Take the Risk

"The world lies in the hands of those who have the courage to dream and who take the risk of living out their dreams - each according to his or her own talent"

- Paulo Coelho. The Valkyries

So go and take that risk, live our your dream, and use your talent!

Wise words to start off the week.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Sharing is Human

"Since the dawn of time, human beings have felt the need to share – from food to art. Sharing is part of the human condition. A person who does not share is not only selfish, but bitter and alone.” 

- Paulo Coelho

I snagged this quote from a blog article that interested me on Twitter this morning. 

Check out the article if you want to 

http://blog.thoughtpick.com/2009/07/paulo-coelho-knows-how-to-use-social-media-better.html 

I really like Coelho. He is an amazing author who always has something to say.

Realize Your Personal Legend

“Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At one point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend.”

“To realize one’s Personal Legend is a person’s only real obligation. All things are one. And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” 

- Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist. Harper Collins: New York, 1998. pg 21.
2. Ibid pg 22.

The novel deals with finding your place in the world and realizing the connections we have with the world itself. This story is very touching and it tells us to follow our hearts. What a great message.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Fear is the Worst

"The fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself. And no heart ever suffered when it went in search of its dreams"
- Paulo Coelho “The Alchemist”

Good Advice! Happy Monday Everyone!

Dreams Aren’t Impossible

"Only one thing makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure."
- Coelho, Paulo The Alchemist

Fear can be debilitating. It can stop people dead in their tracks. It can make people sit on the sidelines of life instead of jumping into the game and participating. Don’t be afraid of failure. Be afraid of not trying, and then give it your all.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Choosing One Path

"Choosing one path means abandoning others - if you try to follow every possible path you will end up following none." – Brida by Paulo Coelho

There are so many paths out there. It is difficult to know which ones to follow. The important thing is making an informed choice and following through with it.

This quotation makes me think of the current milk advertisements I have seen on TV. They show teenage characters trying to make a choice. The inner dialogue shows that they are struggling with a decision. Part of them doesn’t want to do the right thing but the characters make the choice and act. We see them move but an after image of them does not move and fades away like a ghost.

Sometimes we need to leave things behind in order to grow. The commercial’s tag line at the end is, “Always grow…Grow all ways.” It’s a great message.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Things Happen for a Reason

"When you want something, the whole Universe conspires to help you realize your desire" - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

My dad always says that things happen for a reason. I truly believe that. When I read this amazing book I immediately thought of this. This is an amazing novel. I highly recommend it to anyone. It has a lot to say about destiny about working hard, and about realizing your potential.

Search for Meaning

"What is this force that drives us far from the comfort of the familiar and makes us take up challenges instead, even though we know that the glory of this world is only transitory? I believe this impulse is called the search for the meaning of life. Over many years of seeking a definitive answer to this question in books, art and science, and in both the dangerous and easy paths I have followed, I have found many answers. I am convinced now that a definitive answer will never be given to us in this life, but that, at the last, at the moment when we stand once more before the Creator, we will understand each opportunity that was offered to us." - Paulo Coelho, acceptance speech delivered to the Brazilian Academy of Letters (from Life: Selected Quotations)

I came across this book quite by accident while at the library. It is basically a commonplace book of one author's work, Paulo Coelho. I have only read one of his books, The Alchemist, but it was amazing. I bought it after reading it, and reread it with a pencil. It is now full of underlines and notes.