The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

If there is one book that  inspired  me to unravel my ``purpose´´ in life  and   to pursue my dreams, it should be none other than ``The Alchemist´´ by an illustrious Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho...

The book's main theme is about finding one´s self destiny. It provides every reader encouragement, and  motivation to follow their  dreams in spite of the stumbling blocks they  encounter  along their  path...

Basically,thestory revolves around  an Andalusian shepherd boy who leaves his homeland in quest  for treasure elsewhere.Readers accompany him  on this allegorical journey,   discovering through the boy´s  trials that faith in one’s personal dreams will always prevail against trials and tribulations. The Alchemist is very inspirational and a must read novel.

Below, you will find some of  the significant  lines and quotes from the book, that are deeply etched in my mind...

•  When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it...
•  There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
•  When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s   always  a  positive force
•  Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”
• It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
• 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. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.
• Everything has been written by the same hand.
• It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil. It's what comes out of their mouths that is.
• 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.
• Life attracts life.
• Don't think about what you've left behind.
• You don't even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.
• Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.
• 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.
• Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him.
• When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.
• Dreams are the language of God.
• It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary
• The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was.
  "It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and 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 destiny... It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your destiny. It prepares your spirit and you will, because 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."
• When each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.
• God has prepared a path for everyone to follow. You just have to read the omens that he left for you
• I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living.
• Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.
• Language without words… the universal language.
• What happens once will never happen again. But what happens twice will surely happen a third time
• What you still need to know is this: 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, as we say in the language of the desert, one “dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.