My Favorite Phrases from "The Alchemist", By Paulo Coelho
Recently, I had my hands on an internationally acclaimed book - The Alchemist, By Paulo Coelho. Its a fable about a shepherd called Santiago who had a recurring dream about the treasure hidden in pyramids. Believing in his dream, he embarked upon a journey to Pyramid in quest of the treasure. He encountered a variety of people on his pilgrimage who were actually a benefaction in disguise that precisely laid out a road to his dream. "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"; This has been rightly exhibited in the fable.
Apart from being highly recommendable read, it has some incredible phrases and I can't contain my excitement sharing them with you all. So here you go :
1. It's the simple things in life that are most extraordinary
Picture Courtesy - JComp
We often tend to seek happiness or peace in the larger things of life. But, actually simple things often brings extraordinary happiness which may not found in something very grand. For instance, a little boy does not need an extravagant birthday party; he might just need his few chaddi buddies, favorite pastries to nibble on, play around and have fun, simple! But, we adults need all the showsha, the purpose of happiness is to just show it off and make people believe that we are happy.
2. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.
Picture Courtesy - Shutterstock
Mr./Miss/Mrs. Know it All - Always at your service for unsolicited advice. These people are the 'Entrepreneur' of other people lives despite being struggling with their own. By the age of 20, get married; Get your career settled by 25; Have a child before 30, there is no end to these pieces of advice hurled at you by the people from "Know it All" club. And you have to really work hard to register yourself in their "Good Books", on the basis of which your existence will be attested.
3. Beginners luck or The Principle of favorability.
Initially, when you realize your dream and begin working on it, the soul of the universe is kind to you and all work seems to pay off. This is called "Beginner's luck" or "The principle of favorability". This happens because the force of a universe wants us to realize our dream and therefore it gives us the taste of success, But then, the same force tests us severely throughout the journey to make us a winner or a loser.
4. I am like everyone else - I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.
Yes! Here is my confession, I do this. Wondering how many of you will agree to this? I guess many. I believe God has put an invisible Director's Cap on our head and we want to direct all happenings around us. But we are often pounded with the reality and it wrenches out a director from us.
5. Love without ownership.
Love - Abandoned or Unrequited, teach us how love can exist without ownership. It's not always about conquering or togetherness, All love stories do not have a happy ending but some doesn't end either. In the fable, Fatima - beloved of Santiago, allow him to pursue his dream with a promise to wait for him until he achieves his dream and even if it means to wait forever.
6. It's not that enters the man's mouth is evil, but what comes out of it, is.
In different religions, Some foods are forbidden to eat and it is considered evil to have them. But what we need to control is not what goes into the mouth but rather what comes out of it needs a real moderation. As it has been rightly said, words cut deeper than the sword and may leave a wound that never heals. So mind your tongue better and beware of trash talk.
7. The darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn.
We all might have experience at least once in our life that while realizing our dream we are often distracted by the mysterious force. This mysterious force drags us to the failure that enforces us to give up on our dream. But as Franklin D. Roosevelt said - "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.", don't give up, give it another try.
So, these are my favorites and that's all for today.
Do share in the comment the one you like the most.
Keep reading and sharing. :)
Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.
ReplyDeleteIt's my favorite phrase from one of my favorite book by Paulo Coelho.
All the phrases are very beautifully and effectively articulated by you.. keep it up.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite - "love without ownership"
Thanks buddy :)
DeleteHi, thats a good list. There are a couple more that i particularly liked
ReplyDelete"The alchemists spent years in their
laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that
gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had
led to a purification of themselves."
"And then there were the others, who were interested only in gold. They never found the secret. They
forgot that lead, copper, and iron have their own destinies to fulfill. And anyone who interferes with the
destiny of another thing never will discover his own."
That's certainly a good one I missed. Thanks buddy :)
Delete