A Toltec Guide to Personal Freedom - The Mastery of Self

Because we love "The Four Agreements" we knew we could trust this little book would live up to our expectation. I purchased it as a "I love you" surprise, no occasion gift for my husband. He first introduced me to Miguel Ruiz Jr. 15 years ago and The Four Agreements have become by book to live by, so when opportunity happens I will read The Mastery of Self.

I have read many of the other books from the Ruiz family, and I have gotten so much value from the wisdom and insights presented. This series of books will remain a treasured possession that I will refer to time and again.

I read Don Miguel Ruiz books (and his family's books) every single day. In the work week, I read my book when the sun is rising to clear my mind and keep me grounded. On my lunch break, I read my book to keep my mind quiet. I do not read at night because I'm usually home at six, I watch some of Dr. Robert Morse on YouTube (please check him out, he changed my life by giving me the tools to regain my health!) and lights out at 8:30pm or so. I get up at 5am...Don't judge me. :) I also recommend subscribing to his website for daily inspiration emails... Wonderful discovery. I am so thankful for Don Miguel Ruiz and his family.

I am an old Carlos Casteneda follower and I enjoyed reading this short book. I read it in 2 days ; easy to follow and understand . It follows the same themes demonstrated by Casteneda in his books on Warriorship.

Another gem from the Ruiz family! Thank you, brother Miguel, for sharing your gifts with the world and creating beautiful, inspiring art in your life and on the page. The Dream of the Planet just shifted one more degree toward harmony.

I've read many of the greats in self-help/spirituality. don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. brings something a little different to the table in his books, and his newest book is no different. What I truly appreciate about Miguel's writing style is that it's easy to understand, conversational, AND has actionable steps on implementing concepts. As a reader, you are left with a clear path to make changes if that is so desired.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a book signing for this book, and Miguel gave a one hour presentation of the Toltec way. It was compelling, heartfelt, and transformative. If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, don't miss it! Until then - enjoy his latest book!

"The human journey is a process of the Divine becoming aware of itself."
- don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

This May I had the honor to attend an evening with don Miguel Ruiz and don Miguel Ruiz Jr. It was a magical night as you can read about in my May 19th blog. That night I purchased don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s latest book The Mastery of Self - A Toltec Guide To Personal Freedom. I was thrilled to have him sign the book that night. There is energy everwhere, and along with the energy of the book, there is energy in his signature. And from what I felt in the church that evening, his energy is pure love.

I was very excited to read this book. It looks like a small, quick read, but it is packed and overflowing with wisdom. I really took my time with this one because he provided exercises in each chapter, and I wanted to do everything. As you can probably tell by now, one of my passions is self-improvement and learning to be my best self. What I learned through don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s book, is that my Authentic Self is already perfect. I just need to let go of the masks and unconditional love for myself and others (and a few other very important things, but you'll read about it in the book yourself!).

"As a Master of Self, the way out is to remind yourself that you are perfect in this moment and you don't need to do or achieve anything in order to be complete."
- don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

The biggest challenge in my life has been forgiveness. It is the biggest obstacle I have been avoiding. However, I knew that I would have to face it eventually if I wanted to live my best life possible. It's amazing how life works when you tune in and see how everything is really guiding you home to your true nature. I recently had a really heartfelt conversation with my bestie. I was telling her about a pivotal, heartbreaking moment in my life. She said she felt like this was the final piece, the one thing I needed to let go of to be free and to essentially live the life I was intended here for. Our conversation was just after I read Chapter 4: Unconditional Love For Others. The exercises in this chapter put me on the path to freedom in this area. I don't want to give the book away, but I will say the first part involved writing a letter (something I've talked about doing for awhile) to the person that caused that "thing", that "moment" that feels like changed everything, and not for the better. I had been avoiding the letter. But I did it this time, I saw it through. For the first time I got it all out, I told my story from the perspective of the young girl I was. It wasn't as difficult or frightening as I thought it would be. The next two parts of the exercise are what set me free. Thank you don Miguel!

The other huge thing that this book helped me with is weight loss. This is yet another struggle that I just wrote about in my last blog. Again, I was just thinking about my struggle with losing weight, and there comes Chapter 8: Goal Setting. This chapter taught me that I am perfect already and I need to love myself as I am whether I achieve my goals or not. This chapter provided a beautiful approach to setting goals in a positive and healthy way. It's been of immeasurable use. Thank you again don Miguel!

As I've mentioned, there is so much packed into this book. I wanted to give a couple of examples of how it helped me, but there is so much more. There are grounding exercises, mantras, reflections on our attachments, the roles we play, the projections we put onto others and more.

I know for everyone reading The Mastery of Self, it will hit at the core of something in your life that really needs to be brought to the surface and released. It will give you an awareness into something profound in your life, and will give you a new perspective. It will reveal the truth and give concrete steps to awareness and freedom. And above all, this is all done with love. Obviously I highly recommend this book! I also highly recommend checking out don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s book signing schedule and events.

In Gratitude & Love,
Kerri Mulhern

It is said that books change lives. I believe that. This is one of those beautiful books that can and assuredly will do just that. It is a rich yet simple guide dedicated to help us discover our Authentic Self by showing us how to let go of the attachments, masks, and conditions that hold us back. Concise, sincere, and ringing loud with universal truths, Don Miguel Ruiz Jr’s The Mastery of Self is a celebration of what it means to be truly alive with harmony and spirit.

This book is a must read! I absolutely loved it and just love the powerful messages contained within. Our reality is a creation by up domesticated state of awareness. If we can shift our awareness and realise the our reality is within out control, releasing ourselves from any false beliefs or attachments, we can open up a path in life that is absolutely our own. - Listen and read the full review at The Hidden Why dot com. Leigh Martinuzzi - The Hidden Why Guy

As a child I loved playing baseball. It was an act of joy and play for me. Over time it became a source of domestication by others. Competition, failure and self criticism followed. Until I read this book I never understood what happened to me and why I lost my ability to play sports well. I even quit sports for a few years. I understand now thanks to this wonderful book. I blame no one, not myself or others. It is just part of the Dream of the Planet.

This book was an added blessing to my freedom from detachment of many things and the continued practice to de-program my social conditioning and love myself and those around me with all my heart and soul. The Toltec teaching is an alternative treatment to psychology for those suffering from anxiety and depression, well at least it was for me. Thank you Ruiz family for your continued work to help so many people.