Chapter 2 of “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz is titled “The first agreement. Be impeccable with your words.” In this chapter, Ruiz emphasizes the power of words and how they can either create or destroy.
Ruiz explains that our words are like spells, and that we can use them to create a beautiful dream or a nightmare. Words are like seeds that grow on fertile soil. Thoughts or concepts are planted in the minds of others will grow. The mind is fertile of the kind of seeds it is prepared for. We are constantly casting spells on others with our word. We can free others or enslave them with our words. He gave examples of how casting opinions can have a really detrimental effect if a person takes the opinion on and agrees. For example, calling someone ugly – if they agree, it wouldn’t matter how beautiful there were, they would not see it or feel it. Telling someone they cant sing or saying something like – that spot of your face often is a sign of cancer. If the person attention is hooked and they agrees, they will have cancer in a year.
So the key is hooking attention, and agreeing. The word impeccable means without sin. and Sin means anything that you do that goes against yourself. Being impeccable means that you take responsibility and don’t go against yourself. Being impeccable with your word is loving to yourself. If one uses a word against another, eg You are stupid, it is really using the word against oneself. This is because the subject of the word will in return send back hate. So giving out kind words is an act of self love as that is what will come back.
We can misuse the word and create rifts between cultures, families, nations. When we hear an opinion and agree with it, it becomes a part of our belief systems. The only way to break the spell of negative words said to you is to break the agreement.
One of the most negative use of ‘black magic’ – the power of negative words, is through gossip. He describes it a pure poison and is in fact the main way our society communicate. It is how people feel close to each other. One bad word about a teacher, is passed on between the students and impact the whole class’s perception and relationship with that teacher. Gossiping is like inserting a computer virus into others, causing them to think less clearly. While some people use negative words to consciously take revenge, others use gossip to gain support for their opinions. Opinions are simply your point of view through your own interpretation.
Some of the benefits of being impeccable with your word include:
- Emotional poison will be cleaned from your mind.
- It will give you immunity from others putting a spell on you.
- The more impeccable you are with your word, the more you will love yourself.
- It results in your being free and happy.
- You can transcend the dream of fear.
- You can live amongst thousands of others in hell and not experience life that way.
Marianne Love
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