This is part of an ongoing series of articles/posts detailing my experience with experiencing The Four Agreements. If the content below doesn't make any sense out of context, then be sure to check out the original post to better understand my goals and motivations for doing this.

Relapse

Making a lasting change is not an easy task. When I started this journey almost 3 months ago, I planned on using a combination of daily exposure to the materials, daily exercises, and journalling to give myself the best chance at success. While I can certainly commend my progress, I can't help but feel like I've had a relapse.

The problem when things start going well is that I get overconfident in my ability to no longer do the very things that brought me there. The hope was that the emotional and mental high's would carry enough momentum to keep me going through the occasional low. But sometimes life can throw a lot at you at once, and kill the momentum (or send you flying back in reverse).

The 4th Agreement - Always Do Your Best

Who wins when we beat ourselves up over a past grievance? Nobody! And yet we all have an inner judge and inner victim to perpetuate every mistake we've ever made. That is, of course, until we break these agreements and go on and live our life.

But how do we move on when we've had a major set back? The answer is simple. We simply pick up where we left off and do our best in every situation. Clearly our best is never the same based on the conditions around us. But as long as we always do our best in the moment and not dwell on our past shortcomings to our perceived perfection, we stand a chance to regain the balance and achieve the inner freedom that is always there.

Reboot

I'm still planning on carrying out a full 4 months of this journey (5 if I include the 5th agreement). Am I bummed? Yes, a little. A bruised ego always stings. However, to truly embody the agreements is to move forward in every moment: to reboot and start anew.

How do you restart?

What are your favorite ways of starting fresh after a setback? When you relapse, do you simply reboot or do you let your system crash? Please share your insights!