Always do your best! Wrapping up my journey through the Four Agreements

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Greetings Toronto!

I believe that we have all nestled into 2020, and for some of us it has been motivating and positive. For others, it has been debilitating, and tiresome. I have experienced both sides of this coin we call life, and it is why wrapping up my series with this topic is timely.

Before we go any further, I recommend that you review my last three articles. You might be interested in going directly to the source of my inspiration, the book ‘The Four Agreements: A Practical to Personal Freedom,’ by bestselling author Don Miguel Ruiz.

In my last three articles, I personally challenged myself to focus on an agreement every two weeks. I focused on the individual agreement, to see how it played out in my life. I learned that it is a challenge breaking bad habits. We learn from an early age how to behave in society, what to believe and not to believe. What is acceptable, and what is not acceptable. What is good, and what is bad. We are all included in the convoluted soup, and unless we are aware of ourselves, truly aware, we end up remaining domesticated our entire lives.

Don Miguel discusses, “The domestication of humans,” and explains it as giving into the beliefs and agreement that have already been laid out for us. I am working on un-domesticating myself, and I thought, why not? Let me include the community in on the journey.

The final agreement is to ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST. Do you have any idea how hard this is? For some reason, doing what is wrong seems easier then doing what is right sometimes. I mean well, I swear I do. What I recognized, and am open to, is the idea that my best will depend on what is happening in my life at that moment. Some days I want to stay in bed all day. Other days I could run a marathon. What this agreement tells us is that regardless of how you feel do your best in that moment.

What about those people who are hard on themselves? The people who are intrinsically motivated? We tend to take it harder and get down on ourselves when things don’t go exactly as we want it to go. Never be hung up on the small things. Each day is a new mountain, and you are going to pick a strategy that matches how you feel. Regardless of the quality, always do your best; not more, not less.

There are days when I am highly motivated. I can successfully pump out four to five articles. On days like this, I aim for six. There are those days that I can barely gather my thoughts to get out two articles. I write two articles, grab my favourite snack, grab my comforter and lay on the couch nursing my wounds. The day is what it is and I don’t take it so hard anymore.

Be impeccable with your words. Don’t take it personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best. One thing you must know is that the first three agreements will only work if you do your best. There are times that I am not impeccable with my words, but I quickly correct myself and do better the next day.

I am the queen of taking things personally. I blame my astrological sign for that. It is a work in progress, and I am thankful for my partner Dave who is quick to remind me to take it easy. “I don’t think it is about you Simone.” It is infuriating to hear when I am in my feelings, but I know he is right.

Making assumptions is also a work in progress. I plan to find ways to help with these agreements, and I keep people around me who have mastered any of these agreements. It definitely helps.

YOU can un-domesticate yourself by using the fourth agreement repeatedly, and creating new habits. If you break an agreement, just start over. Don’t judge yourself! I hope that this article series has been helpful, and I encourage each and every one of you to take some time to develop yourself personally. I want to see everyone at their best this year.