T H E A L C H E M I S T
P A U L O C O E L H O
WHAT IS A PERSONAL CALLING?
IT IS GOD’S BLESSING,
IT TS THE PATH THAT GOD CHOSE FOR YOU HERE ON EARTH.
WHENEVER WE DO SOMETHING THAT FILLS US WITH ENTHUSIASM,
WE ARE FOLLOWING OUR LEGEND. -x
IT IS GOD’S BLESSING,
IT TS THE PATH THAT GOD CHOSE FOR YOU HERE ON EARTH.
WHENEVER WE DO SOMETHING THAT FILLS US WITH ENTHUSIASM,
WE ARE FOLLOWING OUR LEGEND. -x
…the path of personal calling is no easier than any other path,
except that our whole heart is in this journey. -xi
except that our whole heart is in this journey. -xi
Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly
than suffering that is apparently bearable;
the latter goes on for years and,
without our noticing, eats away at our soul,
until one day, we are no longer able
to free ourselves from the bitterness... -xi
than suffering that is apparently bearable;
the latter goes on for years and,
without our noticing, eats away at our soul,
until one day, we are no longer able
to free ourselves from the bitterness... -xi
The mere possibility of getting what we want
fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. -xii
fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. -xii
This is the most dangerous of the obstacles
because it has a kind of saintly aura about it:
renouncing joy and conquest.
But if you believe yourself worthy
of the thing you fought so hard to get,
then you become an instrument of God,
you help the Soul of the World,
and you understand why you are here. -xii
because it has a kind of saintly aura about it:
renouncing joy and conquest.
But if you believe yourself worthy
of the thing you fought so hard to get,
then you become an instrument of God,
you help the Soul of the World,
and you understand why you are here. -xii
Part one
-a desire that was still alive, despite his father’s having to bury it,
over dozens of years, under the burden of struggling... -10
over dozens of years, under the burden of struggling... -10
I couldn’t have found God in the seminary,
he thought, as he looked at the sunrise. -10
he thought, as he looked at the sunrise. -10
The world was huge and inexhaustible. -11
It’s the possibility of having a dream come
true that makes life interesting. -11
true that makes life interesting. -11
It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary. -15
When someone sees the same people everyday,
…they wind up becoming a part of that person’s life.
And they want the person to change. -16
…they wind up becoming a part of that person’s life.
And they want the person to change. -16
The world’s greatest lie…this:
that at a certain point in our lives,
we lose control of what’s happening to us,
and our lives become controlled by fate. -18
that at a certain point in our lives,
we lose control of what’s happening to us,
and our lives become controlled by fate. -18
To realize one’s personal Legend is a person’s only real obligation. -22
(here is where i find a connection to Ayn Rand)
(here is where i find a connection to Ayn Rand)
People are capable,
at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of. -23
at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of. -23
The wind that had brought the Moors, yes,
but it had also brought the smell of the
desert and of veiled women. -29
but it had also brought the smell of the
desert and of veiled women. -29
I am going to hate those who have found their treasure
because I never found mine.
And I am going to hold on to what little I have,
because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world. -40
because I never found mine.
And I am going to hold on to what little I have,
because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world. -40
It was as if the world had fallen silent because the boy’s soul had. -48
‘it’s the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive.
That’s what helps me
…I am afraid that if my dream is realized
i'll have no reason to go on living
…I just want to dream about Mecca.’
That’s what helps me
…I am afraid that if my dream is realized
i'll have no reason to go on living
…I just want to dream about Mecca.’
‘I prefer just to dream about it.’
Part two
Joining this caravan may have been my decision,
but where it goes is going to be a mystery to me. -71
but where it goes is going to be a mystery to me. -71
The closer one gets to realizing his Personal Legend,
the more that Personal Legend becomes his true reason for being. -75
the more that Personal Legend becomes his true reason for being. -75
"Maktub" = "it is written."
Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul
into the universal current of life,
where the histories of all people are connected,
and we are able to know everything,
because its all written there. -77
into the universal current of life,
where the histories of all people are connected,
and we are able to know everything,
because its all written there. -77
Life is the moment we’re living right now. -88
Maybe God created the desert so that man
could appreciate the date trees. -90
could appreciate the date trees. -90
This kind of life cannot be captured in pictures or words…
people become fascinated with pictures and words,
and wind up forgetting the language of the world. -90
people become fascinated with pictures and words,
and wind up forgetting the language of the world. -90
So he could not be hasty, or impatient.
If he pushed forward impulsively,
he would fail to see the signs and omens
left by God in his path. -92
If he pushed forward impulsively,
he would fail to see the signs and omens
left by God in his path. -92
Omens…a language used by God to indicate what he should do. -93
When he looked into her dark eyes,
and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence,
he learned the most important part
of the language that all the world spoke
-the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding
in their hear. It was love
….the pure language of the world.
It required no explanation… -96
and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence,
he learned the most important part
of the language that all the world spoke
-the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding
in their hear. It was love
….the pure language of the world.
It required no explanation… -96
There is only that moment,
and the incredible certainty that everything
under the sun has been written by one hand only.
It is the hand that evokes love,
and creates a twin soul for every person in the world.
Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning. -97
and the incredible certainty that everything
under the sun has been written by one hand only.
It is the hand that evokes love,
and creates a twin soul for every person in the world.
Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning. -97
I came to tell you just one thing,” the boy said.
“I want you to be my wife. I love you.” -99
“I want you to be my wife. I love you.” -99
Any given thing on the face of the earth could
reveal the history of all things.
