The Four Agreements
Live life in balance. That is one of the most important lessons I learned from a dear friend in a past incarnation of myself. I believe it with all my heart.
This concept of balance is based on «Los Cuatro Acuerdos» (The Four Agreements), which are meant to enlighten the person towards a path of happiness without relying on external influences. I honestly believe using this approach in life has kept me from going insane at times, and I want to dedicate this post to the 500 Startups team, touching lightly on how the definitions of the Agreements have played a key role in my experience within this awesome family.
“Sé impecable con tus palabras.” (Be impeccable with your word.)
I had to learn a lot; words come easy with knowledge, but knowledge only comes from openness and honesty. Honesty begets integrity, and interestingly enough, my journey over the last year from the very first days of rubberit, reminded me on nearly a daily basis the importance of integrity. And truthfulness. And love.
I have to give my best everyday at the helm of my company, because thousands of people depend on the service we provide them. Literally, they are putting their lives in our hands. So the words I speak and the actions I take on behalf of rubberit must come from my deepest sense of honesty. Every decision has consequences, and the responsibility is mine alone. My daily commitment is to integrity, and knowing I did things wholeheartedly is what makes me sleep in peace every night. Also I have an amazing team. They know I got their backs, and I know they got mine.
“No te tomes nada personalmente.” (Don’t take anything personally.)
Accept this: You’ll be rejected. You’ll be judged and talked about behind your back. You’ll be praised. You’ll inspire future entrepreneurs. But none of that is real nor permanent. The only true and palpable thing is the change you’re making in the world. Today.
You can’t waste one single minute and worry about naysayers. You damn sure can’t expect that those who praise you will be there forever. The one certain thing is that your actions will create ripples and society will take notice and react, but not directly because of you; instead, their reaction will be based on their own projection of reality, their interpretation of facts.
Not all the answers are 100% correct all of the time, but that is how we learn to make things better. The judgment others cast in our direction can have no weight in our decisions. Some will love my company for bringing health to people, some will loath us for promoting debauchery. In the end, what matters is how many people rubberit is able to empower, and not what award I was given last week.
“No hagas suposiciones”. (Don’t make assumptions.)
Urgency is the only thing that will make you wake up everyday, but you can’t expect everyone else to be excited and psyched about your awesome idea. A few will get it right away and jump into the vortex with you, but even some of your closest allies can suddenly flake out over “unforeseeable misunderstandings and differences”. You must ask, without remorse. Receiving a timely (if negative) answer is a million times better than a slow crawl into an inevitable dead end.
This idea applies rather well to the startup world. You can’t assume. You must validate. There’s no way of knowing what your customers want unless you analyze the market. There’s no way of determining your impact in a sector unless you rely on measurable, real-time data. You have to worship metrics.
“Haz siempre tu máximo esfuerzo”. (Always do your best.)
I don’t even think this Agreement requires an explanation. My understanding of it is pretty cut and dry:
If you’re not making life better for other people… you’re wasting your time. And everyone else’s.
Bringing these important tenets of my life into my company has been fulfilling. It has been a long time since I last spoke to that friend who introduced me to the Four Agreements but I can’t wait to the next time we meet so we can talk about how beautifully she has influenced me, and how she is a part of my journey.
So, find your balance. Within and all around you. Who knows? Maybe the Universe will align itself just for you.
