"The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz

[moglow]

This is incredibly helpful for me in setting boundaries!  The four agreements are these: 
Be impeccable with your word.
Don't take anything personally.
Don't make assumptions.
Always do your best.


Notice these aren't agreement with others - they are agreements you make with and for yourself.  Boundaries, if you will.

[Laurie]

I have the CD for my car.  Don't take things personally is the hardest one for me.

[moglow]

Girl, sing it!  Don't make assumptions has been a bugbear for me - I'm getting there slowly but surely.

[momnthefog]

I've been looking at this book...how is it?

momnthefog

[Laurie]

I've listened to the CD several times while driving to work , and have found it interesting and helpful.

[moglow]

I've been looking at this book...how is it?
momnthefog

Momnthefog, sorry for my delayed response and for my very abbreviated synopsis above!

This is not a huge book (around 150 pages) but it does give you a lot to think about. It really helps me take the focus off other people and their stuff, and look to my own. That's been an issue for me, after so many years of mother's behavior and her projecting onto me, not allowing or accepting me as an individual.

There's a certain flexibility with the Agreements - as in, being impeccable with my word doesn't mean I recklessly spew truth in a way that would hurt others, and "doing my best" one day isn't necessarily the same the next. To me it's more focused on this moment, this day and working with what we have, and understanding/accepting that others are doing the same.

[kaz]

I highly recommend it.

I've been looking at this book...how is it?

momnthefog

Excellent book, Ive returned to it many times and found it more helpful that most... by a long shot.

[Spring Butterfly]

Good stuff. Found this website from the author with some free podcasts available
http://www.toltecspirit.com/

[moglow]

Podcasts! Great idea.  I finally bought the kindle version too, since it's usually traveling with me.

[coyote]

This book changed my life several years ago. I like the idea of being a "spiritual warrior" fighting against the "judge" that is in all of us. The agreements are incredible. Especially to me "don't take anything personally." Whatever anyone says has nothing to do with you but comes from their own "personal dream."

I like also the idea of all negative emotions, anger, greed, envy, anxiety, etc., come from one base emotion, "fear." When we take a realistic look at the fear, realize it is baseless, the other negative emotions dissipate.  Very powerful stuff.

He has several companion book. One I really liked is "The Mastery of Love." Again, powerful stuff.