT!!! START “manning up” and ask some questions, don’t take the responses personally, and mean what you say.
The last of the Four Agreements is “Always Do Your Best”. Have you ever thought or said the following: –I did not give it my all.
–I just did not feel up to trying that hard.
–I really “half as_ed” that one!!
Try this–Do your BEST under ANY circumstance. Of course, that will vary depending on if you are 100% healthy Page 1 of 2 11/20/2022
made because you assume everyone believes how you believe? STOP IT!!! START “manning up” and ask some questions, don’t take the responses personally, and mean what you say.
The last of the Four Agreements is “Always Do Your Best”. Have you ever thought or said the following:
–I did not give it my all.
–I just did not feel up to trying that hard.
–I really “half as_ed” that one!!
Try this–Do your BEST under ANY circumstance. Of course, that will vary depending on if you are 100% healthy or sick but giving your best effort can be a constant thing in your life. The list of benefits that accompany always doing your best is lengthy but here are two–1) You NEVER have regrets 2) You live a FULL life.
Why I Will Succeed After Reading This Book:
Has anyone ever given you advice that seems so simple, you immediately think “Why didn’t I think of that??” That sums of “The Four Agreements” for me. Separately, any 1 of the agreements can have an IMPACT on your life. Together, they can CHANGE your life.
Just speaking as someone currently in Prison, the Agreements can apply to every day life AND serve as a great testing grounds before I apply them in Society.
Your word in Prison is often all you have to build trust. I know people who have either LIED about their crimes or tried to withhold some truths and those that know better immediately sniffed out the truth and that inmate immediately became un-trustworthy and even ostracized because of a simple question “Why are you here?”.
Guys get bad news in Prison all the time, guys have bad “mental” days frequently, and simple “ribbing” or taking harmless shots at each other for laughs happens daily. If you take everything personally like “Why isn’t he talking to me?” or “That offends me”, your time in Prison can seem like a lifetime.
Making assumptions about people in Prison can cost you friends and make enemies. “All drug dealers are devils” or “All inmates are out to get you” are HORRIBLE assumptions to make. I know multiple guys in here quite well now and value our Brotherhood. My life would be missing something if I let assumptions lead my decision making process.
Don’t feel like working out today? Don’t feel like reading another page? Would you rather sleep than better yourself? Time is something you have PLENTY of in Prison. Use this time to not just better yourself but change your life!! Every second of exercise, no matter the kind, is beneficial. Reading 1 more page can unlock some life changing wisdom. How about doing a book report AFTER you read the book to help not just you but others like you???? Put in that max effort now while you are in Prison and the training wheels will already be off when you leave and return to society a better citizen.
About Me:
My name is Jeff Piecka and I was recently sentenced to 34 months in a Federal Prison Camp in Oxford, WI, after committing and immediately pleading guilty to a white collar crime several years ago. Before self-surrendering on June 6, 2022, I promised my wife and family that I WILL exit prison a better husband, son, brother, Christian, future employee, and overall better member of society because I am going to better myself in three ways: 1) Physically–Not just for vanity purposes but a better operating body equals a better operating mind. 2) Mentally–Reading non-fiction books, newspapers, stories, and magazines that educate and elevate my mind and expand my vocabulary.
3) Spiritually–For ME, this means learning more from the Bible but it can also mean whatever “Greater Good” you believe in.
Shortly after self-surrendering and reading Michael Santos’s book “Earning Freedom–Conquering A 45 Year Prison Term”, it inspired me to want to help just 1 person who is possibly heading to prison so I started emailing my family Posts that my sister uses to post as a Blog on Reddit dot com called “Letters From Federal Prison”. I believe to date it has over 9,100 views and shares plus there are 3 comments from people advising that the Blog has helped them. This has motivated me to keep writing (which I have NEVER done anything like this before) and I REALLY want to help more people when I return to society next year.
