The world moves forward on agreements and conversations. Below is a set of agreements I have been using for 30 years about how I want to live my life. Copy freely and distribute widely.
Committing to the Mission: I agree to use the mission of Geneva Group, and the following agreements, as a guide to my actions.- Communicating with Integrity: I agree to tell my truth, with compassion for myself and others.
- Listening with Heart: I agree to listen respectfully to the communication of others and attune to their deepest meaning.
- Honoring One Another: I agree to honor each person’s process, acknowledging that everyone, including myself, is making the best possible choice or decision we are capable of at that moment of choice or decision.
- Appreciating One’s Self: I agree to take responsibility for acknowledging myself and receiving acknowledgement from others.
- Expressing Appreciation: I agree to acknowledge others.
- Honoring Differences: I agree to come from a sense of cooperation and caring in my interactions with others, and from an understanding that goals are often the same even though methods for achieving them may differ.
- Using Grievances as Opportunities: I agree to look for the unresolved issue within me that creates a disproportionate reaction to another’s behavior.
- Maintaining Harmony: I agree to take the time to establish rapport and then to re-connect with anyone with whom I feel out of harmony as soon as it’s appropriate.
- Resolving Problems Constructively: I agree to take problems, complaints and upsets to the person(s) with whom I can resolve them, at the earliest opportunity. I agree not to criticize or complain to someone who cannot do something about my complaint, and I will recommend that others do the same.
- Learning From Experience: I agree to look for opportunities to learn from my experiences, to continue doing what works and discontinue doing what does not work.
- Going For Excellence! I agree to support others and to be supported in participating at the highest level of excellence.
- Trusting the Process: I agree to release my judgments about the process I am in and to value the outcome as appropriate for me at the moment.
- Being a rEvolutionary Leader: I agree to foster an environment of genuine collaboration, in which all people, including myself, feel empowered to express our individual and collective potential.
- Re-evaluating Commitment: I agree to choose and re-choose to participate in Geneva Group. It’s my choice.
- Lightening Up! I agree to create fun and joy in my relationships, my work, my play, and my life.
(c) Marian Head “Revolutionary Agreements: A Personal Path to Peace on Earth”