Four Agreements

There's a book by Miguel Ruiz called THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. These are basically rules in life to follow to make your life more happy and more calm. And actually, if you follow them, they do help. Here they are:

1. Don’t take anything personally.
2. Don’t make assumptions.
3. Always do your best.
4. Be impeccable with your words.


They work for writers as well as is. I've modified them below just for fun--

1. Don’t take any reviews personally.
2. Don’t make assumptions of your reader.
3. Always do your best revision.
4. Be impeccable with your words --always.
(there's not much to change to that last one!)


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As writers, we open ourselves up to criticism and rejection. I think it's important to remember that when people respond negatively to our work or what we've written, it's more about them than about us. My friend A. was the first person who explained to me this idea: "my stuff and their stuff."

And somehow, writing the above reminds me of Brenda Euland's book and the first chapter, "Everybody is talented, original and has something important to say." We write because we have to write, we have to find our own path. Occasionally a cactus will fall in front of us and we will stop. Hopefully, we will walk (or learn to walk) around it.

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The original rules are a good reminder. They bring compassion as they take away the judging of others and focus on acceptance. They keep us in the world we can control.

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Today in my daytimer it says "Writing Day." The weather must have read my daytimer because I can hear the foghorn from the ferry as I type this, a perfect foggy day to stay inside with words. Off to disappear into the fog.