Finally, warm weather is here and a lot of free time will be spent under the sun.

With the bright weather and school starting up again after spring break, why not pick up a book and learn about your inner happiness? The season of spring is a time of change from the gloomy skies to sunshine and the sound of birds chirping. Your inner being is ready for some cleansing.

My all-time favorite back to read and re-read in times where I need some more happiness in my life is “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz.

This book will make you think deeper about how you can be set free from all negativity by changing your perspective. It teaches you about the power of your mind and how positive thinking plays a huge role.

These four agreements are derived from the ancient Toltec culture from Central America. The four agreements are the following:

1. “Be impeccable with your word.”

This means to speak of love and the truth. Your word is more powerful than you might think it is, you hold power in what you say, so only say what you mean. In addition, your word helps shape the events in your life.

2. “Do not take anything personally.”

Whatever somebody does or says is because of their own reality and it has nothing to do with you.

3. “Do not make assumptions.”

This is an important one. It means you should never make assumptions in any situation, it’s always best to ask questions and seek the whole truth. Most times when people make assumptions they are negative ones and lead to self-doubt.

4. “Always try your best.”

When you always try your best you can never beat yourself over for not being good enough. Just live your life knowing you have tried your hardest.

By simply following just one agreement, the author guarantees it could change your whole life. It is, of course, difficult to follow all four of the agreements, but if you try every day eventually it will become second nature.

Not only do I feel inspired but by following these agreements on a daily basis, I have noticed a huge change in my life. I have a more optimistic outlook on my everyday interactions with people.

For instance, if somebody directs a negative comment towards me, I don’t let it bother me. The reason that person is putting out those words is that they are dealing with something internally that has nothing to do with me. Whether they were having a good day or bad day it is simply out of my control, so I am not going to take it personally and let it hurt my feelings.

My favorite agreement is “do not make assumptions.” Before reading this book, I caught myself assuming all the time but now I have the understanding to not make assumptions and I’m willing to ask more questions.

The author suggests never making any assumptions and always trying to find out the whole truth in every situation in order to avoid miscommunication which leads to unnecessary drama and sadness.

We should not be afraid to ask questions and express what we really want, which most of don’t have the courage to do.

So ditch the “Fifty Shades of Grey” novel and start investing time in what matters most your well-being and your reality.

Danielle Cortes can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @theorion_news.