As I previously mentioned, I am in a book club and the first book we chose was The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. I am so glad that this was the first book that we decided to read and even more grateful that this is the first book that I read to begin this new year, or decade for that matter.

The Alchemist is a great story of finding one’s own Personal Legend, not for the treasure itself but the fear you strip your soul of and everything that happens as well as the people met on the journey of finding what it is you’re looking for. In that sense it’s a great book that provides reinforcement of the simple things  in life that everyone is aware and yet does not pay that much attention to.

I also enjoyed this book because of the culture which is outside of my own. Coelho brings to life the principles of the Koran, which to me reflected the principles of the Bible, Old and New Testament. I enjoy learning about different religions and cultures to bring an understanding and make me more rounded, and this fictional book brought a beautiful feel to the Muslim religion.

This is a very short book and it took me only two days to read. Very well worth your time and I recommend it to anyone who would like to read a book for leisure and is looking for something to gain.

Note: I first wrote this post on July 23, 2003, just at the beginning of something magical which, at the time, I felt was an answer to my discernment. I reposted the entry for a friend sometime in 2007, and on October 16, 2007 this was posted on no less than Paulo Coelho’s blog.

I believe that we are all capable of creating our own futures, our own destinies. But I also strongly believe in intuition and in our innate ability to recognize signs which answer our deepest questions. Prayer and meditation helps, but so does being actively aware of ourselves, our questions, our motivations, and our surroundings. The writer Rainer Maria Rilke, in Letters to A Young Poet, wrote: “Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”

When we know and honor the questions, and when we pay attention to the signs around us, we will surely get the answers. My discernment six years ago, and the answers that unfolded, resulted in THIS other magical moment.

As we end 2009 and begin another year, I hope this posts reminds you of YOUR own questions and inspires you to pay attention to the signs around you. Be true to yourself, listen to your inner voice, and let your journey unfold.

May you have a changemaking new year ahead!

~ NTZ

__

A Spoonful of Sugar 2003, v.7
Seeing Signs
By Niña Rica Marie L. Terol

“You’ll 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” ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

(To CC and Niño and their art; and to Jean Paul, his music, and the [red] pill.)

Before anything else, I’d like to apologize to Mr. Pascasio (Nikko, is that you?) for not responding to his question on goals and ethics in this Spoonful.

Something amazing happened to me this weekend that I just had to share with everyone.

I came face-to-face with signs that I had never thought I would find. Signs that I had often prayed for but forgotten about. Until now.

When I saw them and recognized them for what they were, I felt as if I had seen ghosts from my past. I was stunned, overwhelmed, and scared. I could hardly believe what I was seeing and feeling, but I had to believe that they were real.

Coincidences happen once. But a string of coincidences that are somehow related to the subject of my discernment must mean something.

I cannot relate the details of my experience, but I’d like to talk about recognizing the signs that exist around us.

They are everywhere.

In The Alchemist, the bestselling work by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, a shepherd boy named Santiago leaves his Spanish hometown in search of a treasure. He encounters many interesting individuals—a gypsy, an old king, a crystal merchant, an Englishman, and finally, the Alchemist—all of whom teach him about understanding the Language of the World.

It is a language that can be understood by everyone who lives, including plants and animals. It needs no words, no foreign vocabulary and grammar, no special characters. Only a true understanding of our own Personal Legends—our reasons for being—and an openness of heart, mind, and soul.

Do you believe in signs? Some of you probably do, but many probably don’t.

We live in a very pragmatic and technical world that it seems foolish to talk about signs, much less look for them.

But think back to some of the decisions that you’ve had to make in your life. Did you decide entirely based on your clear-headed judgment, or did you get some help from a friend’s advice, a passage in a book, or a nagging feeling in your chest?

And how about some decisions that you didn’t make? Have you ever been at that point where you had to either move or stay, and you chose to stay not because you really wanted to, but because you were scared to move? Do you still get that nagging feeling in your chest that you should have done something?

I’ve felt that countless times in my young life. And with each time that I chose to ignore the signs, I felt that I was straying farther from my dream. The signs were leading me to a certain direction, but I stubbornly chose to go my own way. And I got hurt. Over and over again.

