I don’t read books.
I just don’t.
Not because I don’t want to learn—but because my brain doesn’t work that way.
But last year, a friend shared a musical remix of the book, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. And something about it—something I can’t quite explain—just hooked me. I listened to it once… then again. And again. I’ve probably listened to it 15 to 20 times now. And each time, I hear something new. It makes more sense. It hits a little deeper. (Spoiler alert: the musical track is at the end of this post)
The actual book is pretty short. You could get through it in one afternoon. But what it contains? It’s not small. It’s like it cracked open a part of me I didn’t realize was asleep—numbed out by the way the world taught me to speak, to think, to believe.
Agreements: The Hidden Software of Your Mind
Here’s one of the first things Ruiz says that really blew my mind: every word we speak, every thought we hold, every belief we carry—it’s all based on agreement.
For example: If I say the word “cat,” you instantly picture a cat. We’ve all agreed that those three letters—C-A-T—represent a furry little animal with whiskers and an attitude. Now, imagine we didn’t have that shared agreement. No words. No language. How would we communicate what we see, feel, eat, fear, love?
We couldn’t.
So from the time we’re born, we’re trained to agree. That’s a tree. That’s a house. That’s good. That’s bad. You’re a boy. You’re a girl. You’re smart. You’re not. The mind collects these agreements—spoken or unspoken—and treats them as truth. Not because they are truth… but because we agreed to them.
Now here’s the crazy part: if someone points to a rock and tells you it’s a house, but you don’t agree, it won’t register in your mind as truth. But if you do agree? You’ll carry that with you for life.
That’s the power of language. That’s the power of agreement. And that’s where we get lost—because most of us never stop to question who taught us these agreements… or why we believe them.
Living in a Dream
Ruiz calls this whole system “the dream.” Not just the dreams we have when we’re asleep—but the dream we live when we’re awake.
You and I right now? We’re dreaming. We’re seeing the world not as it is, but as we’ve been taught to see it—filtered through thousands of agreements made with parents, teachers, culture, religion, politics, lovers, trauma, heartbreak… you name it. And we just go on believing it’s all real.
But it’s not.
It’s just a collective dream. One that was written for us, before we had the chance to write it ourselves. The real challenge—and the magic—is waking up in the middle of that dream and realizing: I don’t have to believe all of this. I can choose new agreements.
Your Words Create Your World
This brings us to the first and most important agreement:
"Be Impeccable With Your Word"
In this worldview, your word is your power. It’s the seed of creation. The word builds dreams. It shapes reality. And when you misuse it—when you lie, gossip, judge, speak hatefully (especially to yourself)—you’re using your power against yourself and against others. When you speak truth with love, intention, and clarity—you’re creating harmony. You’re planting seeds of healing. You’re literally building a new dream.
Why This Book Hit Me So Hard
I’ve tried to live this first agreement every day. It’s so simple. Just say what you mean. Don’t gossip. Don’t use your words to hurt. But man, it’s not easy. Because no one teaches us how powerful our words actually are.
I’ve caught myself saying things like “I suck at this” or “I’ll never figure this out.” And every time I do, I’m casting a spell on myself. That sounds dramatic, but that’s what the book says—our words are spells. And the more we repeat them, the more they define us.
But I’ve also learned to pause, to redirect. To speak differently. To speak better. And when I do, things shift. I feel better. People around me respond differently. Opportunities open. L
ife just flows more easily.
The Invitation
Over the next few blogs, I’m going to walk through each of the Four Agreements—not as some guru, but as someone just trying to live more clearlyand consciously in a pretty noisy world.
If you’re curious, do yourself a favor: listen to the audiobook. Let it hit you. You don’t have to believe all of it. It’s a little “woo” sometimes, sure—but give it a shot. You might hear something that starts to change you.
Even if it’s just one small agreement at a time.![]()
