Don José Ruiz of The Four Agreements fame has written a newer book to create clarity on you as a powerful, humble human, The Three Questions. I loved the story that illustrated the his points. They say that stories help us remember and that is true of the story to remember the three questions.
Simple stories invite us to reflect on our own lives. One way or another, they represent everyone’s story. If a story is good, it has the power to inspire questions and encourage us to look for answers. If a story is very good, it can get under our skin and dare to see the truth. It can open new doors of perception. These stories leave us a choice: to be challenged by the truth or to close the door and continue walking a familiar path. (pg 7)
The three questions are
Who Am I?
What is real?
What is love?
Like The Four Agreements, Ruiz is able to speak to simple rules to help us live as humans better. As a question “who am I?” is probably one that everyone asks at very points in their lives. As I am asking know.
As we move from one stage of live to another, as my children become their own persons, our answers evolve. This book is one that you can pick up at any time when you need clarity because not only do we ask “who am I,” we ask “what is real” and “what is love.” If we, each, to ask these simple three questions, we can change the world one person at a time.
Things are the way they are in the world not because they are right or wrong. Naturally, there are things we can all do better for the sake of our personal happiness. We can free ourselves of our own tyrannies and give ourselves the sense of safety we’ve been longing for. Because we are free doesn’t mean other “countries” will be free. It doesn’t mean that other leaders will be aware or responsible. The choice for transformation belongs to every individual. We can guide ourselves toward personal independence, but should not coerce anyone else to follow us. Our journey back to authenticity is ours alone and mustn’t be used as an excuse to pressure family members or dear friends.
At any time, we can walk up and see the totality of what we are. We can see life as it is and accept everything we see. We can show how truth walks and talks in the world without attempting to govern others. We can offer our presence–not our rules–to demonstrate the best of what a human can be. (pg 196)