We do that fairly often, don’t we? We stay paralyzed and stuck to our little corner of the world because we’re scared of taking risks—especially personal ones. We’re scared of moving. We’re scared of changing. We’re scared of failing.

The weird thing is, we’re not scared of not succeeding.

And that’s probably the greatest tragedy of all. Paulo Coelho says, “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”

I’m not fatalistic, and I still believe that we make our choices. Nothing is pre-destined to the point where we’re no longer required to act on anything. But I believe that signs guide us to the right path, so that we can achieve our dreams sooner.

These signs are found within us, in the stillness of our hearts, in the deepest recesses of our being.

To actually see them, and recognize them for what they are, we have to clear ourselves of all doubts, fears, and worries. We’ve got to remove the trappings that stay stuck inside us. We’ve got to know who we really are and what we’re really meant to do. It’s a painful task, but it will be even more painful to go through life not knowing our life’s purpose, our life’s worth.

Listen to your heart. Just try.

(I’ve always been a mind-over-heart person, but the moment I listened to my heart everything just fell into place. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”)

Here’s another passage from The Alchemist:

“Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?”

“Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you’re thinking about life and about the world.”

“You mean I should listen, even when it’s treasonous?”

“Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you’ll know its dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them.”

“You’ll 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.”

Good luck with your life’s pilgrimage. May the signs be with you.

(Written: July 23, 2003)

Several weeks ago I was on a recruiting trip in Germany to interview potential junior military officers (JMOs) for acceptance into the Cameron-Brooks Development & Preparation Program©.  During one of my conversations with a Navy officer stationed in Stuttgart, we discussed some of the books listed on the Cameron-Brooks reading list.  This candidate, Travis had read several of the books prior to our discussion and we talked about the value of applying lessons learned from the books to his military job in Stuttgart.  I asked about other books he has recently read and he mentioned, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.  He told me it is one his favorite books.  While I have heard of this modern classic, I made a mental note to research the book for our Development & Preparation Program©.  A few days later, in the middle of a discussion with an Army officer who has been in our program for nearly a year, the subject of reading reemerged.  This particular candidate, Jay, told me one of his favorite recent books is, The Alchemist.  As a JMO recruiter or JMO headhunter for Cameron-Brooks for over twelve years I have come to believe that highly productive, top performers share many characteristics. Professional reading is one of them.  I also no longer believe in coincidence, so I bought and read the book.

The Guiding Principles of Cameron-Brooks state that we believe in the hopes, dreams and goals of all we serve.  Having finished reading The Alchemist this morning, I not only believe the book is closely linked to our Guiding Principles, but also see its value for all those who live their dreams by making major changes in their lives.

In his introduction to the book, the author states four obstacles that prevent many people from ever realizing their full potential and personal calling in life. The first is the discouragement felt by listening to the ‘naysayers’ who tell us that everything we want to do is impossible or too difficult.  As the years go by, dreams are covered up with layers of criticism, fear and guilt. Coelho states, “There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it’s still there.”

If we have courage to pursue our dream despite the naysayers, we face a second obstacle: Love. “We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dream.” We ignore the fact that those who truly care about us not only want us to reach our goals, but stand ready to accompany us on the journey.

The third obstacle is the fear of the unknown obstacles we will meet along that journey.  “We who fight for our dream suffer far more when it doesn’t work out, [than those who don’t have the courage to pursue their dream] because we cannot fall back on the old excuse: “Oh well, I didn’t really want it anyway.”  We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except our whole heart is in this journey.”  We will face obstacles and defeats along the path to our dream.  The key to success, as Coelho points out, is to fall seven times and get up eight times.  The fact that we work through the difficult challenges and fight the good fight makes achieving our dreams a richer experience.

The fourth obstacle to achieving our hopes, dreams and goals is the fear we face just as we are near the end.  “The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt.  We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel we do not deserve to get what we want either.”

Those who press on and fight through the obstacles will reach a euphoria that few people experience in a lifetime.  This message is not unique to The Alchemist.  Similar stories appear throughout fiction and non-fiction.  The quest that is told in this story is inspirational to all who face major changes to fulfill their dreams.

Steve Sosland

Whenever I’m in need of some soul-searching or inspiration, I read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. It’s such a simple story and quick read, but it has probably impacted my life more than any other book I’ve read (and I read a lot).

