NOTE: All unbolded text is taken directly from either “The Four Agreements” or “The Four Agreements Companion Book” by Don Miguel Ruiz, and all credit extends to the author. Bolded text is my personal commentary.
From Colette Baron Reid’s Oracle Deck, “Postcards from Spirit”.
Last night I was seeking an inspiration from a source other than Don Miguel Ruiz on the subject of impeccability of the word. At 6:00 am this morning, I received a text message from Monday morning Wise Women Angela W… she had drawn this card and wanted to share it with me. Oh, how I love how spirit works!!
Through the word you express your creative power and manifest everything.
We must begin to understand what the word is and what the word does. If you understand the first agreement, you begin to see all the changes that can happen in your life. Change first in the way you deal with yourself, and later in the way that you deal with other people, especially those that you love the most.
The word is the most powerful tool you have as a human; it is the tool of magic. Every human is a magician, and we can either put a spell on someone with our word or we can release someone from a spell. Like a sword with two edges, your word can create the most beautiful dream, or your word can destroy everything around you.
Source: Merriam- Webster
Impeccable comes from the Latin pecatus, which means “sin.” The im in impeccable means “without”, so impeccable means “without sin”. Religions talk about sin and sinners, but let’s understand what it really means to to sin.
A sin is anything that you do which goes against yourself.
Everything you feel or believe or say that goes against yourself is a sin. You go against yourself when you judge or blame yourself for anything. Being without sin is exactly the opposite.
Being impeccable is not going against yourself. When you are impeccable, you take responsibility for your actions, but you do not judge or blame yourself.
Being impeccable with your word is the correct use of your energy; it means to use your energy in the direction of truth and love for yourself.
Being impeccable with your word makes you immune from anyone putting a spell on you as your mind is no longer fertile ground for negative ideas.
During our domestication, our parents and siblings gave their opinions about us without even thinking. We believed these opinions and we lived in fear over these opinions, like being good at swimming, or sports, or writing.
Whenever we hear an opinion and believe it, we make an agreement, and it becomes part of our belief system. These belief systems are hard to break. The only way way to break them is to make a new agreement based on truth.
The truth is the most important part of being impeccable with your word.
Practicing Impeccability of the Word:
1. BEWARE OF COMMON PHRASES AND CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS (example: I’m sick and tired, I’m getting to old for this, I’m dying to, I can’t afford to…) Know that like attracts like when it comes to the word.
2.SELF LOVE BEGINS WITH SELF RESPECT
Notice what you say to yourself about yourself every day, are these words kind, respectful and loving? Treat yourself as you would treat a queen or king, an innocent child, or your favourite pet.
3.PUT AN END TO GOSSIP*
Gossip spreads emotional poison, perpetuates fear, and keeps others down. Make a new agreement about the way you communicate with others. Notice when, where, and with whom you engage in gossip. Notice how gossip makes you feel, notice what you enjoy about gossiping. Take steps to avoid gossiping (changing the subject, saying something positive, staying silent).
4. LET GO OF THE NEED TO DEFEND YOUR OPINIONS AND ALWAYS BE RIGHT
Your opinion is nothing but your point of view. It is not necessarily true.
5. USE THE POWER OF YOUR WORD IN THE DIRECTION OF TRUTH AND LOVE
When you are impeccable with your word, you feel good; you feel happy and at peace.
6. SYMBOLIZE THE POWER OF YOUR WORD
Select a meaningful object to symbolize the power of your word, and to remind you to be impeccable with your word. Place the object where you will see it every day.
*Gossip definition (source: Wikipedia):
gossip (n.)
Old English godsibb "sponsor, godparent," from God + sibb "relative" (see sibling). Extended in Middle English to "a familiar acquaintance, a friend, neighbor" (c. 1300), especially to woman friends invited to attend a birth, later to "anyone engaging in familiar or idle talk" (1560s). Sense extended 1811 to "trifling talk, groundless rumor." Similar formations in Old Norse guðsifja, Old Saxon guþziff.
Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling.[1]
Gossip has been researched in terms of its origins in evolutionary psychology,[2] which has found gossip to be an important means for people to monitor cooperative reputations and so maintain widespread indirect reciprocity.[3] Indirect reciprocity is a social interaction in which one actor helps another and is then benefited by a third party. Gossip has also been identified by Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary biologist, as aiding social bonding in large groups.[4]
Consider making the following agreement with yourself. I recently wrote this agreement out in its entirely on our family chalkboard to serve as a reminder and create accountability with the ones I love the most:
THIS AGREEMENT is made on _____ (date) for the purpose of increasing my happiness and personal freedom. I am responsible for creating my personal dream of heaven on earth, and it begins with the power of my word.
I choose to be impeccable with my word. I promise to honour myself, to speak with integrity, and to choose my words carefully. I intend to use the power of my word in the direction of truth and love. I will pay attention to how I use the word. I will take action every day to keep my word impeccable. I will repeat this action until the habit is firmly established and no longer requires my attention. The symbol of my commitment to this agreement is ________.
Signed: ___________
The repeated action of using the Four Agreements will break many of the agreements that make life difficult and unpleasant. It takes a lot of time and courage because it’s easier just to take things personally, make assumptions, and react the way you react all the time. Once you start, you will see results, and it gets easier and easier. Once it becomes a habit, the transformation of your life starts happening fast. You see the changes and your self-respect increases, your enthusiasm rises, and self-acceptance returns to your life.
Oh ladies, how I wish you endless curiosity and openness as you play with life and all of its forms, interactions and nuances. As you experience the week ahead may you always remember that YOU are the DANCE (unwavering stillness and consciousness) and LIFE is the DANCER (the movement and play of thoughts, form and emotions).
xo
Patti