Reviewing "The 4 Agreements"

review by Sam Suska

"The Four Agreements" is by Don Miguel Ruiz

My project this afternoon was to read, consider and begin applying the principles of this book. However, I decided to take my own personal approach and apply my own thoughtfulness to this meaningful book. i highly recommend that you sit down and take a few hours to read this book. but if you don't believe you have the time (you do) or are simply unwilling (and that's OK) then you can read my interpretation of this little book.

1. Be impeccable with your word

words can lift spirits or they can cause deep wounds. we have to be thoughtful and considerate of how our words affect others. think of words as a direct way that we can express our intentions.

first, we can all agree that taking our time to consider our words is a useful strategy. becoming mindful with our words starts with investigating how our intentions create and express themselves as words. these intentions are often times the result of feelings. these feelings may not always be so apparent to us, but with patience we can gather insight on these.

the potentially powerful feelings are formed by thoughts and perceptions we have of ourselves and the world around us. our thoughts and perceptions are most powerfully influenced by the outlook we have and the thought process we employ.

so, outlook + thought process>perceptions>thoughts>feelings>intentions.....which are then expressed by our words.

there is no exact, fail-proof strategy to use; but simple awareness can play a great role.so, we have to be aware that our approach to life in general is reflected by our words. if we approach life with a positive attitude complete with patience and a thought process like rational-thinking we can have a profound effect on our words. these words need a purpose; helpfulness, love, care and truth are inarguably good intentions and goals in life which can become our mission statement or purpose in life.

we don't need extreme or dramatic events for us to express ourselves in a meaningful manner. nearly all of our words can have a meaningfulness to them, it just takes a mindful 'life approach'. we can start right now by employing a 'life approach' aimed to help others with loving, care-giving truthful intentions that are expressed with our words

smile right now, because this is not as difficult as it seems.

we are all capable of this, especially you. you have done so much good for others with so many helpful intentions thus far, and you have yet to employ this type of semi-organized approach to your life. what i'm saying is that you are capable of so much without using a strategy, you may be dangerously loving, caring and successful with a strategy!

this strategy is not written in stone, just employ it slowly into your life and follow the basic principles as much as possible.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally

we all have interactions with people, however short or meaningless they appear to be, that are stressful, challenging and leave us feeling upset in some way. we are not the cause of these problems in any way! what other people say and do is just their own way to express and project themselves, however misguided or unguided these may be.

we should not internalize anything happens to us because we are only in control of ourselves and nothing else and nobody else. when we truly buy into the realization that the world does not revolve around us we can become immune to the opinions and actions of other people. i am not responsible for your actions and you are not responsible for mine

trust is an important characteristic, if we trust a person their words generally have more weight with us. but this is a misconception, when in reality our confidence and trust is with ourselves because we know we are making the responsible choice in listening to this other person; you see the actual trust is that we made a good decision in selecting the people we surround ourselves with.

so, we need to become immune to others and this starts by surrounding ourselves with those we trust while becoming comfortable that we are only in control of ourselves. what others do and say is a reflection of who they are on the inside and how well they have adjusted to society and the problems they encounter.

i will never be a victim and neither will you when we both truly understand that nothing others do is because of us. their actions, their words are a projection of themselves and they need to deal with that. we cannot invest our precious time and energy into dealing with what others say and do to us; we are capable of using that for much more meaningful stuff like giving love to others!

love is something deep and beyond our conscious thought formed by our intuition and lying within our heart. we can only follow our intuition and express what's in our heart when we no longer take what others say and do personally. there is no struggle when we don't take anything personally; we are finally able to say "i love you" without fear because we followed our intuition and expressed our heart!