The Alchemist follows the journey of a boy looking for his Personal Legend. It shows us how, as adults, we often lose sight of what we truly love to do, and more importantly, lose the courage to actually pursue our dreams. From the Andalusia region of Spain, through the African desert and to the Egyptian pyramids, this boy’s journey teaches us the importance of listening to your heart.

Some of my favorite quotes from The Alchemist:

• “When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.”
• “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.”
• “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”
• “Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.”
• “Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
• “It is said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn.”
• “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
• “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.”
• “Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.”
• “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

I strongly recommend reading The Alchemist, whether you’re soul-searching or not!

The things that happen to us in life do so because we act. The more we act, the more opportunities we have upon which to act, the more we connect creating a vessel filled with learning moments. If we don’t act on the moments, each will become an opportunity lost.  Even so, it’s important to not think about what may have been left behind.

My vessel is an alchemy of acts from which new opportunities are poured – acts attract acts. Paulo Coelho wrote in his bestseller, The Alchemist, “There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.”

It was ten years ago that I first read Coelho’s enchanting fable. It was in preparation for leading a group of four young professionals to the state of Sáo Paulo in Brazil that I learned of Paulo Coelho and his 1988 novel. The book fit well into my own philosophy and set the tone for the trip and remains instrumental to my life.

Again, one act leads to another when at this past Sunday’s Society of the 5^th Cave reading club meeting, The Alchemist was selected for the March reading. Once again the concept of alchemy is front stage, this time from a different perspective, which will create many new learning moments.

I’m please to be reading this inspiring book ten years out. The Alchemist is the gift that keeps on giving.  Just today I received an email from my brother Tom, reminding me of someone I have also not read in recent years, American poet, Conrad Aiken, which my poem “Solstice Night,” reminded him of the first lines from Aiken’s long poem, “The House of Dust.”

The sun goes down in a cold pale flare of light.
The trees grow dark: the shadows lean to the east:
And lights wink out through the windows, one by one.
A clamor of frosty sirens mourns at the night.
Pale slate-grey clouds whirl up from the sunken sun.

In turn, his reminding me of Conrad Aiken, and the return of The Alchemist, that reminded me of the following from Aiken’s poem, “A Letter from Li Po.”

what’s true in these, or false? which is the ‘I’
of ‘I’s’? Is it the master of the cadence, who
transforms all things to a hoop of flame, where through
tigers of meaning leap? And are these true,
the language never old and never new,
such as the world wears on its wedding day,
the something borrowed with something chicory blue?
In every part we play, we play ourselves;
even the secret doubt to which we come
beneath the changing shapes of self and thing,
yes, even this, at last, if we should call
and dare to name it, we would find
the only voice that answers is our own.
We are once more defrauded by the mind.

Defrauded? No. It is the alchemy by which we grow.
It is the self becoming word, the word
becoming world. And with each part we play
we add to cosmic Sum and cosmic sum.
Who knows but one day we shall find,
hidden in the prism at the rainbow’s foot,
the square root of the eccentric absolute,
and the concentric absolute to come.

So many gifts that keep on giving.

kenne

I have a massive soft spot for Brooklyn bred rappers, call it the Jay-Z effect. Or Biggie for that matter. Therefore, I’m curious and open-minded when it comes to Brooklyn rapper Bekay. Last month he dropped an EP titled Hunger Pains, involving a pretty solid tandem of both production and features. The Alchemist produced track “I Am” is a perfect little NYC rider joint, where the MC just goes bar to bar with the beat, no in and outs, just steady spit. Thanks to the remix from the eclectic Bossasaurus boys this track caught my attention, I have a soft spot for white boys who remix hard-hitting hip hop tracks. Wait, Alchemist is white, ah fuck it, bang this in your ride.

Bekay – I Am (Bossasaurus Remix)

Paulo Coelho first came to my attention when a friend let me borrow her copy of “The Alchemist.”  It was not what I expected it to be.  It was much more.  I’ve read a lot of books about following your path, listening to your dreams and redefining your goals. Not many of them were better than a retelling of JosephCampbell’s Hero’s Myth mixed with a dash of New Age self help chatter.  They came across didactic.  They never touched my soul.  Then I read “The Alchemist.”  It had heart.  I never felt that it was trying to instruct me on how to live, I simply followed the young man in the story and learned from his example.  “The Alchemist” gave me a new system of thinking because it gave me symbols that I could use to apply to my life.  It did this by paring down language to its most evocative.  It told a simple story in a vibrant way.

