The Fifth Agreement

Instructor: Amy Tucker
BBUS 272-03

Youth just like a river going to ocean, and never coming back. Before the river move in to the ocean, it issues the final roar. Time back to five years ago, the first time I was landing in this beautiful country. I was having a lot of dreams, and though I would have a big success in my new university; however the things was not going to the right that I was thinking. I was a student in the program of the Respiratory Therapy, and I finished my first year courses. After I finished my courses, I became vanity, blindness, and relaxation. Last fall semester, I backed to university, I cannot follower the courses anymore, and I failed. Because the courses open once each year, I cannot take any courses in university on the winter. That was the end of the world to me, I lost myself, and I had stayed at home for 4 months. Fortunately, I have a wonderful family, and they rise me up. The new beginning is come to me, I back to school and take the BBA program. I did read the book of “The fifth agreement”, and I recollect my story. Then I have understood more things of the life. People always say failure could make you clear. I think so, I made a big mistake and waste my two years, but for now, I am growing up. The five agreements that, Don Migule Ruiz, Don Joe Ruiz, and Janet Mills, share their life experience from the book. I am a confuse people and I try to learn how to be a success in the future, “You are programmed to be you, whatever you are, and it makes no difference to the program what your mind thinks you are”(4). After read the book, I think life should be learning, trying, failed, rising up, and keep going. I will keep going, and try to come true my dreams by my harder working. People are always learning from everywhere, just like now that I am learning from the fifth agreement. Learning is the basic life skill, and makes us growing up. For example, the speaking is kinds of way to communication with each other’s. Just like the first agreement: Be impeccable with your word. How to build your word is very important for communication comfortably, “You were programmed to deliver a message, and the creation of that message is your greatest art”(28). A good speaker could make a communication easier and increase the goodwill of others. Using the power of your word in the direction of truth and loves, “the word, as a symbol, has the magic and power of creation because it can reproduce an image, an idea, a feeling, or an entire story in your imagination. Just hearing the word bores can reproduce an entire image in your mind. That`s the power of a symbol” (35). Learning is just beginning of the life, and most important is that we should use our life experience to understand other people`s words, “remember, you are the creator of your own life story” (39). After learning to do something, we should try to do it to improve ourselves. When you try to do something, I think we should try it best. I was failed my courses, because I was not try my best. I always regret if I try my best on it, maybe I have different situation now. In my opinion, people should do right things on right time, “ when the brain is awake, there is a material frame that makes us perceive things in linear way; when the brain is asleep, there is no frame, and dream has the tendency to change constantly”(42). People has their own dreams, and they are trying on that, so be yourself, when you are immune to opinions and action of others, you won`t be the victim of needless suffering. The fifth agreements told me that Don`t take anything personally. It`s right, if you want to do something you should focus on it and try your best to come true your dream. “ the story you are dreaming today is not the same story that you were dreaming yesterday, or even half an hour ago”(47). Be stronger and smarter, when you are working on your dream. Failure is the mother of success, that`s the truth I always believe in. If you do not know what the failure is, you will never know what the success is. The third agreement: Don`t make Assumptions. To face the failed is important things for you, and then you will have uncommon experience in your life. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. “The message is already distorted, but this is just beginning. We can say, It is a stupid chair, and I think that whoever sits in the chair might become stupid also”(59). You should accept failed, for some time failed is good things for you. When I was failed, I study more things then I lost. Believe yourself, and find the reason of the failure is most important. “Then perhaps what you believe about yourself is just as full of superstition as the beliefs of those people long ago. Just imagine if humans from seven or eight centuries in the future could see what most of us believe about ourselves today” (64). Wise men learn by other men`s mistake, fool by their own, but as my opinion, study from mistake is wise men. You should summarize your failure and rise up. The fourth of the agreement is “Always do your best”. The book said “When you are ready to change your agreements, the most important thing is awareness” (83). If you decide rising up, and you should be going to do it best. What is the doing the best, as I think your best is going to change from moment to moment; however, under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret, “Always do your best is the agreement the everybody can do. Your best is, in fact, the only thing you can do. And the best you can do doesn`t mean that sometimes you give 80 percent and other times you just give 20 percent. You are always giving 100 percent that`s always your intention it`s just that your best is always changing”(86). For sometimes the best is changing, because you always have different condition. Therefore, you should always ask yourself what I want to do today, how I am feeling today, how much I can do today. To make a short term plan for you every day and a long term plan every month. Then you going to finish it one by one, and try your best to finish it on time. “Your best will depend on whether you are feeling physically tired or refreshed. Your best will depend on how you are feeling emotionally. Your best is going to change over time, and as you form the habit of practicing the Four Agreement, your best is going to get better”(86). For now, you have a new target and a decision. Keep going on your own way, and never walking back. When I failed, I was feeling my way was end; however that is after a storm comes calm for me now. I have to know I cannot do anything about the past, but I could do all of I can for now. For today, I need to work hard more than before and also I need the fifth agreement, “Be skeptical, but learn to listen”. Youth people are impetuous, and they never be quiet to listen to others. But, listening is a good way to study forms others. Thus, try to listen to other people, and think about their story, and then your life experience will be increasing. “People will come to you and tell you their personal story. They will tell you their point of view, what they believe is truth. You don`t have any judgment, but you do have respect” (100). People believe in their own truth. When you are listening to someone, you should always have questions about they are saying. Thinking is most important thing for people growing up, and then you will have your own opinion in the life. “If you don`t learn to listen, you will never understand what I am sharing with you right now” (108). Keeping the way you ahead for is not easy, so you should always learn from other`s experience and use it for yourself. Always communicate with people, and keep you on the right way. “Even though you know your story is not true, you can create the most beautiful story, and you can guide your life through that story. You can create your personal heaven and live in that heaven. And if you can understand other people`s stories, and they can understand yours, then together you need to unlearn a lot, and the fifth agreement is another perfect tool for that” (114). Always hold your dream and keep the right way. Believing your own truth and heading to your destination. An old Chinese saying that stresses the value of time goes, “An inch of time is worth an inch of gold; yet you can`t buy an inch of time at an inch of gold.” Time is the only thing you cannot get back on the world, and in my opinion, it is the most important thing you have in the life. “The Fifth Agreement” teach me lots of experience of life. I did fail before, yet I will treasure that experience. In the future, I will believe my truth, hold my dream, and keep my way, “This is your chance to see your creation, to see what is, to see the truth” (188). To treasure every day in the future, learn from people, and respect each other. However, “The Fifth Agreement” is one of moment in my life; it is an important moment because I enjoyed the great benefit of this about concerning the matter. Time is never stopped, and I will keep going never stopped.

Works Cited

Ruiz, Miguel, Jose Luis Ruiz, and Janet Mills. The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery. San Rafael, CA: Amber-Allen Pub., 2010. Print.