Quotes from The Alchemist

It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Dreams are the language of God. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

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. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

All things are one. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

At every moment of our lives we all have one foot in a fairy tale and the other in the abyss. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

While she was waiting for her Prince Charming to appear, all she could do was dream. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Freedom only exists when love is present. The person who gives him or herself wholly, the person who feels freest, is the person who loves the most. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

No one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

There is always a right moment to stop something. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Love is not to be found in someone else, but in ourselves; we simply awaken it. But in order to do that, we need the other person. The universe only makes sense when we have someone to share our feelings with. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Love one another, but let's not try to possess one another. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Bodies always understand each other, even when the souls do not. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

The moment we begin to seek love, love begins to seek us. Paulo Coelho By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.

A fall from the third floor hurts as much as a fall from the hundredth. If I have to fall, may it be from a high place. Paulo Coelho By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.

Sometimes happiness is a blessing - but generally it's a conquest. The magic moment of the day changes us and makes us take off in the direction of our dreams. Paulo Coelho By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.

The one who loves has won the world and is not afraid of losing. True love is an act of total abandon. Paulo Coelho By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.

We all prepare ourselves to slay dragons, but end up instead being devoured by the ants of the details that we never bothered to look at. Paulo Coelho Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren, quoting the Chinese writer Zhuangzi.

All religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect. Anyone who chooses a religion is also choosing a collective way for worshipping and sharing the mysteries. Nevertheless, that person is the only one responsible for his or her actions along the way and has no right to shift responsibility for any personal decisions on to that religion. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

On 11 November 1997, Veronika decided that the moment to kill herself had - at last! - arrived. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

She believed herself to be completely normal. Two very simple reasons lay behind her decision to die, and she was sure that, were she to leave a note explaining, many people would agree with her. The first reason: everything in her life was the same and, once her youth was gone,it would be downhill all the way, with old age beginning to leave irreversible marks, the onset of illness, the departure of friends. She would gain nothing by continuing to live; indeed, the likelihood of suffering only increased. The second reason was more philosophical: Veronika read the newspapers, watched TV, and she was aware of what was going on in the world. Everything was wrong, and she had no way of putting things right - that gave her a sense of complete powerlessness. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

What is the real I? It's what you are, not what others make of you. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

Every Warrior of the Light has felt afraid of going into battle. Every Warrior of the Light has, at some time in the past, lied or betrayed someone. Every Warrior of the Light has trodden a path that was not his. Every Warrior of the Light has suffered for the most trivial of reasons. Every Warrior of the Light has, at least once, believed he was not a Warrior of the Light. Every Warrior of the Light has failed in his spiritual duties. Every Warrior of the Light has said 'yes' when he wanted to say 'no.' Every Warrior of the Light has hurt someone he loved. That is why he is a Warrior of the Light, because he has been through all this and yet has never lost hope of being better than he is. Paulo Coelho The Manuel of the Warrior of Light.

I learned the most important lesson of my life: that the extraordinary is not the birthright of a chosen and privileged few, but of all people, even the humblest. That is my one certainty: we are all the manifestation of the divinity of God. Paulo Coelho Paulo Coelho: Confessions of a Pilgrim, by Juan Arias.

I don't regret the painful times; I bare my scars as if they were medals. I know that freedom has a high price, as high as that of slavery; the only difference is that you pay with pleasure and a smile, even when that smile is dimmed by tears. Paulo Coelho The Zahir.

Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose - and commit myself to - what is best for me. Paulo Coelho The Zahir.

And suddenly, in the middle of the central nave, I realize something very important: the cathedral is me, it is all of us. We are all growing and changing shape, we notice certain weaknesses that need to be corrected, we don't always choose the best solution, but we carry on regardless, trying to remain upright and decent, in order to do honour not to the walls or the doors or the windows, but to empty space inside, the space where we worship and venerate what is dearest and most important to us. Paulo Coelho On seeing the restoration work going on at a cathedral, The Zahir.

We are responsible for everything that happens in this world. We are warriors of the light. With the strength of our love and of our will, we can change our destiny, as well as the destiny of many others. Paulo Coelho The Valkyries.

Every human being has inside them something more important than him or herself - his or her Gift. Paulo Coelho Brida.

The boat is safer anchored at the port; but that's not the aim of boats. Paulo Coelho The Pilgrimage.

The journey towards the top of the mountain is always longer than you think. Don't fool yourself: the moment will come where what seemed to be close to you is in fact still very far away. Paulo Coelho Chronicles - Manual to Climb Mountains.

Never stop dreaming. Follow the omens. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Everything on earth is being continuously transformed, because the earth is alive ... and it has a soul. We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man...Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

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. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Everything has been written by the same hand. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Life attracts life. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

All people who are happy have God within them. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Your eyes show the strength of our soul. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

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

Each thing has to transform itself into something better, and to acquire a new destiny. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. Paulo Coelho The Alchemist.

