July-August 2009 - The Journey Magazine

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Ancient Wisdom = Common SensePackaged in Contemporary WrappingsBy TC BrownIn many ways, this issue’s theme,“New Age-Ancient Wisdom,”is also a central message in theteachings of Don Miguel Ruiz.Don Miguel’s Web site www.miguelruiz.com says as much,pointing out that in the tradition ofthe Toltec, shamans or guides teachone how to attain personal freedom.Toltecs are a populationand society that inhabited pre-Columbian central Mexico whosome believe to be real, while othersthink they were fictional.Real or not, as his Website points out, Don Miguel,“combining new insightswith old wisdom,” sharesancient philosophies by translatingthem into contemporary conceptsso that one may be transformedthrough truth and common sense.Don Miguel will appear at TheJourney Expo 2009 from 1 p.m. to4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12. www.thejourneymag.com“Old wisdom is nothing butcommon sense,” Don Miguel saysin a recent telephone interview.“And of course they are connected,but we call it new age because it ishappening now.”Living in that “now” withawareness that we create our ownindividual worlds and therefore areresponsible for our own happiness isthe way to fulfill our mission here,Don Miguel explains.“Everyone comes to this planetwith one mission, and that veryimportant mission is to makeourselves happy,” Don Miguel says.“The world we create is how“Every humanis an artist.The dreamof your lifeis to makebeautiful art.”— Don Miguel RuizPAGE SIX JULY • AUGUST 2009 THE JOURNEY
we live our lives right now.”In other words, it’s an inside job.“It is your own creation and you areresponsible,” he says. “Nobody else isresponsible.”For some, in this era of frighteningand complex hard times, that conceptmay be difficult and even troubling tograsp. But hidden within crisis is a silverlining by the name of opportunity, saysDon Miguel.“Now things are a little moreintense,” he says. “I see crisis, but I seeit as opportunity. These opportunitieswill change the way we see everything.”Knocked Downbut Not OutDon Miguel confronted his ownpersonal calamity seven years ago whena near fatal heart attack felled him.When he finally emerged from a coma,doctors told him only a small percentof his heart’s capacity remained and hewould have to cease much of his work,including his public speaking tours.But Don Miguel’s heart incorporatesmuch more than a body organ andmuscle that keeps him going.“I’m still alive and still active andI’m helping my middle son who is amaster and is teaching now,” he says.He and his son Don Jose are finishingup a new book “The Fifth Agreement”due out some time in the next year.Born and raised in rural Mexico,Don Miguel’s mother was a healerand his grandfather a shaman. As hegrew, modern medicine attracted DonMiguel and he drifted away from thoseancient arts to become a surgeon.A serious car crash in the 1970sbecame a wake up call that provokedhim into a journey of self discovery.He found himself drawn back into theToltec philosophies. He began touringin the United States in 1987, teachingsmall groups of people spiritual issues,self healing and happiness.He realized that many peoplestruggled to quiet their minds and outof those observations he developedmethods and a philosophy thateventually led to his writing thepowerful “New York Times” best seller“The Four Agreements” in 1997. It is aspiritual checkup that presents a guidefor a way to live “distinguished by theready accessibility of happiness andlove.”The Four Agreements are:1. Don’t take anything personally.2. Don’t make assumptions.3. Always do your best.4. Be impeccable with your word.The message he conveys in thisand his other books and in his publicappearances is simple and practical and,in many cases, life changing.“It is important that we challenge ourbeliefs to see if they are really true andto see if our decisions are truths or lies,”Don Miguel says.Perfect WinnersDon Miguel believes the biggestterror for most is fear of the truth. Heurges people to find out what they don’tlike and to be completely honest“When youlove, whateveryou do isbecause youwant to do it.It becomes apleasure, it’slike a game,and you havefun with it.When youlove, youdon’t expectsomethingto happen;whateverhappens isokay, andhardly anythingdisappointsyou.”— Don Miguel RuizTHE JOURNEYJULY •PAGE SEVEN
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July-August 2009 - The Journey Magazine

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