One could open a book to any page, or look at a person’s hand;
one could turn a card, or watch the flight of the birds …
whatever the thing observed,
one could find a connection with his experience of the moment.
Actually, it wasn’t that those things, in themselves,
revealed anything at all; it was just that people,
by looking at what was occurring around them,
could find a means of penetration to the Soul of the World. -105
reveal the history of all things.
One could open a book to any page, or look at a person’s hand;
one could turn a card, or watch the flight of the birds …
whatever the thing observed,
one could find a connection with his experience of the moment.
Actually, it wasn’t that those things, in themselves,
revealed anything at all; it was just that people,
by looking at what was occurring around them,
could find a means of penetration to the Soul of the World. -105
The secret is here in the present.
If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it.
And, if you improve on the present,
what comes later will also be better.
Forget about the future,
and live each day according to the teachings,
confident that God loves his children.
Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity. -107
If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it.
And, if you improve on the present,
what comes later will also be better.
Forget about the future,
and live each day according to the teachings,
confident that God loves his children.
Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity. -107
Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. -120
What kept you at the oasis was your own fear
that you might never come back. -124
that you might never come back. -124
“One is loved because on is loved.
No reason is needed for loving.” 127(Fatima)
No reason is needed for loving.” 127(Fatima)
“There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered.
“It’s through action…” -130
“It’s through action…” -130
Listen to your heart.
It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World,
and it will one day return there.” -132
It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World,
and it will one day return there.” -132
…the boy tried to listen to his heart. -133
it was not easy to do;
in earlier times, his heart had always been ready to tell its story,
but lately that wasn’t true.
There had been times when
his heart spent hours telling of its sadness,
and at other times it became so emotional over the desert sunrise
that the boy had to hide his tears.
His heart beat fastest when it spoke to the boy of treasure,
and ore slowly when the boy stared entranced
at the endless horizon of the desert.
But his heart was never quiet, even when the boy
and the alchemist had fallen into silence. -133
in earlier times, his heart had always been ready to tell its story,
but lately that wasn’t true.
There had been times when
his heart spent hours telling of its sadness,
and at other times it became so emotional over the desert sunrise
that the boy had to hide his tears.
His heart beat fastest when it spoke to the boy of treasure,
and ore slowly when the boy stared entranced
at the endless horizon of the desert.
But his heart was never quiet, even when the boy
and the alchemist had fallen into silence. -133
Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly.
If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you.
Because you’ll know its dreams and wishes,
and will know how to deal with them. -134
If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you.
Because you’ll know its dreams and wishes,
and will know how to deal with them. -134
People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams,
because they feel that they don’t deserve them,
or that they’ll be unable to achieve them. -135
because they feel that they don’t deserve them,
or that they’ll be unable to achieve them. -135
“My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer”…
”Tell your hart that the fear of suffering
is worse than the suffering itself.
And 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 eternity.”
….”Every second of the search is an encounter with God,”
the boy told his heart. -135
”Tell your hart that the fear of suffering
is worse than the suffering itself.
And 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 eternity.”
….”Every second of the search is an encounter with God,”
the boy told his heart. -135
“So, we, their hearts, speak more and more softly.
We never stop speaking out, but we begin
to hope that our words wont be heard:
we don’t want people to suffer
because they don’t follow their hearts.”
We never stop speaking out, but we begin
to hope that our words wont be heard:
we don’t want people to suffer
because they don’t follow their hearts.”
…
“Why don’t people’s hearts tell them to
continue to follow their dreams?”
continue to follow their dreams?”
…
”Because that’s what make a heart suffer most,
and hearts don’t like to suffer.” -137
and hearts don’t like to suffer.” -137
When something evolves,
everything around that thing evolves as well. -143
everything around that thing evolves as well. -143
Don’t give in to your fears
…If you do you wont be able to talk to you heart. -147
…If you do you wont be able to talk to you heart. -147
There is only one thing that makes
a dream impossible to achieve:
the fear of failure. -147
a dream impossible to achieve:
the fear of failure. -147
The wind approached the boy and touched his face. -151
When you are loved,
you can do anything in creation.
When you are loved,
theres no need at all to understand what’s happening,
because everything happens within you,
and even men can turn themselves into the wind. -153
you can do anything in creation.
When you are loved,
theres no need at all to understand what’s happening,
because everything happens within you,
and even men can turn themselves into the wind. -153
Everything would be a symphony of peace
if the had that wrote all of this
had stopped on the fifth day of creation. -155
if the had that wrote all of this
had stopped on the fifth day of creation. -155
When we strive to become better than we are,
everything around us becomes better, too. -156
everything around us becomes better, too. -156
Love is the force that transforms
and improves the Soul of the World.
When I first reached through to it,
I thought the Soul of the World was perfect.
But later, I could see that it was
like the other aspects of creation,
and had its own passions and wars.
It is we who nourish the Soul of the World,
and the world we live in will either be better or worse
depending on whether we become better or worse
…that’s where the power of love comes in.
because when we love,
we always strive to become better than we are. -156
and improves the Soul of the World.
When I first reached through to it,
I thought the Soul of the World was perfect.
But later, I could see that it was
like the other aspects of creation,
and had its own passions and wars.
It is we who nourish the Soul of the World,
and the world we live in will either be better or worse
depending on whether we become better or worse
…that’s where the power of love comes in.
because when we love,
we always strive to become better than we are. -156
The wind screamed with delight… -157
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