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. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

The power of beauty: what must the world be like for ugly women? Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

There was one thing her mother said that she never forgot: 'Beauty, my dear, doesn't last.' Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Sometimes you get no second chance and that it's best to accept the gifts the world offers you. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

If I must be faithful to someone or something, then I have, first of all, to be faithful to myself. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Anyone who has lost something they thought was theirs forever finally come to realize that nothing really belongs to them. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

It is not time that changes man, nor knowledge; the only thing that can change someone's mind is love. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

What is real always finds a way of revealing itself. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Really important meetings are planned by the souls long before the bodies see each other. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Anyone who is in love is making love the whole time, even when they're not. When two bodies meet, it is just the cup overflowing. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

The strongest love is love that can demonstrate its fragility. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

If you want to achieve your objectives, you have to be prepared for daily dose of pain and discomfort. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Sex has come to be used as some kind of a drug: in order to escape reality, to forget about problems, to relax. And like all drugs, this is a harmful and destructive practice. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

We all have a clock inside us, and in order to make love, the hands on both clocks have to be pointing to the same time. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

If you live your life intensely, you experience pleasure all the time and don't feel the need for sex. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

The art of sex is the art of controlled abandon. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Love was necessary if one was to experience pleasure in bed. Paulo Coelho Eleven Minutes.

Everything that is done in the present affects the future in the form of consequences and affects the past in the form of redemption. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

It is hereby decreed that the wall separating the sacred and the profane be torn down. From now on everything will be sacred. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

Only the following items should be considered to be grave faults: not respecting another's rights: allowing oneself to be paralyzed by fear; feeling guilty; believing that one does not deserve the good or ill that happens in one's life; being a coward. We will love our enemies, but not make alliances with them. They were placed in our path in order to test our sword, and we should, out of respect for them, struggle against them. We will choose our enemies. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

Every human being should keep alive within them the sacred flame of madness, but should behave as a normal person. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

Every human being has the right to search for happiness, and by 'happiness' is meant something that makes other people feel content. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

Every human being should know two languages: the language of society and the language of signs. One serves to communicate with other people, the other serves to understand God's messages. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

Every man has a feminine side, and every woman a masculine side. It is important to use discipline with intuition, and to use intuition with objectivity. Paulo Coelho Like the Flowing River.

When she opened her eyes, Veronika did not think 'this must be heaven'. Heaven would never use a fluorescent tube to light a room, and the pain - which started a fraction of a second later - was typical of the Earth. Ah, that Earth pain - unique, unmistakable. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

I'll tell everyone that the children are my reason for living, when in reality my life is their reason for living. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

Veronika brought her interior monologue to a close and made a promise to herself: she would not leave Villete alive. It was best to put an end to everything now, while she was still brave and healthy enough to die. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

Look me in the eye and never forget what I'm about to tell you. There are only two prohibitions, one according to man's law, the other according to God's. Never force a sexual relationship on anyone, because that is considered to be rape. And never have sexual relations with children, because that is the worst of all sins. Apart from that, you're free. There's always someone who wants exactly what you want. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

The great problem with poisoning by Bitterness was that the passions - hatred, love, despair, enthusiasm, curiosity - also ceased to manifest themselves. After a while, the embittered person felt no desire at all. They lacked the will either to live or to die, that was the problem. Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die.

For the warrior, there is no "better" or "worse"; everyone has the necessary gifts for his particular path. Paulo Coelho The Manuel of the Warrior of Light.

A warrior of light who trusts too much in his intelligence will end up underestimating the power of his opponent. Paulo Coelho The Manuel of the Warrior of Light.

A warrior of light who trusts too much in his intelligence will end up underestimating the power of his opponent. Paulo Coelho The Manuel of the Warrior of Light.

All you have to do is to pay attention: lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step. Paulo Coelho The Zahir.

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. Paulo Coelho The Zahir.

We can let the energy of love flow instead of placing it in a jar and leaving it aside. Paulo Coelho The Zahir.

We need to forget what we think we are, so that we can really become what we are. Paulo Coelho The Zahir.

No one is alone during tribulations - there's always someone else thinking, rejoicing or suffering in the same way. This thought gives us strength to face the challenge that lies in front of us. Paulo Coelho The Zahir.

The parents always insisted on telling their child that their secret friends didn't exist - perhaps because they had forgotten that they too had spoken to their angel at one time. Or, who knows, perhaps they thought they lived in a world where there was no longer any place for angels. Disenchanted, the angels had returned to God's side, knowing that they could no longer impose their presence. Paulo Coelho The Valkyries.

Perhaps they needn't even believe - it was enough that they needed angels, and the angels would return gladly. Paulo Coelho The Valkyries.

Faith is difficult to conquer and requires daily battles if it is to be maintained. Paulo Coelho The Valkyries.

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

The path to wisdom is not being afraid to make mistakes. Paulo Coelho Brida.

When you find your way you cannot be scared. You need to be brave enough to take wrong steps. The deceptions, failures, lack of enthusiasm, are tools that God places in our way to reveal the path. Paulo Coelho Brida.

Face your path with courage, don't be scared of people's criticism. And, above all, don't let yourself get paralyzed by your own criticism. Paulo Coelho Brida.

It's necessary to take risks, and to follow certain paths whilst abandoning others. No one is able to choose without fear. Paulo Coelho Brida.

Every time you wish something, keep your eyes wide open, focus and know exactly what you want. No one hits the target with eyes closed. Paulo Coelho The Devil and Miss Prym.