The Alchemist

The Good Read:      The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

When I was a kid, I had lots of goals and dreams. I wanted to be a teacher, a businesswoman, a wife and a mother living in a cute house with a flower garden, has swing and has a library of my favorite books. It sounds ordinary, I know.

I was dreaming of that when I was 6 and now I'm in my 20s and those 'mini' dreams, I say, aren't starting to be visible just yet. I'm not yet a teacher. I'm not yet a businesswoman. And I'm definitely not yet a wife and a mother that lives in a cute house with a flower garden that has swing and library of my favorite books. And, this is the time I know that my dreams don't sound and seem ordinary.

Despite not having the aforementioned things at hand, I'm happy. There are just so many things I am lucky to have and these are all treasures that I won't trade for anything. I've lost some along the way, of course; but I've gained some, too - things and people I didn't expect. And that was the time I've realized that things fall apart to make way for better things, and I  couldn't be any happier.

The Alchemist made me realized to take all the opportunities and chances available and I must not fear anything because it is the will of the world; the will of the Lord. That faith is something we must carry, the faith and love coincides in our hearts for us to feel and hear.

Here are some of the quotes from the book that I can relate to:

When you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you.

I think this works for almost everyone of us. Though, some might say that they wanted something but they can't have it even after they have done everything to achieve it. With this, I think, the universe also knows what's best for us. If it's not best for us, no matter how badly we want it, the universe won't give it. Remember that when a door closes, a new one opens. 

It is the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them.

Who doesn't want money? Who doesn't want all the material things in this world? As we grow older, we realize that simple things are the ones that can made us and not huge packs of treasures and gifts. Wise men are able to understand, and I hope that as we grow older... we also get wiser. 

Everyone seems to have an idea how other people should run their lives, but none about his or her. 

Yes? We are too focused about somebody else's life, what's best for him or her, what he or she must do but we never are focused to what we should be doing to make ourselves better. Judgment - we are good at judging people, and in this context, bad judgment. We judge them by how they look, their status in life, their abilities and skills without looking at ourselves first and foremost. 

That at certain points 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 life. 

As I go along the path I'm taking, which if I were to ask few years ago - I might say I'm not sure of. But now, I think I am, for I always believe that we always have a choice and that we are the answer to our deepest questions. 

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.

And we must make the right choices... to listen to our hearts and do things that we are bound to do and have faith. 

People learn early in their lives what is their reason for being.

That, maybe sometimes, we don't acknowledge at the very first take. But we know. 

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

Quite the same with the idiom 'don't count your chickens before they're hatched.' You must have that something before you are able to give it. And, in cases, you must work hard first before claiming anything. In this way, you humbly working towards your goal.

Something we have accustomed vs. Something we wanted to have

Sometimes, we don't pursue our dreams because we feel like we are good at where we are now. We tend to forget our goals because we are used to of having everything upfront at the moment. But then, it leaves us all the 'what ifs' and 'what could have beens.' If something is rightfully meant for us, I guess, it will be with us no matter how long we explore the things we wanted to achieve at the first place. We don't know yet what's going be there unless we look for it. We always don't know unless we try.

The principle of favorability: when you play cards the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck. 

Beginner's luck. 

You must always know what is that you want. 

Remember the time when you are changing jobs from one to another? Breaking up with partners and going on looking for the next one? Remember the time when you don't know what and who it is that will make you happy? It is because you don't know what you want. When you already know, I think, it will be a lot easier for you to achieve your goals and dreams in life. And that's what we all have to practice. 

Every blessing ignored becomes a curse. 

When we were not able to acknowledge that things around us and when we were not able to take the opportunities in front of us, it all became regrets afterwards. Life is too short to have so many regrets. 

Never stop dreaming.

Never. 

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

As per the book, "we are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and history of the world were written by the same hand."

Once you get into the desert there's no going back. And when you can't go back, you have to only worry about the best way to move forward.

There's no going back. Always move forward. And perhaps, the universe could reward you a new hello.

Q: Why do they make things so complicated?

A: So that those who have the responsibility for understanding can understand. 

If you can always concentrate on the present, you'll be a happy man. 

I could attest. To fully reiterate, I had lapses to. Maybe at work, family, friendships or even relationships. But those shortcomings won't be erased if I won't do something to make up for it. Before, I always think the best move I should have done, the best words I should have said, and the best way I should have taken. These were the things that stressed me out for several months. And then I learned to concentrate on the present and to let go all of these what ifs, move forward and make the most out of what I have as of the moment... I couldn't be any happier. Of course, we hope for the best maybe because men always live their lives based on the future.

To die tomorrow  was no worse than dying on any other day.

So live everyday like it is your last day.

It's not what enters men's mouth that's evil. It's what comes out from their mouths that is. 

Always mind your words, for your words will mind. 

Life attracts life.

Live it. Be happy so we can attract happiness too.

One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving. 

Unconditional love it is. We all deserve all the love in the world. So if ever someone makes you rethink your worth, the exit door is open. Try to exit now. It should be given freely and it should not be conditional. And if by any chance you take on your own conditions of loving someone, set that someone free, don't hurt him or her for we all deserve love and happiness. 

Wherever you heart is, that is where you find your treasure. 

Look within you. Because you will never be able to escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what is is going to say. That way, you'll never have to fear an unanticipated blow.

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.

We deserve it. We must push through it. 

When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.

Sad but true.

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

When it comes to pursuing our dreams, more than anything, we feel scared because we aren't confident enough to face and we are so afraid to fail. Failures are blessings in disguise, we'll never know what goodness it can bring to us. We always don't know unless we try. 

When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.

Strive for greatness. The world needs that. 

Everything that happens once can never happen again . But everything that happens twice will surely happen the third time. 

Remember your ex-boyfriend who cheated on you way too many times that you have forgiven way too many times too? Why did it happen way too many times at the very first place? Because everything that happens twice will surely happen the third time... and so forth. 

What  good is money to you if you're going to die? It's not often that money can save someone's life.

Money, today, is essential but it shall not be our everything.