Summary of The four Agreements based on the writings of don Miguel Ruiz.

The following is an overview of the meaning of each of The Four Agreements, based on the writings of don Miguel Ruiz.

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.

Impeccable means “without sin” and a sin is something you do or believe that goes against yourself.  It means not speaking against yourself, to yourself or to others.  It means not rejecting yourself.  To be impeccable means to take responsibility for yourself, to not participate in “the blame game.”

Regarding the word, the rules of “action-reaction” apply.  What you put out energetically will return to you.  Proper use of the word creates proper use of energy, putting out love and gratitude perpetuates the same in the universe.  The converse is also true. 

Impeccability starts at home.  Be impeccable with yourself and that will reflect in your life and your relationships with others.  This agreement can help change thousands of other agreements, especially ones that create fear instead of love.

Don't Take Anything Personally

Nothing others do is because of you.  What others say and do is a projection of their own dream.  When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

We take things personally when we agree with what others have said.  If we didn't agree, the things that others say would not affect us emotionally.  If we did not care about what others think about us, their words or behavior could not affect us.

Even if someone yells at you, gossips about you, harms you or yours, it still is not about you!  Their actions and words are based on what they believe in their personal dream.

Our personal “Book of Law” and belief system makes us feel safe.  When people have beliefs that are different from our own, we get scared, defend ourselves, and impose our point of view on others.  If someone gets angry with us it is because our belief system is challenging their belief system and they get scared.  They need to defend their point of view.  Why become angry, create conflict, and expend energy arguing when you are aware of this?

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 your life.

When we make assumptions it is because we believe we know what others are thinking and feeling.  We believe we know their point of view, their dream.  We forget that our beliefs are just our point of view based on our belief system and personal experiences and have nothing to do with what others think and feel. 

We make the assumption that everybody judges us, abuses us, victimizes us, and blames us the way we do ourselves.  As a result we reject ourselves before others have the chance to reject us.  When we think this way, it becomes difficult to be ourselves in the world.

Take action and be clear to others about what you want or do not want; do not gossip and make assumptions about things others tell you.  Respect other points of view and avoid arguing just to be right.  Respect yourself and be honest with yourself.  Stop expecting the people around you to know what is in your head.

Always Do Your Best

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.  Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Doing your best means enjoying the action without expecting a reward.  The pleasure comes from doing what you like in life and having fun, not from how much you get paid.  Enjoy the path traveled and the destination will take care of itself.

Living in the moment and releasing the past helps us to do the best we can in the moment.  It allows us to be fully alive right now, enjoying what is present, not worrying about the past or the future.

Have patience with yourself.  Take action.  Practice forgiveness.  If you do your best always, transformation will happen as a matter of course.

Hobbies make you Healthier.

In searching for a way to be healthier and happier even though I could not afford  to do things I found  out some interesting facts about hobbies.  Reading the article not only proved to me hobbies are life giving, but explained a little about my personality. People have always asked me if there was nothing I could not do.  I have always searched out hobbies and I have become quite proficient at many of them.   As a matter of fact, I made a few of them my work.  Now, I enjoy everyday and try to find new ways to enjoy myself in my off time.  I am a healthy hobbyist.

 According to Wikipedia, a hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. Hobbies are practiced for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward.

Hobbies can engage you physically and mentally. People who have a hobby "are generally healthier," says Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University. "We also know they are at a lower risk for depression and dementia. The great value of hobbies is they're a way for people to stay engaged on multiple levels."

Most hobbies involve at least some level of mental activity, Dr. Lichtenberg says. Because we enjoy most things more when we share them, hobbies offer a reason to stay connected to other people with similar interests.
According to a study at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, men with no hobbies have higher levels of illness and take more sick leave than their more involved counterparts.

It has also been shown that mortality risks are significantly higher in urban men who don't participate in hobbies, club activities or community groups, according to a study of more than 3,000 men by researchers at Gunma University School of Medicine in Maebashi, Japan.

And in Canada, researchers from the University of Manitoba have shown that higher overall activity levels in older people promote happiness, improve functioning and lower mortality rates.

What's more, while the social and productive activities tend to produce physical benefits in terms of health and longevity, the more solitary pursuits, such as handiwork hobbies or a love of reading, bring more psychological benefits in providing a sense of engagement with life.
Even in centenarians, and among those with disabilities, ‘maintenance of social relationships is of major importance for survival', according to a study from the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza'.

