Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist

Sold more than 65 million copies in more than 160 countries. How's that? I couldn't brag more about it, all I know is that I felt extremely grateful to be part of the statistics. If I'm to choose words to best describe this international bestseller, that would be intentional and inspiring.

The Alchemist is a fable about a shepherd boy named Santiago but is referred to as "the boy" throughout the book, who once live a simple life shepherding his sheeps until he meet the King of Salem who is about to change his life for a challenge of finding his treasure. In his journey springs his unending adventures of being robbed in a foreign country, working for a crystal merchant, meeting an Englishman, travelling through the desert, finding his one true love in the oasis, meeting the Alchemist, learning to communicate with his heart and with the Soul of the World and finally finding his treasure.

Definitely a book of courage to walk way from what you're used to, to leave your comfort zones with the hope of finding your treasure. A book that presents fear of the unknown, suffering and failure in a diverse way. A book that touches change in all its feature. A book of finding love in places we don't expect it to be. A book of knowing one's heart by learning to listen, speak and not to be deceived by it. A book of understanding the wonder of life, its adventure, meaning and its boundless potential.

A novel that keeps me excited to read more but upset in the idea that I would soon reach the last page. The Alchemist taught me to relish on every eloquent notation made by the author. Here's a list of the quotes I intentionally want to submerge myself.

*****

It was my fear of failure that first kept me from attempting the Master work.

Usually the threat of death makes people a lot more aware of their lives.

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.

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

The darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn.

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.

Before this, I always looked to the desert with longing. Now it will be with hope.

Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.

Everyday was there to be lived or to mark one's departure from this world. 

The language that everyone on earth is capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pair of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well.

Because I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always in the present, you'll be a happy man. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavers, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now.

People need not to fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want.

Making a decision was 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.

Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.

I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living.

There was a moment of silence so profound that it seemed the city was asleep.

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.

To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation.

That 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.