It took me 40 years to write my first book. When I was a child, I was encouraged to go to school. I was not encouraged to follow the career of a writer because my parents thought that I was going to starve to death.
They say that in the second before our death, each of us understands the real reason for our existence, and out of that moment, heaven or hell is born.
Human beings are the only ones in nature who are aware that they will die. For that reason and only for that reason, I have a profound respect for the human race, and I believe that its future is going to be much better than its present. Even knowing that their days are numbered and that everything will end when they least expect it, people make of their lives a battle that is worthy of a being with eternal life. What people regard as vanity-leaving great works, having children, acting in such a way as to prevent one’s name from being forgotten- I regard as the highest expression of human dignity.
In a world where everyone struggles to survive whatever the cost, how could one judge those who decide to die?
I think that, with age, people come to realize that death is inevitable. And we need to learn to face it with serenity, wisdom and resignation. Death often frees us from a lot of senseless sufferings.
Death is our constant companion, and it is death that gives each person’s life its true meaning.
I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a question of how I view my life.
When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.
You don’t seem mad at all,’ she said.But I am, although I’m undergoing a cure, because my problem is that I lack a particular chemical. However, while I hope that the chemical gets rid of my chronic depression, I want to continue being mad, living life the way I dream it, and not the way other people want it to be. Do you know what exists out there, beyond the walls of Villete?
Isn’t wine prohibited here? the boy asked. It’s not what enters men’s mouths that’s evil, said the alchemist. It’s what comes out of their mouths that is.
No one should ever ask themselves that: why am I unhappy? The question carries within it the virus that will destroy everything. If we ask that question, it means we want to find out what makes us happy. If what makes us happy is different from what we have now, then we must either change once and for all or stay as we are, feeling even more unhappy.
In fairy tales, the princesses kiss the frogs, and the frogs become princes. In real life, the pricesses kiss princes, and the princes turn into frogs.
Finding one important thing in your life doesn’t mean you have to
give up all the other important things.
And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
The energy of hatred won’t get you anywhere; but the energy of forgiveness, which reveals itself through love, will transform your life in a positive way.
God only allows us to see such things when he wants something to change
I don’t regret the painful times; I bare my scars as if they were medals.
Only two things can reveal life’s great secrets: suffering and love.
Try to find pleasure in the speed that you’re not used to. Changing the way you do routine things allows a new person to grow inside of you. But when all is said and done, you’re the one who must decide how you handle it.
We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.
No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.
When you were in love, you were capable of learning everything and of knowing things you had never dared even to think, because love was the key to understanding all of the mysteries.
Paulo Coelho
It is part of the human nature always to judge others very severely and,when the wind turns against us,always to find an excuse for our own misdeeds,or to blame someone else for our mistakes.
It’s a good idea always to do something relaxing prior to making an important decision in your life.
Don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.
I am surprised how difficult for people is to say “I love you”. They only say the three magic words when they are sure they will hear “I love you too” back. C’mon! Spread the energy of love without expecting anything! Cowards are incapable of expressing love; it is the prerogative of the brave
Paulo Coelho
When we meet someone and fall in love, we have a sense that the whole universe is on our side. And yet if something goes wrong, there is nothing left! How is it possible for the beauty that was there only minutes before to vanish so quickly? Life moves very fast. It rushes from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds.
When someone sees the same people every day, as had happened with him at the seminary, they wind up becoming a part of that person’s life. And then they want the person to change. If someone isn’t what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.
I want to continue being crazy; living my life the way I dream it, and not the way the other people want it to be.
Once someone asked me, What do you want to be your epitaph? So I said, Paulo Coelho died when he was alive.
If you start by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.
I’m not saying that love always takes you to heaven. Your life can become a nightmare. But that said, it is worth taking the risk.
When we set out on the path, we always have a fairly clear idea of what we hope to find. Women are generally seeking their Soul Mate, and men looking for Power. Neither party is really interested in learning. They simply want to reach the thing they have set as their goal.
Love is a trap. When it appears, we see only its light, not its shadows.
When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.
Life is short. Kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly
And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.
Our true friends are those who are with us when the good things happen. They cheer us on and are pleased by our triumphs. False friends only appear at difficult times, with their sad, supportive faces, when, in fact, our suffering is serving to console them for their miserable lives.
The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.
He knew one of the women well, and had shared his universe with her. They had seen the same mountains, and the same trees, although each of them had seem them differently. She knew his weaknesses, his moments of hatred, of despair. Yet she was there at his side. They shared the same universe.
Love is not a habit, a commitment, or a debt. It isn’t what romantic songs tell us it is – love simply is.
Paulo Coelho