3. Don't Make Assumptions

uncertainty and fear of the unknown are two of the most potentially damaging feelings we can experience. uncertainty and fear manifest in our mind, create over-thinking and cause us to worry . however, these feelings result from assumptions we so readily, easily and often time unknowingly make.

we generally assume that other people are judging us, misunderstanding us or even know exactly what we think. yes, we can assume that another person feels just like us or completely different from how we feel or we can even assume they think we are crazy for our feelings. but we don't know this!

we have to communicate with other to know how they feel, avoid misunderstandings and prevent fear and uncertainty. the only way to know something about someone is to communicate with them. we can do this by asking broad questions, then indirect questions and when they appear to have a focused thought process we have to ask this person direct questions. and when we have already instituted the previous two agreements, we are ready, willing and able to properly reflect and respond to the answers, whatever they may be.

when we willingly communicate with others, don't take what they say personally and properly/mindfully express ourselves we will cease to make assumptions and be free of worry, fear and overall anxiety.

4. Always Do Your Best

we begin the process of making these 4 agreements by slowly instituting the previous three into our daily lives, but we will truly take a powerful step over creating our reality by committing to always doing our best. when we make the commitment to do our best all four of the agreements will become habits and we will desire and need this profoundly thoughtful way of living.

our best is subjective, it is so subjective that it changes from moment to moment. what was our best at midnight will not be our best at mid-afternoon; in fact no two moments are ever the exact same. so we have nothing to compare our effort to because there is no other moment in time like right now. this prevents us from casting judgment on ourselves and creating shame and guilt, which have the potential to paralyze us and damage ourselves mentally and physically.

the most important thing here is not to try too hard. we must try appropriately, and this knowledge lies within us, when we get in touch with our intuition we can get a good idea of just how much energy we can expend in making the four agreements and committing to them.

there will be challenges, there will be times we forget the four agreements and there will even be times we willingly throw them out the door. all we have to do at these moments is step up, brush ourselves off, be honest with ourselves and do our best. we either do the four agreements or we do not; it is that black and white.

when we do the four agreements we are allowed to perform differently at all times, because our best is always changing from time to time. when we do the four agreements we are expecting things to constantly be changing in us and around us; we grasp and appreciate the dynamic quality, the ever-changing quality that life contains. life is precious and when we are always doing our best we are giving back to the higher power that created us and enables the plentiful, precious world around us.

we can and will give ourselves loving care and proper, healthy attention when we make the four agreements. as we keep this up we will grow, learn life lessons and be in a better situation with better skills to cope with any issues and give help and love to others. after all, it is hard to argue with making helping other people a life goal.

Our Physical Potential

by Sam Suska

In order to understand how we can reach our physical potential we must first investigate the natural world around us and make the connections between nature and the human body. Our discussion of nature has to begin with the sun, which is the ultimate source of the electrical energy needed to operate the human body.

First, the human body has photosynthetic potential, a characteristic we may familiarize with plants. Like plants our body has the ability to directly adsorb (this is the grasping of atoms, molecules and sub-atomic particles) the electrical energy emitted within sunlight. The sunlight is full of electrical energy in a form known as photons which upon adsorption into the skin can then be converted into a directly usable form of electrical energy known as electrons.

The edible green plants like spinach, kale, chard, romaine lettuce, collard greens, broccoli, avocados, cucumbers, celery (and many more) are remarkably efficient in adsorbing the photons from sunlight and converting them into electrons (the readily usable form of electrical energy) and storing this electrical energy potential within it's chlorophyll (the blood of plants). These edible green plants have amazing electron density, which humans and animals have been using as food to prosper on for thousands of years. So, we obtain the electrical energy to operate our body by eating food (especially green plants!), exposing our body to sunlight and also drinking pure Water.

Water, green plants, the human body and all of the substances on our planet can be commonly referred to as matter; which is anything that has mass and volume. Matter is made up of atoms and molecules which are held together, bonded by electrical forces (these are sub-atomic particles). This means that all matter, (especially our body, green plants and water) is composed of electrical energy; even inanimate objects like a chair or a table contain electrical energy. However these non-living objects have significantly less electrical energy potential than humans, green plants or water.

The overall electrical energy potential of a substance is determined by those electrical forces which bond the atoms and molecules of the matter. These sub-atomic particles are smaller than atoms and molecules and have an electrical charge; these are called protons (positively charged) which have the potential to react with the aforementioned electrons, which are negatively charged.

