The Four Agreements Part 5 - Always do your Best
This is part of a multi part series if you haven't read the first parts, please read them here.
- Part 1 - The Judge
- Part 2 - Be Impeccable with your word
- Part 3 - Don't take anything Personally
- Part 4 - Don't Make Assumptions
From The Four Agreements book by Don Miguel Ruiz this video explains it perfectly. Start with Minute 4:50 for explanation of the 4th Agreement
Always Do Your Best: Letting Go of Perfection
Growing up, "doing your best" wasn’t an option—it was about doing things one way: perfectly. There was no room for mistakes. Perfection was the only acceptable outcome.
To maintain that image of perfection, I spent years suppressing everything inside me, making sure that what I showed the world was flawless.
The Fear of Failure
I remember cheating my way through classes because I was terrified of failure. That fear was always there—the fear of disappointing others, the fear of being a disgrace. It followed me everywhere, shaping everything I did.
In a way, this fear taught me discipline. I kept pushing through, even when things got hard. But the cost was high: I never enjoyed the journey. No matter what I did, it never felt good enough. Even when I traveled through Europe with nothing to lose, I was still gripped by fear, constantly worried about the outcome.
Fear was the foundation of my childhood—it was a cycle passed down through generations. My parents were raised in fear, and so was I. But as I shifted my perspective on not making assumptions, I came to understand the deeper truth: my parents are war survivors. For them, failure wasn’t just disappointing; it could have meant life or death. They survived, and as a result, they taught me the only thing that kept them alive, Fear.
The Freedom to Be Me - My Survival
During yoga teacher training, one of the trainers told me something I’d never heard before: "You are perfect just being yourself." Those words gave me the space to breathe, the freedom to be okay with being me. For the first time, I received validation that everything was going to be alright.
"Always do your best" is about embracing that freedom. It’s the permission to give your all—without obsessing over the outcome.
I poured my heart into writing a terrible book. I knew the outcome wasn’t great, but I did it anyway. And although the book itself wasn’t a success, the value I found in releasing it was priceless. In many ways, it probably saved me from myself.
In the End, It’s About You
In the end, the only constant in your life is you. The relationship with yourself is the longest one you’ll ever have, so why not nurture it? Take the time to listen, to cherish, and to love yourself.
So, did you do your best for you? I believe in you. Do you?