Humanity's Values | Explorations Of Relational Living

Covering the last couple chapters of “The Four Agreements,” focusing on how to identify old and unhealthy agreements to replace them with new ones. Explore how to accept the whole of our lives, including the suffering, and learn to forgive by not being trapped by the stories and agreements that are limiting our vision of a more expansive and growth-oriented life.

Exploring the fourth agreement from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book “the 4 Agreements”: Always Do Your Best. Contemplation of what it means to live in the present, to mindfully reflect on the entirety of our existence being open for exploration so long as we’re not trapped in the past or future. With some help from Carl Sagan and star stuff, we can move forward into the new habit of knowing our best is always what are doing, without judgment.

Reading from “The Four Agreements” and exploring the third agreement of “Don’t Make Assumptions.” I discuss the nature of communication, how so often we think we’re listening we’re merely assuming we know everything we need to know and therefore limiting our understanding of the other person and of ourselves. The difficulty of digital communication is touched on, as well as how assumptions play havoc in our personal relationships and in society through politics.

Working through the second agreement: Don’t Take Anything Personally, with commentary on our usage of identity to select and justify our behaviors and the struggle of confronting other perspectives about who we might be and whether what we do is the best version of ourselves.

The nature of agreements and the desire to create new ones to live more authentic lives. Exploration of the first agreement in Don Miguel Ruiz’s book “The Four Agreements”: be impeccable with your word. How our word can limit or expand our lives within the relationally reciprocal world in which we live and build meaning. 

In this episode I introduce the show and it’s theme, exploring relational living. A reading from the book “The 4 Agreements” is followed by personal reflection on open inquiry and exploring relationships of value, ending with a short mindfulness exercise of focusing on the breath.