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Growing research has indeed proved that spirituality plays a very important role in the well-being of a person. In March 2014, a conference was held at the New York Academy of Medicine by spiritual caregivers that threw light on the benefits and wonders of spirituality. A review of a number of studies was published in 2015 in the journal called Cancer Management and Research. It showed enough evidence that spiritual intervention and mindfulness helps in lowering psychological distress, fatigue, and sleep disturbance in cancer patients.
Adopting the Four Agreements
Author Don Miguel Ruiz reflects the four principles which must be practiced in order to create happiness and love in your life. Committing to these agreements might appear to be the hardest thing to do but it can be a truly life-changing experience.
In the beginning, these new habits will appear to be very challenging and you might relapse countless times. But with diligence and continuous practice, you will be able to master them and improve different areas of your life.
What are the Four Agreements?
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Be Impeccable with your words
Speaking with integrity and saying only those things which you truly mean is the best way to avoid negative talk and gossip. Ruiz says in the book, “It is so important that with just this first agreement you will be able to transcend to the level of existence I call heaven on earth.”
Ruiz himself explains in the book how difficult yet important it is to maintain impeccability in one’s life. In simple words, being impeccable means that you don’t go against yourself and take full responsibility for your actions without any shame or guilt. Impeccably starts at home so you must be impeccable with yourself first before applying it in your relationships and commitments.
When you speak something, the rule of “action-reaction” applies. Whatever you put out with the proper use of energy, its reaction will be reflected towards you from your surroundings. When you give love, the same gesture is returned from the universe and when you put out hate and rage, you will get the same kind of results back to you.
Being impeccable will teach you to emit love and positivity from your personality for your own self and for the universe around you. And as a result, you will receive the same kind of warmth from other people.
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Don’t take anything personally
“Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.”
As soon as you immune yourself to the comments, opinions, and actions of others, you cut back on a tremendous amount of needless suffering. Even teachers like Deepak Chopra, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius are advocates of being independent of good or bad opinions of others.
The crust of this agreement is that one should learn to let go and not be affected by the thoughts and opinions of others. Practice forgiveness and stay away from anger. Compromise on your ego and apologize even if the other person is wrong. This will liberate you from the feelings of dependence on others and will give your spirit a strong boost.
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Don’t make assumptions
Not only do we have the problem of making assumptions, we are also very sure about their truthfulness. It is better to grab enough courage to ask questions and get direct answers to your queries (no matter how bitter they are) rather just assuming things on your own.
Communication is the key to remove misunderstandings and to avoid drama. Be clear about what others expect from you and what you want from them. Thinking this way helps in living a very peaceful life and leaves no room for gossip.
Not making assumptions about others’ behavior and giving them benefit of doubt for their actions puts your brain at rest. This gives you a certain positivity in life and you are enabled to understand the situation of the other person by being in his shoes.
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Always do your best
Under different circumstances, your best is also going to change. You cannot feel the same kind of energy in your body when you are sick as compared to when you are completely healthy. Your performance will change in both the situations but this won’t imply that you are not giving your best shot.
The main thing is to do your best without expecting anything as a reward for it. Your only prize should be the contentment of your heart because the moment you start expecting from others, you encounter disappointments. By keeping your expectations low and only concentrating on your own performance, you will be able to polish yourself in order to become a better human being.
The Bottom Line
From these four distinct agreements, you will develop unique and useful traits in your personality. Your spirit will learn positivity and forgiveness and will learn how to be more indifferent and understanding towards people.