The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
The Alchemist is a simple story about following your dreams. It follows a young shepherd named Santiago who travels from Spain to the Egyptian pyramids to find hidden treasure.
Along the way, he learns that the journey is more important than the gold. The book teaches that when you truly want something, the whole universe helps you get it. It’s an uplifting tale about listening to your heart and finding your "Personal Legend."
My higlights
When you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you.
It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting...
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.
If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.
People fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.
Because people become fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World.
Eat when it's time to eat. And move along when it's time to move along.
To die tomorrow was no worse than dying on any ode day. Every day was there to be lived or to mark one’s departure from this world.
Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You've got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense.
It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil," said the alchemist. "It's what comes out of their mouths that is.
You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love...
One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.
There is only one way to learn, it’s through action.
God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of his wisdom.
Listen to your heart. It knows all things…
Naturally it's afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you've won.
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.
You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what it has to say. That way, you ‘ll never have to fear an unanticipated blow.
Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up.
We don't want people to suffer because they don't follow their hearts.
Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested.
When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.
Your eyes show the strength of your soul
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
Usually the threat of death makes people a lot more aware of their lives.