Don Miguel makes the point in this book that the outside environment has a big impact on how we live. Domestication is what Don Miguel calls this. Domestication is typically not a very upbeat process. Rather, it encourages us to be scared and judgmental. We become fixated on incentives because we are rewarded for following rules and punished for breaking them. This is bad for us since it trains us to pursue worthwhile endeavours in order to reap rewards. For the sake of taking excellent deeds, we ought to do so. We experience self-doubt as a result of being punished for disobeying. Don Miguel concludes from this that death is not our greatest fear in life. Our greatest phobia is actually being who we really are. So, to be genuinely happy, we must break away from our shackles.

These chains start to form at an early age. The life goals we can pursue are limited by the societal standards into which we are born. Our individual objectives are influenced by the planet’s overall objective. We learn about this common aspiration from our parents, schools, religions, and politicians. We learn how to act “correctly,” what to believe, and the distinction between good and evil through this instruction. Our domestication should be understood as the result of our acceptance of these societal norms. During childhood and adolescence, parents and teachers with more authority would penalize and repress us if we tried to resist. We were rewarded for obeying these more powerful people, just like animals. We all finally gave up and chose to follow the group’s lead rather than our own.

Don Miguel thinks that domestication makes us all dreamers. We make choices based on erroneous and flawed beliefs about ourselves. We develop a judgmental and victimizing mindset as children. We also hope to receive benefits from a system that we didn’t even pick.

However, it is a dream from which it is possible to awaken, which is significant. You may redesign your reality without constantly trying to get better. It is possible to live pain-free. Three skills must be mastered in order to do this;

1. Awareness – You must be aware that you are living in a dream-like state full of illusions; see these illusions for what they are
2. Forgiveness – You then must accept the consequences of these illusions; how the misconceptions impact you and those around you
3. Action – You now need to dissolve this dream and shape it into something more reality-like

You are said to have reached enlightenment if you master all three of these skills. This is a time with no suffering and can also be described as the second awakening.

The best that is physically feasible is not what is meant by “doing your best.” It refers to exerting as much personal control as possible, which will depend on the situation and the circumstances at hand. Adopting the preceding three agreements into your daily life is one approach to try your best. By doing this, you can steer clear of remorse and acknowledge that everyone works as hard as they can every day. You’ll start to prefer the activity itself over the benefits that come with it.

In a similar vein, Don Miguel contends that internal motivation should be used to drive hard labor rather than outside factors.  Don Miguel gives a salary illustration.  If the primary reason for our job is money, we will never do our best. Additionally, we will be stuck in jobs that pay well but lack fulfilment and joy. Due to the lack of satisfaction in their careers, these people will spend their weekends partying, drinking, and doing other things that harm their lives. 

If doing your best means working hard because you love the task, your work will begin to feel effortless. In this way, the final agreement – to always do your best – will increase all the other agreements’ power while helping you free yourself.

This is a must-read. We encourage you to get the complete book and read more about it. This book is sure to leave no stone unturned regarding the question you might have. 

 

Happy reading!