29
May

24.Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a broken heart, or never loved at all? Why?

Without love there is nothing but grief.

When we love, everything makes sense.(paulo coelho)

So yeah, I’d rather be hurt million times than stopped feeling love.

(Source: goodbyetopast)

personal

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12
May

Paulo Coelho: I honestly don’t know why The Alchemist did so well

Paulo Coelho, Aleph, Alchemist.

Paulo Coelho has written a new book called Aleph (Picture: Getty)

What’s Aleph about?

My experience on the Trans-Siberian Railway. I was thinking: ‘I’m already a very successful author, I don’t need to do anything,’ and was feeling something was wrong. I travelled for three months. I started in London in 2006 and ended up in Vladivostok – just to get in contact with my soul.

Did you learn anything about yourself?

You’re always learning. The problem is, sometimes you stop and think you understand the world. This is not correct. The world is always moving. You never reach the point you can stop making an effort.

Were there any revelations along the way?

Of course. Just from meeting people – a taxi driver, for example – or finding a book. I’m open to life and during this period I was open to new experiences. When you don’t follow the rule your parents impose – ‘don’t talk to strangers’ – you learn.

Do any experiences stand out?

I met a reader, 21 years old, who insisted she had many things to talk to me about. We met on the train and there was this connection between her, me and my books. I was old enough to be her grandfather but there is no age limit for people to act as a catalyst in your life.

People seem to experience spiritual revelations in exotic locations – can you have one on the way to work?

Of course. I don’t take the Trans-Siberian every day but I try to give every day the opportunity for these experiences. If you’re open to people on your way to work, it can happen. Or you can choose to be totally inwards and think only of yourself. You have to live in the moment.

What do your readers expect from your books?

I don’t know. I never write books with this question in mind. I only write to understand myself better. I talk to my readers on social networking sites but I never tell them what the book is about. Writing is lonely, so from time to time I talk to them on the internet. It’s like chatting at a bar without leaving your office. I talk with them about a lot of things other than my books.

Do you have any writing habits?

It’s as Lewis Carroll said: start at the beginning, go to the end, then stop. That’s how I write. I write quickly. I don’t try to show how intelligent or how cultivated I am, I just try to share my soul. Sharing is part of life.

You came to writing later in life – why did it take you so long?

I wanted to write when I was young but people said it was impossible. Then my parents locked me in a mental institution – they said I was crazy and would never make a living from writing. I learned you need to cross some bridges and destroy others. I was never going to live up to my parents’ dream that I’d be an engineer. My turning point was a pilgrimage in 1986 to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I was 40 and had a dream of becoming a writer but I was postponing it, thinking I’d be defeated. I walked for 56 days, then thought: ‘Now is the time to start writing.’ Success didn’t come overnight. It took years for my books to be translated and The Alchemist was rejected by publishers. You need to fight for what you believe.

Why has The Alchemist done so well?

That’s the one-million-dollar question. I honestly don’t know. It’s a metaphor for my own life and by writing about it I touched a nerve with other people. It’s the most translated book by a living author. I could never dream it would be that widely read. I don’t know why and I don’t care to know – it would break the magic.

You’ve been called the second most influential person on Twitter after Justin Bieber – are you tempted to use your power for evil?

Everyone is responsible for what he or she writes. You can have destructive trolls but, if you are convinced about what you do, you don’t care what they say. This is important for a writer.

Do people send abusive tweets?

I don’t have many trolls. When you write an article about anything, trolls use the comments to attack. They feel frustrated – but haters are losers. It’s not good to feed this aspect. It’s more intelligent to be constructive.

Do you read reviews?

I read and save them. I have more than 40gb of reviews – good and bad. I’m never bothered by a bad review or I’d have stopped writing 15 years ago. Praise or criticism only lasts three or four days.

Why do you save them?

Eventually, after I die, people will still read my books and maybe someone will want to write about the times of my work so they’ll need to read what I’ve experienced. It’s not a rose garden.

What’s been your most extravagant purchase?

When I was a hippy, I spent all my money on an air ticket to Europe. I bought an aeroplane in 2006 and travelled like a fool that year just to use it. Recently I’ve stopped travelling – but still have the plane, just in case.

The Alchemist is one of 25 titles that form World Book Night on Monday.

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

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12
May

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12
May

"Each morning, when your mind is still empty, devote a little time to the Divine…Inhale deeply and ask for all the blessings in the air to enter your body and fill every cell. Then exhale slowly, projecting happiness and peace around you. ( in Aleph)"

- Paulo Coelho

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

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17
Apr

Hi new followers!

I really appreciate you like my blog. Paulo Coelho is a huge inspiration.

And I love all my followers, whether you’re new or an older one, i love you xxx

Vicky

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

3

17
Apr

The journey

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

aleph

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17
Apr

10 Lessons from Einstein

1. Follow Your Curiosity “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

2. Perseverance is Priceless “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

3. Focus on the Present “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

4. The Imagination is Powerful “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

5. Make Mistakes “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

6. Live in the Moment “I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.”

7. Create Value “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

8. Don’t be repetitive “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

9. Knowledge Comes From Experience “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.”

10. Learn the Rules and Then Play Better “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

Source: Dumb little man

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

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17
Apr

"Problems should drive us into action and not into depression"

- Paulo Coelho

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

1

17
Apr

Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

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15
Apr

CoelhoOffice 14 - Open to love

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

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15
Apr

Frogs being boiled

Several biological studies have shown that a frog placed in a container along with water from his pond, he will remain alive while you heat the water. The toad does not react to the gradual increase of temperature (change of environment) and only dies when the water boils, swollen and happy.

On the other hand, if a toad is thrown into that same container when the water is already boiling, he will immediately jump out. He will be a little singed, but alive!

Sometimes we can be like the boiled toads. We do not notice changes.
We think everything is good, or that whatever is evil will pass, it’s just a matter of time.
We are about to die, but we are floating, stable and apathetic as the water warms up every minute.
We are dying, fat and happy, without having noticed the changes around us.

There are boiled toads who still believe that the key is obedience, not competence: might is right, and obey whoever is sensible. From all this, where is the real life? It is better to emerge from a situation, maybe a little singed from time to time, but alive and ready to act.

(Source: paulocoelhoblog)

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15
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