Words of Wisdom From The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho.
A book review.
On my way back from work this evening, I saw a young man holding and reading one of my favourite books, which brought me a nostalgic feeling.Â
The problem with book worming is the burden of having so many books to read and so many books intending to buy. So, you rarely have time to go back to re-read a book.
But what happens to those books you have read twice or more? Some call it 'Favourite books.' I choose to add, 'They are those books that you find in them - what if reading new books go extinct? You will be okay with reading just them for the rest of your life and still find fulfilment.'
Noted bookworm and celebrity Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates releases a list of books he has read yearly. However, in addition to a list of book recommendations last year, he revealed 5 of His All-Time Favorite Books.
If I am to pick my favourite books, The Alchemist will definitely be on the list. It is a book I have read four times, and I want to share the words I have highlighted so far from it.
I hope you find the sequence fascinating as I do.
But when the boy thought to complain about the burden of his jacket's weight, he remembered that he had withstood the cold of the dawn because he had the jacket. He thought we had to be prepared for change and was grateful for the jacket's weight and warmth.
It is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. For it is the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them.
When someone sees the same people every day, they wind up becoming a part of that person's life. And then they want the person to change. If one isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone has a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about their own.
At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.
If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.
You are almost sure to win when you play cards for the first time. It is called the principle of favorability, Beginner's luck. Because there is a force that wants you to realize your destiny, it whets your appetite with a taste of success.
We have to take advantage of luck when it is on our side and do as much to help it as it's doing to help us.
I have been told that beauty is the great seducer of men.
Making a decision is only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.
The closer one gets to realizing his destiny, the more that destiny becomes his true reason for being.
Intuition is a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where all people's histories are connected and can know everything because it is all written there.
People need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want.
If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise. If bad things are to happen, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur.
To die tomorrow is no worse than dying any other day.
You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love… the love that speaks the Language of the World.
One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.
If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. And one can come back and always find it.
People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams because they feel they don't deserve them or that they'll be unable to achieve them.
Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.
Every search begins with a beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor being severely tested.
When you possess great treasure within you and try to tell others of it, seldom are you believed.
Your eyes show the strength of your soul. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.
Don't say that the payment goes beyond your generosity. Life might be listening and give you less the next time.
Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.
Be aware of the place where you are brought to tears; that's where your treasure is.
No project is completed until its objective has been achieved.
What good is money to you if you're going to die? For it is not often that money can save someone's life.
In summary
The Alchemist is a fable about following your dreams…
A novel by Paulo Coelho that tells the story of a young shepherd named Santiago who embarks on a journey to fulfil his personal legend and find a hidden treasure.
Along the way, he meets a series of characters who help him understand the importance of listening to his heart and following his dreams. The novel is a mix of magic, adventure, and self-discovery, and it encourages readers to pursue their own personal legends and live the life they truly want.
This story is inspired and extracted from 'The Alchemist' — By Paulo Coelho.
Photo by Angelica Frey on ThoughCo.
Many thanks for reading my perspective and giving feedback.
My fervent wish is for the personal growth of everyone and the success of all young professionals who put their hearts and souls into finding their purpose in life.
Copyright © Ekene Moses, 2023. All Rights Reserved.