Imagine my delight when another friend lent me a second book by Coelho, “The Witch of Portabello”.  The inside book jacket sleeve says: “How can find the courage to always be true to ourselves–even if we are unsure of who we are?”  The book explores that question by telling the story of an amazing woman named Athena through the many people who knew (and did not know) her.  Each chapter has different characters narrating the story, leaving the reader to piece the narrative together.  It tends to keep one on their toes and creates a vivid portrait of Athena.

Athena channels a higher beimg  named Hagia Sophia,  who is simply another aspect of herself, during monthly group meetings.  In these time of divine transcendance, she teaches many moral imperatives such as:

“You are what you believe yourself to be.”

“Don’t be like those people who believe in ‘positive thinking’ and tell themselves that they’re loved and strong and capable.  You don’t need to do that, because you know it already.  And when you doubt it…just laugh.  Laugh at your worries and insecurities.  View your anxieties with humor.  It will be difficult at first, but you’ll gradually get used to it.” (152)

This is no New Age parable.  This is real counsel, completely applicable to anyone’s life.  It takes the ephemeral and makes it tangible.  The topic of breaking off the chains of self doubt is visisted many times throughout Athena’s story.  She is not willing to live another’s idea of her destiny. 

“We all have a duty to love and to allow love to manifest in the way it thinks best.  We cannot and must not be frightened when the powers of darkness want to make themselves heard, thos same powers that introduced the word sin merely to control our hearts and minds.”

Athena uses the story of Jesus as propenent of unconditional love and quotes many instances from the Bible when he uses compassion instead of guilt or shame to help his followers.

“What is sin?  It is a sin to prevent Love from showing itself.  And the Mother is Love.  We are entering a new world in which we can choose to follow our own steps, not those that society forces us to take.  If necessary, we will confront the forces of darkness again…But but no one will silence our voice or our heart.”  (229)

Love is often the subject of her talks. 

“The man before me suffers for something he believes he has never received–my love.  But the man beyond your self understands that all pain, anxiety, and feelings of abandonement are unnecessary and childish.  I love you.  Not in the way that your human side wants, but in the way that the divine spark wants.  We inhabit the same tent, which was placed on our oath by her.  There we understand we are not the slaves of our feelings, but their masters.  We serve and are served, we open the doors of our rooms and we embrace.  Perhaps we kiss too, because everything that happens very intensely on earth will have its counterpart on the invisible plain.  And you know that I’m not trying to provoke you, that I’m not toying with your feelings when I say that.’”

Her follower, Philemon asks:

“‘What is love then?’”

And she responds:

“‘The soul, blood, and body of the Great Mother.  I love you as exiled souls love each other when they meet in the middle of the desert.  There will never be anything physical between us, but no passion is in vain, no love is ever wasted.  If the Mother awoke that love in your heart, she awoke it in mine too, although your heart perhaps feels it more readily.  The energy of love can never be lost–it is more powerful than anything and shows itself in many ways.’”      (256)

It is definitely worth your while to pick up “The Alchemist” or “The Witch of Portobello” and glean from the stories their divine human wisdom.  The world is richer for having Paulo Coelho in it!

The Alchemist

By Paulo Coelho

* Publisher: Thorsons
* Number Of Pages: 192
* Publication Date: 1999-09-06
* ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0722532938
* ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780722532935
* Binding: Paperback

Amazon.com:
Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sniff a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the ancient tribal storytellers knew that this is the most successful method of entertaining an audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he’s off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.
Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman’s books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists–men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the “Soul of the World.” Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy’s misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. “My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,” the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night.
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself,” the alchemist replies. “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.” –Gail Hudson

Ebook | Papreback

Distortion 2 Static interviews The Alchemist.

http://distortion2static.ning.com/profiles/blogs/alchemist-on-distortion-2

This Beat Battle was crazy, i like how it went some people say its politics, im like how we have judges thats fair and know one can tell me dj gabereal is bias. I like the beat battles you get to network with producer and find new talent but the next beat battle is going to even crazier and more intense.