The concentration of electrons in a substance determines the overall electrical energy potential due to the ability of electrons to react and "give" energy to the positively charged sub-atomic particle, the proton. A quick summary of the interaction between these electrically charged sub-atomic particles is that electrons "give" energy to protons (protons "take" energy!) signifying a reaction and generating electrical energy. So, we can begin to see why electron-density determines the overall electrical energy potential of a substance; both solids and liquids.

Solid substances densely packed with electrons (like green plants) have been found to vibrate at a considerably higher level than proton-dense substances (which can be processed and/or heavily cooked foods). The vibration level of a solid signifies the electrical energy potential of the substance, this is also measured in liquids by the ability they have to reduce oxidation by atoms and/or molecules (the "breakdown" of matter). Oxidation is the loss of electrons by a substance, which occurs in our body as a result of basic functions like movement, metabolism and the natural "breakdown" of tissues. Preventing excessive oxidation in our body is absolutely necessary to fulfill physical potential, which is a main reason that foods and drinks with dense with antioxidants have become more prominent in recent years.

Our body is largely composed of fluids (over 70%), the most important being blood. Human blood has many vital roles which include directly nourishing the tissues and cells with electrical energy as well as decreasing the regular oxidation of body tissues. Our blood saturates and directly anti-oxidizes the constant "breakdown" of tissues; the electron-density of the blood (measured as the Oxidative Reductive Potential) plays a prominent role in fulfilling the physical potential of the body.

There is undoubtedly a vital need in the human body for electrons, which are found in all drinks and foods, but if one desires to fulfill their own personal physical potential they must focus on using electron-dense sources to support the electrical energy design of the body. These electron-dense sources begin with the sun, which can energize us directly by sunlight or indirectly by consuming foods like the aforementioned green plants (which adsorb the sunlight). Chlorophyll, the "blood" of these green plants which also give them color, is virtually identical to our own human blood, with the only difference being the center molecule (ours is iron whereas for plants it is magnesium). This electrons-dense chlorophyll has the powerful ability to infuse our blood, our nervous system and our meridian system (this is the basis of Chinese Medicine) with the electrical energy required for operating our body as a whole.

Our blood and nervous system require also require pure Water and pure Salt. Pure Water is made available to us by natural sources like springs, geysers and wells. Pure Salt can be made available to us when we dry out Sea-water. In fact blood is over 90% water and sprinkled with pure Salt in order to conduct the electrical energy throughout our blood. Pure Salt is one of the most vital needs for the human body and the best sources of this are Green vegetables and Sea Salt.

Our body desires electrons (which are derived from photons emitted by the sun) to "give" electrical energy directly to the protons which compose our body tissues in order to energize the body and more specifically the brain. The brain physically operates the body with the general control by the mind. The mind has the profound ability to transform matter within the body as a response to it's perceptions and thoughts which lead to feelings and emotions. This internal transformation of matter generates neurotransmitters, enzymes and hormones from raw nutrients, fluids and our own tissues.

Our mind is the all-powerful governor of the physical body which itself is an organization of electrical energy. The mind regularly transforms matter (hormones generated in response to feelings and emotions) and makes the choices which either nourish or deplete the body of electrical energy potential (like food and drink choice). The nourishing choices promote electrical energy flow (like moving) or directly provide electrons and anti-oxidation (with food and drink) whereas the depleting choices counter these and decrease our overall vibration potentially leading to exhaustion, poor digestion, low immunity, foggy-mind, depression and anxiety to name a few symptoms resulting from a lifestyle that defies the electrical design of the human body.

The body is dependent upon the mind, which is shaped by the attitude and perspective chosen to approach the world. When the mind is shaped with a positive outlook (which begins with a love for one's self, others and nature progressing to a sense of security, respect, satisfaction, motivation and general happiness) it has potential to make the choices which energize and anti-oxidize the body and begin to reach physical potential.

