Will You Help Me Change the World?

"Will you help me change the world?" was the opening question from Don Miguel Ruiz the author of the "Four Agreements" as he and his son Mikey began their lecture at Geva Theater here in Rochester, NY yesterday. I am very grateful that I was present for such a beautiful and inspiring talk.

We each have our own story in which we are the main character and the rest of the people in our lives are secondary characters. When we own our own story and embrace who we authentically are and stop pretending to be what we are not, that action will help us live in peace. It is effortless to be who we truly are and it is a lot of energy to be who we are not. Just imagine if you will for a moment, all the energy we could invest into doing for others if we just let go of pretending to be what we are not. Think of all we could accomplish.

The word is very powerful. It can be the tool to create great beauty or the tool to create great despair. If we could embrace one agreement let it be this - be impeccable with your word. The word starts in our heads; it is how we talk to ourselves. If we start showing greater kindness here just think how that will translate when we start to speak to others. Being kind with our words towards ourselves first shows great respect. When we respect ourselves it shows and others will follow suit and respect us back.

The other agreements are: Do not take anything personally; Do not assume anything; Always do you best!

When we take things personally we are allowing a power shift to occure. Instead of believing ourselves we are letting someone's point view become our own. The example used yesterday by Mikey was this; You are walking down the street when a stranger points at you and shouts, 'You're stupid!' Well if you know that you are not stupid you can let it go. However you if take it personally all of the sudden you start to question yourself and you start asking 'Do I look stupid?' and the stranger's words now have power over you. But, going back to the first agreement if we speak kindly to ourselves, someone else’s words will have no power over us.

When we assume we are the story tellers at that moment. What we are assuming is not based on fact rather it is based on what we preseeve as the truth. We take action on assumption - be mindful of this because it could lead to great and unnecessary drama in our lives. When we do not assume, we judge less and get more out of life. Remember judgment is not excepting ourselves and others the way we are.

Doing our best puts all these agreements into action. Know yourself well, be kind with your words, understand your intent and have faith. This will help us know what our best is at a giving moment, and know that our best will change from moment to moment. Use focus and attention, they are the bridges from one mind to another.

And finally in the words of Einstein, "Imagination is better than knowledge because it has no limitations!"

You are a child playing adult - always remember the child in each of us!

My prayer is that I will help change the world for the better! I hope this information based on the "Four Agreements" by Don Miiguel Ruiz has started you to think differently. Please read this book - it is life changing!
Namaste!