Quotes from The Alchemist

English: The Alchemist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An international bestseller written by Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist tells the story of an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago and his journey to Egypt, in search of his own personal legend. The book is a great read for those who have dreams; and for those who don’t have dreams or those who are still uncertain as to their dream, The Alchemist may prove a great help in discovering personal legends.

Here are some quotes/texts from the book:

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting… (Santiago‘s thoughts)

It’s the simple things in life that are most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them. ~Gypsy

Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own. (Santiago‘s thoughts)

“It’s this: that 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.” ~Melchizedek, King of Salem

“The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.” ~Wise Man

“I’m like everyone else – I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.” ~Santiago

There must be a language that doesn’t depend on words. (Santiago‘s thoughts)

“You must always know what it is that you want.” ~King

“…every blessing ignored becomes a curse…” ~Old Man, Merchant

“Never stop dreaming, follow the omens.” ~King

“There’s no such thing as coincidence.” ~Englishman

“…people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want.” ~Camel Driver

“…And when you can’t go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward…” ~Camel Driver

“Everyone has his or her own way of learning things.” ~Santiago

“…If you can concentrate always on your present, you’ll be a happy man… Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.” ~Santiago

“It’s not what enters men’s mouth that’s evil, it’s what comes out of their mouths that is.” ~The Alchemist

“Life attracts life.” ~The Alchemist

“Men dream more about coming home than about leaving.” ~Santiago

“There is only one way to learn, it’s through action…” ~Santiago

“Usually the threat of death makes people a lot more aware of their lives.” ~The Alchemist

“When you are loved, there’s no need at all to understand what’s happening, because everything happens within you…” ~Santiago

“Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.” ~The Alchemist

Gramps

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I had this dream last night, one that I could not quite recall as clearly as other dreams but there were scenes which kept flashing back into my mind.  It was nostalgic and confusing; a series of events which do not seem interconnected yet they were sewn seamlessly like scenes from a movie.  I am not a Psychology major and have little knowledge on dream interpretation.

There were busy streets, kind of like somewhere in Manhattan; there was a funeral wake of a person who, according to the dream, is someone who seems to be a friend of our family.  But the scene which is not vivid is something that involved my grandfather…

It was as if there was a message for me from him and that was what I was trying to recall the moment my eyes opened at 7:00 a.m.  It was the last scene in the dream, a sky scraper, telephone, white notepad and grandpa’s presence.  It was weird because he was not there walking around or talking but I knew he was around, he was “there” and I woke up.

Grandpa passed away in March of 2011, his birth month but he did not even get to celebrate his birthday.  He went into a coma after a cardiac arrest and did not wake up.  I was not able to hold his hands and was not able to say goodbye.  During that time I cannot bring myself to say the words died, passed away,  and expired together with the word grandpa.  It was always “Grandpa left all of a sudden” or “Grandpa went on a vacation and he is not coming back.”  It was only during the last quarter of 2011 that I was able to say it and I still get teary eyed until now.

I will not be able to hear him laugh anymore, nor will I be able to fulfill my promises when I was three years old.  The saddest thing is, he will no longer be there on my wedding day (which is still in the unknown future) even if he told my grandma that he will be there. 😦

A few weeks after his burial I remember crying buckets of tears in front of my Raja Yoga instructor when she asked about my grandfather.  Just one question and the floodgates opened.  She told me I should not be sad because only his physical body expired, his soul still exists and it is possible that we will meet again…

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man.  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive.  It is as though they were traveling abroad.  ~Marcel Proust

Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.  ~John Muir

2012 and Beyond

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There are a lot of things to be thankful for, blessings that came flowing, memories that are worth keeping and a lot more.  2011 has been a good year so far and now 2012 is something to look forward to…

To turn more dreams into reality
To reach more goals
To change for the better (there is always a room for improvement)
To learn languages
To grow spiritually
To achieve great things
To travel the world
To write more
To laugh more often
To love wholeheartedly

There are a lot of opportunities waiting to be discovered, doors to be opened, paths to be traveled, people to meet, moments to treasure, miracles to experience, magic to behold…

As Elizabeth Gilbert puts it, “Eat. Pray. Love.”