These 'optimal choices' directly promote the oxidative reductive potential (this is anti-oxidation) of our blood which saturates tissues in our more than 60,000 miles of blood vessels. The positively shaped mind can readily make the choice to drink copious amounts of pure Water, use pure Salt, eat considerable green plants and manage emotions to reduce overall 'stress', prevent excessive oxidation, promote electrical energy potential all with the intention to vibrate at a higher level.

The mind also has the equally powerful ability to allow the internal oxidation process to reach excessive levels which decreases electrical energy potential and vibration by making the depleting choices in types of movement, food and drink. Once again, this dangerous process begins with perception built from a negative attitude and general life outlook that one uses to approach life. This negativity restricts the generation of and movement by necessary neurotransmitters (like dopamine and serotonin) while also generating directly harmful hormones like cortisol (which leads to tissue inflammation), adrenaline (exhausts and damages tissues) and even estrogen (nobody wants excess estrogen).

This negative outlook will form and/or maintain an irrational thought process which can directly lead to feelings of being powerless, aimless and without proper management of emotions in general. This often times leads to overwhelming and potentially reckless emotions like depression, anxiety, fear of the unknown, worry, sadness and grief all of which have the ability to lock the mind, then the body in vicious cycles depleting the brain and the body of electrical energy potential signified by low vibration.

When the mind and body maintain an electrical energy depletion or deficiency for too long the overall vibration decreases and the blood loses it's 'spark of life' and begins to struggle with reducing the oxidation of the body tissues which is non-stop as a result of metabolism, movement and function. This points to the power of the mind in creating, maintaining and realizing one's physical potential; this begins with a willingness to embark on the deeply meaningful task of following an entire lifestyle designed to maximize the electrical energy potential of the human body.

I have personally designed this lifestyle, which I refer to as 'holistic self-care' because in order to reach physical potential one must optimize their mind and spirit as well. The basic premise of 'holistic self-care' is that we are in control of our health, and with giving our whole 'being' (mind, body and spirit) balanced, loving care and attention we will, in time, significantly improve our overall health. Holistic self-care is built with holistic-minded principles that are implemented in a process beginning with understanding proceeding to respect and followed by a deep commitment.

Holistic self-care is a way to get out of the vicious cycle of the Standard American Diet and lifestyle as a whole which is all many people know. They seek energy from sugars, processed carbs (like bread and cereal) and caffeine but these are proton-dense sources of electrical energy. These proton-dense sources (which also includes dairy and processed meats to name a few) have the ability to stimulate our tissues and provide immediate electrical energy, but will inevitably lead to decreased electrical energy potential in the long-run (which is only starting with the well-known "crash"). A vicious cycle will ensue where someone is constantly "needing" energy and returns to these poor sources repeatedly which lead to food addictions, caffeine addictions and cravings that impact a person's mood, thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions.

With holistic self-care you will break this vicious cycle by slowly committing to the holistic-minded principles which allow you to harness the incredible power of your mind by employing a rational thought process with a positive outlook. With patience you can get to a point in life where you easily make the choices to show your body love with electron-dense foods and drinks, daily stress-relieving techniques, focused exercise, deep breathing and restorative sleep. Your mind, body and spirit have wonderful potential and deserve to be given balanced, loving care and attention. You can begin the Stages of self-Empowerment today by reflecting on your personal journey in life; consider all the lessons you have learned and be happy with yourself because right now you have an open-mind.

Your open-minded approach to life is may create the willingness to implement holistic self-care into your life. Holistic self-care offers concrete principles you can incorporate into your daily lifestyle with techniques, strategies and the ability to flexibly choose options that can greatly improve your life and maximize the love, happiness and helpfulness currently radiating from your beautiful spiritual essence.

I am in the process of completing "True Health: Guide for Holistic Self-Care" which is a somewhat brief introduction and basic guide to holistic self-care. If you have any questions or useful comments please e-mail me at truehealthservices@gmail.com or visit my business website at http://www.truehealthservices.org/ . I offer services like holistic lifestyle coaching and holistic-minded personal training. Thank you for reading.