Round 1 Pt.1

Round 1 Pt.2 & Round 2

Round 3 & Semi Finals

Final Round

]]> http://mrandrewian.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/catching-up/ Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:04:39 +0000 mrandrewian http://mrandrewian.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/catching-up/

So… it’s been far too long since I have put up a decent post and we have quite a bit of catching up to do.

Lets start with My and Liza’s hike up to Sunset Ridge.

Closed? I think not

The last time Liza and I were here everything was so green...

It was just cold enough for the little puddles to be frozen over

View from the top

Hard to tell from the picture, but this is a beautiful part of the peak

It was a great day

After our trip we went for our traditional post hike Alchemist meal and beer.

Brecky anybody?

Our hike was kind of a big deal because it was the last weekend that Liza and I were supposed to have together (I say supposed because I ended up getting Thanksgiving off) until the new year.  Don’t ever let anyone tell you that being a baker is easy…

Anyways,

while Liza and I have been apart I have been doing plenty of this…

and this…

Even with as much work as she has been doing, Liza still manages to take care of me.

She made me this carrot soup…

but not before playing with her food

With the precious few hours of sunlight that we get, Liza has been taking some really great photos around the apartment including this one….

and this one…

By the end of the day we pretty much always wind up like this…

As you all know, I ended up getting Thanksgiving off and got to go down to Woodstock, VT and share the holiday with Liza and her family.

Liza had to work in the morning ( ) so I went up to Burlington, VT where I ran in the UVM 5k Turkey Trot (my first ever race).

I don’t have any pictures of me running the race… I do however have a picture of my shadow

That’s my shadow on the left!  I was standing much closer to this family but once I realized what they were wearing I started edging away slowly

The race went really well.  I ran the first mile much faster than I should have and payed for it in the end… In the beginning I was like “Man, I’m doing really well.”  Than all of a sudden people started passing me.  Towards the end, the traitor in my head was saying “you’ve done a good job, but were tired.  Let’s just walk for a little while.”  Just before I gave in to that little quitter, this little 12ish year old kid passed me.  I summoned what little reserves I had and managed to stay on his tail for the rest of the race.

I finished with a 24:14 which I am very happy with.  A good starting point with plenty of room for improvement.

After the race, Liza and I took off for Woodstock and were greeted by her immediate and extended family.  All great people.  I don’t have many pictures from T-Day because I didn’t want to be “that guy” but Liza took a few

It was great times in Woodstock all around.  The food and the company was excellent and plentiful.  Unfortunately, I had to leave for work in the morning, but I was lucky enough to get a whole bunch of leftovers for lunch

That’s all I’ve got for now…  Liza and I are back to work.  We are both getting very excited about Christmas. We are going to get a tree this year!  I have no idea what my work schedule is going to be like yet, but I am hoping that I will get to spend some of it with my Liza (she is going down to her families house in Guilford, CT).

Anyways, that is all I’ve got for now.  I will try to update here I little bit more than I have been.  No promises as always

Buona sera

Finally this song gets a video! This is one of the best joints of OB4CL2 .. Enjoy!

“ONE BRICK AT A TIME CAMPAIGN.“  The Legacy Productions announced it initiated on December 1, 2009 a new Viral Marketing Campaign designed to demonstrate the effect of using “engaging video” in order to cause a significant inbound marketing effect. It’s part of the roll-out of the “LoveMark” campaign for the Legacy Productions.  Those LoveMarks are:  Authentic, Uncompromised, Earned, and Aspirational …

The inspirational Will Smith video medley found below was compiled and initially distributed on YouTube.  At the time of the ONE BRICK AT A TIME CAMPAIGN, launching the video had 154,000+ views at one YouTube site and 651 ratings.  The Legacy Productions feels this video interview is extraordinary and inspiring, particularly in these challenging economic times.  The Legacy Productions has announced the goal of increasing the number of views to over 1,000,000 views by March 1, 2010. During the ONE BRICK AT A TIME CAMPAIGN, The Legacy Productions will use its viral and inbound marketing skill sets together with techniques developed by HubSpot throughout the Internet social media and blogosphere worlds in order to accomplish this objective.  We will be working very hard at accomplishing this goal.  For more details on how to PARTICIPATE PLEASE CLICK this link:   ONE BRICK AT A TIME CAMPAIGN.

