Reality exists in the mind: you are what your beliefs say you are

our world is ruled by the sets of unchanged beliefs that humans pass on to each other from generation to generation. It's our beliefs that build expectations, rules, and results.

The set of beliefs pervasive in the universe is responsible for what society considers normal and acceptable, or not. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Over 90% of our beliefs are wrong*

We got these beliefs because we agreed to them — and if we want to change them, we have to agree on something else, because, unfortunately, the mind is the driver of our lives and it can't be empty of beliefs.

each time you break an agreement or belief, you regain the power you used to create it in the first place, and this power can be used to break other agreements.

Positive agreements will make enough personal power available for you to break other negative agreements. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

The first agreement. Be impeccable with your words

This is the most powerful agreement, take it seriously and you'll begin to change your life at the subconscious level, where all things are created.

Words are powerful. They are like a spell, they have the power to create or destroy. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Impeccable is from a Latin word that means “pure or without sin.” And sin simply means going against yourself. Judging yourself is a sin, because, in so doing, you're going against yourself.

Anything you do that goes against yourself can be categorized as a sin. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

it means you'll take responsibility for your actions rather than waste time judging yourself.

To be impeccable with your words means you don't use your words to condemn yourself or others. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

your words — no matter where they are directed at — will eventually leave a positive or negative mark on you.

Your personal remark is more important than what anyone has to say about you. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Words are free. It's how you use them that may cost you. ~ Kushand Wizdom

The second agreement. Don't take anything personally

Your reaction determines whether the word affects your life or not. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

You must understand that people speak out of the wells of their belief system. Nothing people say is really about you. It's about them and their personal beliefs.

you need to know and affirm who you are.

No remarks, positive or negative, are because of you. It's simply those people expressing themselves.

You only need to trust yourself to make responsible choices. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Even the opinions your mind gives about you are not necessarily true, because your mind has an ability to talk to itself

The third agreement. Don't make assumptions

Assumptions in themselves aren't bad, what is bad is that they lead us into unnecessary conclusions that release emotional poison.

Once you stop making assumptions in all you do, you'll find that your relationship with others gets better. Even your manner of communication improves, too.

Always remember: If you don't understand something, it's better to ask than assume you know it. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

The fourth agreement. Always do your best

Most assumptions are not true, so, as much as possible, decline from making assumptions. Seek the truth instead. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

The last agreement ties the other three together. It is the one habit you need to maintain all the previous three.

The fourth agreement is to always do your best — no more, no less. It's important to understand the last part of that sentence: No more, no less.

A lot of people do what they do for the reward and not because they like the activity. This is a wrong way to approach life; it should be the other way round. Do the things that you love, and the reward will come.

Loving what you do will multiply your productivity. That's just how life works. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

How to break old agreements

Trying to go beyond your best will drain you of energy. It will leave you tired and dissatisfied. But doing less than your best breeds self judgement and a heavy sense of self condemnation that results from knowing you could have done better.

We all desire to be free, but don't seem to know how we got entrapped, nor the path to freedom.

bondage doesn't happen anywhere but in the mind — and it wasn't so in the beginning. We weren't born in bondage.

the first step toward genuine freedom is the personal realization that one is not free.

The mastery of transformation means knowing what to do to change as well as how to go about it; intent is the internal energy that makes this a possibility.

Conclusion

Try this

You wake up every day with renewed energy to help you go through the day. From today, decide in your heart not to let any negative emotion drain that energy. Spend your energy wisely, don't waste it concentrating on the wrong things. This is how to be productive.

The four agreements will provide you the energy you need to change your life. Use them diligently day by day, and you'll begin to notice significant changes in how you live and react to situations.