Monday, August 8, 2011
Every year in mid-November, I head out to Glen Haven, a small town in southwestern Wisconsin. I’m a deer hunter. This year, believe it or not I landed an 11 point buck (I actually took this photo of it with my camera before I shot it), but more important than the buck shot were some words of wisdom I was given by Carol Mandernack, the wife of the man who manages the hunting area I visit.
After we’d shared a nice home cooked dinner in the Mandernack’s kitchen, the evening before the hunt, Carol handed me a small sheet of yellow paper with four short paragraphs. Handwritten at the bottom of the paper were the words: “The Four Agreements”. I put them in my pocket to read at a more convenient time. The next morning, while perched in my deer stand, I’d reached in my pocket to pull out a snack and nearly lost this piece of paper in the retrieval. Somewhat clumsily, I juggled the two until the granola bar found it’s way into my mouth and the Four Agreements into my lap.
Funny how just a few simple words can help put things into perspective. The Four Agreements have served me well over the last year, and I thought they might serve you well too. Here they are.
- Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
- 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. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
- Don’t Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform you life.
- Always Do You Best. Your best is going to change form moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.
Not bad advice! Happy hunting....whatever it might be that you’re hunting for