To Purchase the Book Click Below

Amazon.com Widgets

Em & Dre

Voila les liens :

http://www.zshare.net/download/68840910632ab065/

http://www.zshare.net/download/6884106513801688/
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Mais malheureusement ou heureusement, je ne sais pas, ces chansons sont justes des petits délires d”après une annonce de Dawaun Parker.

Voila, c’est tout pour l’instant.

Bye, Stan.



Recently a number of close friends of mine have been reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  I am always skeptical of mystical journeys but this story was inspired by Borges’ Tale of Two Dreamers. You can’t get more deep and more intellectual than Borges…Having long been obsessed with all things Andalucian, I remember really being pierced by this book when it first came out in 1993. I was an avid young reader!
Anyway, I am writing because I am recently reminded of this book and its life lessons. I’ve been having conversations about it with people that I most ultimately adore. One friend in particular reminded me that my current bbm name “it is written” is present in the book. Ah! Full circle moments of knowing and being….

Somethings continue to rise to the surface, sometimes new meaning can be found in old loves, sometimes new strength comes in shapes never seen but are stangely recognizable…Sometimes you travel far to learn that your journey is right here. Sometimes you turn away from love only to find it still firmly planted at your feet.

“Maktub is an  alchemist term (arabic word) which literally means it is written. From mystical point of view, it points to the fact that whatever happens is already known to the One. It signifies that Destiny exists. It points its finger to the fact that everything is already known to God.”

All there all the time

Last week I bought a book The Alchemist for the second time—by mistake. It was not until I got home that I realized that I had already read it about a year ago. Currently being in the mode of “there are no accidents” I decided to read it again. (Something I almost never do.) Almost immediately I knew why I had bought this book again. Coehlo sums up the book beautifully in the introduction, and for those of us that have found our path and for those of us that are still searching his words ring true and give hope. Read on, enjoy, ponder and let me know what you think.

“All I know is that, . . ., we all need to be aware of our personal calling. What is a personal calling? It is God’s blessing, it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth. Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don’t all have the courage to confront our own dream.
Why?
There are four obstacles. First: we are told from childhood onward that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear, and guilt. There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it is still there.
If we have the courage to disinter dream, we are then faced by the second obstacle: Love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dream. We do not realize that love is just a further impetus, not something that will prevent us going forward. We do not realize that those who genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey.
Once we have accepted that love is a stimulus, we come up against the third obstacle: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path. We who fight for our dream suffer far more when it doesn’t work out, because we cannot fall back on the old excuse: “Oh, well, I didn’t really want it anyways.” We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is not easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey. Then, we warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and to know that the Universe is conspiring in our favor, even though we may not understand how.
I ask myself: Are defeats necessary:
Well, necessary or not, they happen. When we first begin fighting for out dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
So, why is it so important to love our personal calling, if we are only going to suffer more than other people?
Because, once we have overcome the defeats—and we always do—we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life. Each day, and each hour, is part of the good fight. We start to live with enthusiasm, and pleasure. Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly that suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at out soul, until, one day, we are not longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.
Having disinterred our dream, having used the power of love to nurture it and spent many years living with the scars, we suddenly notice that what we always wanted in there, waiting for us, perhaps the very next day. Then comes the fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream for which we fought all our lives.
. . . The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel that we do not deserve to get what we want either. We forget about all the obstacles we overcame, all the suffering we endured, all that things we had to give up in order to get this far. I have known a lot of people who, when their personal calling was within their grasp, went on to commit a series of stupid mistakes and never reached their goal—when it was only a step away.
This is the most dangerous of the obstacles because it has a kind of saintly aura about it: renouncing joy and conquest. But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.”

From the Introduction of THE ALCHEMIST by

Paulo Coelho
Rio de Janeiro
November 2002

If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it.
Published by Harper Collins
Copyright 1993

The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho

This is a beautiful story about following one’s dreams and becoming the person God intends us to be. It is a story about love and the power of love. It is a story about choices. It is a story about life.