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Front cover of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
January 30, 2017

“The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz

Front cover of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizAwareness is always the first step because if you are not aware, there is nothing you can change.”

Welcome to Beach House Center for Recovery’s Monthly Book Club! Each month, a member of our community recommends a book that inspired them, changed their life, helped a loved one through a tough time, or is simply too helpful to overlook.

This month, Beach House’s own clinical Director, Candice Rasa, recommends “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz.

How did you hear about the book?

I heard about it at a workshop on spirituality and self-connection. It was recommended to me by a workshop participant.

Who is the book’s intended audience?

The book’s intended audience are people who are courageous and motivated to engage in self-reflection and who are ready to make real changes in their life.

Is there a chapter or passage that is particularly meaningful to you? Can you briefly describe it?

There is a chapter in the book about breaking previous agreements with yourself that are harmful. The author describes that before you are able to fully embrace new agreements, you need to be aware of how you hold yourself back.

Awareness is always the first step because if you are not aware, there is nothing you can change.”

He adds that we are in charge of examining and changing those beliefs and that true freedom comes from us:

The freedom we are looking for is the freedom to be ourselves, to express ourselves. But if we look at our lives we will see that most of the time we do things just to please others, just to be accepted by others, rather than living our lives to please ourselves. That is what happened to our freedom.”

What do you think is the most effective pace to read or listen to the book? Small parts like a chapter a day, read the whole book in a few days, or doesn’t matter?

Read each chapter and journal, reflect and process the principles. It’s an easy book to read but the words are powerful and intense. I’d recommend highlighting or underlining participially meaningful passages. I also reread this book from time to time because different sections call to me at different times.

Why would you recommend it?

I recommend this book because it empowers readers to take responsibility for both their challenges and happiness. With the specific 4 agreements outlined, it also offers concrete tenets to practice in everyday life.

Find “The Four Agreements” at Amazon.com.