Like many of us, his first attempts at writing and dreaming to become a writer, was beset with a series of setbacks. His failures in life never stopped Coehlo to pursue what his heart desires. The Alchemist, allows the readers to vicariously acquire the power of listening to our hearts and to seek our own Personal Legends. Coehlo's style is simple, its beauty is the simplicity itself. I have read books with over a thousand pages and this book is not even 200 pages, but each page you savour, for they are filled with timeless wisdom that is not only fulfilling to the dreamers, but awakens the dreamer within us. It is about venturing and searching, only to find that wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your greatest treasure.
I chose one of Coehlo's famous quotes pulled out from The Alchemist mainly because I see the world today to be made up of people who tend to rationalize and intellectualize life's ageless emotion. LOVE.
I am beginning to think there are fewer and fewer people who believe in love. Love's potency, power, constancy.
What can LOVE do that can not be done by all the other forces of the universe? Let me quote:
"When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too."I hate to say it but people have become so cynical and jaded about love, mainly because of the unwillingness to give up their egos, and the potential risk of pain, suffering and getting hurt. What can be so hard to throw oneself away for the sake of a moment of happiness, happiness you have sought for, in an entire lifetime? Isn't it that when we try to avoid that moment, that is precisely the time when we feel so much pain? Can you embrace the fact that whilst we have individual bodies, our souls are not designed to be alone? Why deprive your soul of its nature? Alas, we tend to forget, we are NOT a body with a soul, but we are a soul with a body.
We opened our eyes to a world full of material trappings and conflicting belief systems, we grow up fearful and distrusting of others, even of our own selves. We embrace power and fame over faith and love purely on the basis that it makes more business sense and seems much more pragmatic and purposeful.
Reading Coehlo's Books have kept my search for life's true meaning and the pursuit of my dreams, more daring and determined. He has allowed me to hold on to the fundamental truth that all the power I need in this world, lies within me. And those that are infinitely precious and can not be taken away from me, lies within my soul.
Listen:
"In love, no one can harm anyone else; we are each of us responsible for our own feelings and cannot blame someone else for what we feel. It hurt when I lost each of the various men I fell in love with. Now, though, I am convinced that no one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it."
I really like Coehlo. Yes, its certainly true that owning a person is a kind of slavery for both. I think about the people that might dislike his work, and I have read a few critics, and raealize it's not about trying to convince people. It's really an understanding, and he creates an environment for that with his writing. The criticism that most disturbed me was that his writing doesn't resonate with the far ends of the spectrum, which left me thinking again about understanding and definitions...the language without words, representation or action. The criticism of Love seems to be based around the idea of self preservation and at the other end, self destruction( as in disembodiment of the self esp. spiritually) I see Love with the faculties I have as time. Time allows for events, and events allow for an understanding as incredibly difficult as they sometimes are, its love that can be the game changer, and nothing else has that feeling of something discovering itself like we do and maybe that is one way I think I identify with it.
ReplyDeletePBB, another great post. <3
What can i say Psycho, you wrote a beautiful post mirroring all my inner convictions that have been inspired over the years through many influences, but Coelho being the first and foremost. You have summed up the essence of love exactly as i myself know it. Its only by not owning the object of your love can you belong to it forever.
ReplyDeleteI take the liberty to add the inspirational words from Alchemist for the benefit of those who havn't read it.
"When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
Wow, I love it PB. Powerful! I think I may look for this book today.
ReplyDeleteThe Alchemist is the most powerful book I ever read........Love is Love and you found the right words Psycho to express this wonderful feeling!
ReplyDeleteI believe in its power! And I am glad to see other people do too.
" We are not body & soul....We are soul with body."
ReplyDeleteThis sentence is burning with POWER.
Brilliant Post....as usual. :)
ah yes ... the fear of pain and suffering ... all very real in love, but there is so much more when it's good
ReplyDeleteI must be only one of three or four people in your universe who have never read anything by Paul Coehlo. But I can change that, and I will. It's not that I have anything better to do. Now, I'll probably become a fanatic, too, as I am with anything I think worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteYour post was very worth reading!
Sounds like a good book. I'll have to get it someday.
ReplyDelete*I meant to say NOT REGRET. It also comes in cheap compared to other paperbacks.
ReplyDeleteFor the Coehlo fans (I have elevated myself to a Coehlo stalker), thank you, I am sure you understand. He has a great listing of must-read books.
ReplyDeleteJamie, Kim, Drachma and AS: you will regret the purchase of The Alchemist. Wisdom is timeless and what feeds your souls will never be taken away from you.
Now that cheered me up. It is so beautifully inspiring. The quote I mean. Even your view on tings, true and personal. On the one hand I think that more and more people are refraining from a personal love, no longer trusting marriage per say. BUT more and more people are looking for meaning, looking for companionship and a way to give back. I don't think we call it love anymore, but it's still there when we look. Personal relationships are falling apart, but maybe that's because we are learning that love is so much more than just the love we have for a partner, a child or family and friends. I think there is a wave of people picking up on the fact that love is a force that transcends all. We are also coming to terms with the fact that it is not always a perfection, floating in a bubble type emotion, but a real live event, a giving, a willingness and a joy.
ReplyDeleteAt least, that is what I am experiencing. It's not the largest believe held, but it is building in momentum.
So maybe our believe in love is just changing shape...?