EDITOR’S NOTE:
Oprah Winfrey sits down with don Miguel Ruiz, TODAY, March 3, on Super Soul Sunday at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT.
Originally introduced to Winfrey and her audience by Ellen DeGeneres in 1999, The Four Agreements would eventually be selected as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things and soar to the top of the bestseller’s lists.
During this candid interview, don Miguel Ruiz shares how his near death experiences opened him to more profound levels of spiritual awareness. Inspired to guide others on the spiritual path, Ruiz discusses the profound power of each of The Four Agreements. Plus, find out how avid readers have been impacted by the lessons of The Four Agreements.
Watch on OWN or join the worldwide simulcast at Oprah.com or Facebook.com/supersoulsunday.
What Kind of Messenger Are You? Understanding the Power of Your Word
Have you ever noticed that we are all messengers? Every one of us uses the word to form our opinions, to express our point of view. We are constantly using the word to deliver and receive messages to those around us and even to ourselves. The question is: What kind of messages do we deliver? Do we deliver the truth, or do we deliver lies? Delivering lies is the core of the problem, because all conflict—whether it’s inner conflict or conflict between humans—is the result of believing in lies and delivering lies.
The world is populated by billions of messengers, but what kind of messengers are they? The answer is obvious. You see the consequences in the world. The majority of the humans on earth have no idea that words have the power of creation. They have no idea where the power of their word comes from, which means that words have power over them.
What kind of messenger are you?
Just allow this question to go directly into your heart, where you can feel the meaning and intent behind the words. What kind of message are you delivering to your children, to your beloved, to your siblings, to your parents, to everyone around you? Are you a messenger of gossip and lies? Do you feel comfortable with all the drama that comes as a result of believing in lies? Is that what you share with everyone around you? Is that what you teach your children?
You are always delivering a message to everyone around you, but mainly you are always delivering a message to yourself. What is the message? That message is the most important one, because it affects your whole life. How do you treat yourself? Are you kind to yourself? Do you respect yourself? Do you even like yourself? What kind of life are you creating for yourself? Are you happy or are you suffering? If you’re suffering, if there’s drama and injustice in your life, then you’re not being impeccable with your word. All those voices in your head are distorting your message. What kind of message will you deliver to the people you love the most if the messages that you deliver to yourself are guiding you into suffering?
Just imagine that you are talking to a wall. Don’t expect an answer. It’s not for the wall to hear what you’re saying. It’s for you to begin to see the impact of your words on everything around you. By talking to a wall, your message becomes very clear. After that, the importance of being impeccable with your word becomes obvious.
Now use your imagination to see the kind of messages other people delivered to you in your entire life. People were always delivering messages to you, and you always perceived their messages. How did all those messages affect you? Out of all the messages that you received, how many of those messages did you agree with and take as your own? How many of those messages are you still delivering now? If you’re delivering somebody else’s messages, whose messages are you delivering?
What will make a difference in the messages you deliver? The answer is awareness. Just have the awareness of the kind of messages that you’ve delivered and received your entire life. Once you are aware of the messages that you’re delivering and the messages that other people are delivering to you, your point of view will shift completely. The moment will come when you clearly see the effect of your words, the effect of your actions, the effect of your presence on other people. You will see exactly what kind of messenger you are, and you will clearly see what kind of messengers the other people are.
Once you become aware of the power of your word, you can change the way you communicate with yourself and with other people.
Perhaps you’ve misused the word because you were innocent, because you didn’t have awareness. But once you have awareness, you cannot claim innocence anymore. You know exactly what you’re doing, and whatever you’re doing is perfect, but now it’s your decision; it’s your choice. Now the question becomes: What kind of message do you choose to deliver? Is it truth or is it lies? Is it love or is it fear? Our choice is to deliver a message of truth and love. What is yours?
don Miguel Ruiz, MD is the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Four Agreements ®. A former surgeon, a near death experience led him back to study and carry forth his family’s legacy as Toltec wisdom keepers. He is highly regarded as one of the leading spiritual teachers of our times and has transformed the lives of millions through his books, teachings, and power journeys. Learn more at www.miguelruiz.com.
*Excerpted from The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery. Copyright © 2010 by Miguel Angel Ruiz, M.D., Jose Luis Ruiz, and Janet Mills. Reprinted by Permission of Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc.
Photo credit:(c) Harpo, Inc. Photographer George Burns
