“Once you recover awareness, you become completely responsible for your own evolution, for every choice you make in life.”So says author Don Miguel Ruiz in his latest book, The Fifth Agreement, a sequel of sorts to his best-selling book The Four Agreements, brought so much attention a few years back by Oprah’s golden vouch of approval. Ruiz’ insightful books about human faith and the importance of authenticity and honesty with oneself have stirred a heartfelt response in so many.

One of our favorite magazines, Spirituality & Health, met with Don Miguel and are sharing this intriguing interview with the author, surgeon and Toltec teacher.

Spirituality & Health: Could you summarize the Five Agreements?

Don Miguel Ruiz: The Five Agreements are tools to change your world. If you are impeccable with your words, if you don’t take anything personally, if you don’t make assumptions, if you always do your best, and if you are skeptical while listening, we won’t have any more war in our head. There will be peace.

SH: Our readers often say they’re interested in transformation. I always joke that we don’t want to transform―we want everybody to transform around us.

DMR: It will happen with or without us. Everything is changing all the time.

Many times we are not aware of our own transformation because our attention is focused on the outside and we can see how everything around us is being transformed. But if we focus on ourselves, we can see our own transformation.

Click through for more of the interview with Don Miguel Ruiz…

photo credit: Aaron Landman