Mid-Life Introspection

26 Feb 2012 1 Comment

by Diana Taft in Life in general

I’ve been doing a lot of introspection lately … where I’ve been, where I am, where I’m going. Why I do what I do. Why I feel what I feel. All that type of thinking when I’m in the car driving to another rehearsal or running another errand. I’ve gotten to that point in my life where I’m evaluating everything. I don’t call it a midlife crisis per se, but rather a midlife introspection. And I am in my midlife – all my grandparents lived well into their nineties, so I figure I’ve got at least an0ther 40 years to figure it out.

Now, I’m not a big one for self-help books – I tend to type questions into Google and see what pops up. In one of my searches, the following came across my search results, and I thought this was really good, and I wanted to share it with you.

What I found was a concept called the Four Agreements, and it has to do with agreements with yourself:

The Four Agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

These really struck a chord with me. I tend to be very hard on myself, and sometimes take what’s going on around me too personally. And like the saying goes, when we assume, we make an a$$ out of “u” and “me.”

These are four things that I’m going to apply to my own daily life, and see where it takes me. The next 40 years could be very interesting ….