What kind of hobby is best? Hobbies that require expertise are more satisfying, Dr. Lichtenberg says. That's because developing an expertise in something like photography or astronomy requires commitment, and commitment results in a higher level of engagement. Of course, hobbies that involve physical fitness, such as walking, "provide a physical benefit as well," he says.

Psychologist Michael Brickey, Ph.D., is the author of the book Defy Aging. His focus is on helping people stay physically and mentally active so they can enjoy their later years. Dr. Brickey says hobbies help by reducing stress and providing a sense of accomplishment.

"Hobbies can be thought of on three levels," Dr. Brickey says. "The first is as a diversion. Hobbies help us pass the time. The second is as a passion. When a hobby becomes a passion, we become truly engaged in doing something we love. It not only helps us pass time, it makes us unaware that time is passing. The third level is as something that creates a sense of purpose. We all need that." The ideal hobby, he says, combines all three levels.

Before deciding on your new hobby, it may be helpful to think about things that you wanted to learn to do in the past, but for whatever reason did not. If any of those old ideas still appeal to you, making it happen might actually end up resulting in the fulfillment of an old and forgotten dream.

3 things to help you find the hobby that fits you:
1. Try each thing at least 3 times before you kick it to the curb. The first couple of times trying something new can be awkward and less than encouraging. Give a few tries to get the hang of it.
2. Find someone to start with you. Spouse, sibling, friend, parent, child. Have someone to get you motivated, someone for you to motivate back. It will help deepen your relationships by sharing experiences.
3. Don’t give up. Keep trying different things until you find something that you absolutely love. The list is endless. Don’t even settle for kind of liking it. There is something out there for everyone.

Don’t know where to start? Here is a short list of things to try out:
Amateur Radio, Arts, Astrology, Astronomy, Beachcombing, Beadwork, Blacksmithing, Blogging, Board Games, Boating, Bowling, Brewing Beer, Bridge Building, Bringing Food To The Disabled, Building A House For Habitat For Humanity, Building Dollhouses, Butterfly Watching, Cake Decorating, Calligraphy, Camping, Candle Making,
Entertaining Exercise (aerobics, weights), Fast cars, Fencing, Rock Collecting ,Rockets Rocking AIDS Babies, Texting, Textiles, Tombstone Rubbing, Tool Collecting,
There are so many more.  I found a website that gives you tons of ideas and links: http://www.notsoboringlife.com/list-of-hobbies/

Some hobbies can help you lose weight.

Hiking, rock climbing, walking, inline skating, biking, running, soccer, baseball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, racquetball, dancing, yoga, pilates, kickboxing, disc golf, martial arts, skiing/snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving, water skiing/wakeboarding,

Here’s a list of simple hobbies that help with weight loss that you can do daily.

1.    Walking your dog
How many times have you just let your puppy outside to run around within the confines of your fenced backyard? Sure, you’re a busy guy or gal with lots to tend to once you get home, but what if you spend 30 or even 10 minutes walking your dog? That could be an extra 100 calories burned with your furry best friend.
2.    Shopping
Ladies listen up! Who doesn’t love to shop with their girlfriends? Take advantage of this time and walk the whole mall or go to a mall that’s outside with more stores and take in the fresh air. Additionally, if you park a little further from the entrance you’ll get even more steps into your day.
3.    Clean your house
I bet you didn’t know that you could burn almost 150 calories an hour (depending upon your weight and rigor) while simply cleaning your house! If you’re house is bigger and you spend all or half a day doing it – you could burn 400 calories.   I was surprised that this is one of the most constructive exercises that burns the most calories and after I get to sit in a clean house.
4.    Just dance.
Many of the Dancing with the Stars contestants end up loosing a significant amount of weight and build muscle mass while on the show – you could too!
5.    Video games for weight loss
Nintendo Wii Fit is new to the weight loss scene and many people are reaping the benefits. It’s a perfect idea for those of you who like to play video games all the while in the comfort of your own home. If this idea really tickled your fancy, check out this article on how to lose weight with Wii Fit Plus.

Make sure You do something every single day that improves you or the world

http://www.wvhc.staywellsolutionsonline.com/library/Wellness/1,2540
http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/health/118/613.html
http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2011/01/guest-post-active-hobbies-healthy-life.html