The 4 Agreements in Classroom and Life (Part 1 of 5)

The Four Agreements

I couldn’t remember exactly when I first heard about the 4 agreements.  All I remember was how a speaker in a seminar stressed his point about how simple life can be if we stick to these agreements.  The seminar was about health and wellness.  It was well attended by different scholars here and abroad.  As the speaker explained how each agreement could be applied and how each agreement could ultimately bring a long-lasting effect to our relationship with everyone.  I couldn’t help but agree. 

During our training, I also learned that these 4 agreements play a vital force in MI culture and practices. The four agreements are:

1. Be impeccable with your word.

2. Do not take things personally.

3. Do not make assumptions.

4. Always do your best.

Let’s discuss the four agreements briefly.  The broad concept of agreement #1 is to avoid sinning with our thoughts.  Since words are thoughts in action, words most naturally reflect our thoughts.  Words are powerful tools and as powerful as they are, its users should be keen and responsible. In the movie Spiderman, Peter was told,  “With great power comes great responsibility.”   Our words can either build or destroy and its our choice how to use them.  In a nutshell, integrity, encouragement, and word of honor are some of the traits that exhibit this agreement.  Agreement #2 lets you open your frame of reference to the point of view of others.  Not taking things personally mean that when others seem to have formed their perception about things, situations, people, including you, it’s about them, not about you.  They see things from their lens.  This also enables us to deepen our understanding of others.  It reinforces one of the 7 habits of highly effective people – seek first to understand, then to be understood.  Agreement #2 simply means as it’s written – do not make assumptions.  How many conflicts have we witnessed in the workplace simply because another party or one makes an assumption.  How many arguments are caused simply by “I thought-attitudes” and end up in “I thought-phrases”?  Agreement #4 sums up the 4 agreements.  Simply put, if you’re doing something ask yourself this, “Did you put all of your self into it? – Your mind, your heart, your soul?” According to the Mayans, these four agreements are the “sit of wisdom and happiness”; just four rules, no complications and I am delighted as to how these agreements are integrated to classroom discipline and management.