The Alchemist

A dear friend gave me the book The Alchemist last Friday which supposedly be his Christmas present. But since it is a very popular book, we have difficulty owning a copy then. Luckily, he surprised me with one. Thanks dear!

Setting off for our dreams is a real tough and risky act. It entails courage, or even life itself. What is your Personal Legend? Were you able to communicate with the Soul of the World and the Language of the World? This is the theme of this book. The most popular, I think, aside from The Zahir of Paulo Coelho. (finished reading it by 4 hours) If this was the first book I read from Paulo, I would have shed tears like that of The Zahir. But I still find Zahir the best of all his works.

This is a story of a young boy named Santiago, a shepherd boy who lives in Andalusia and constantly dreams of a treasure. But everytime a location of that treasure is about to be revealed, it is always interrupted. While on his journey flocking sheep to Tangier to sell wool, he seeks the Gypsy from Tarifa for an interpretation. The King of Salem whom he also met in the plaza told him that he will find the treasures in the Pyramids of Egypt. That he must make his Personal Legend.

He sold his sheep to find the treasures. On his journey, he lost his money to a thief and worked as assistant to the crystal merchant. When he has enough savings to cross the Sahara desert toward Egypt, he traveled with the Englishman seeking the alchemist to learn how to turn lead into gold, met Fatima the desert woman in the oasis whom he fell inlove with, and guided by the Alchemist to fulfill his Personal Legend, learn the Language of the World, and find the treasure.

Did Santiago find his treasure? Was he able to return to his love?

We set our hearts and minds to the path that leads us to our Treasure and leave the things that are part of us. When we reached the end, it brought us back to the beginning where the treasure just lies.

What do we risk in order to achieve what we wanted? The possessions we have, the love we have found, and the life we live. Are we ready to sacrifice these for the sake of our dreams? ambitions? How has life taught us to become while in the midst of achieving them?

'Paulo once said that alchemy is all about pursuing our spiritual quest in the physical world as it was given to us. It is the art of transmuting the reality into something sacred, of mixing the sacred and the profane.'

Setting off for our dreams is never easy. We take some and lose some. But most importantly, on the path to fulfilling our dreams are a bunch of lessons in life. The more we challenge ourselves, the more we become confident and wiser in life. So never stop hoping, dreaming, and living. Be an Alchemist in your own.

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The Winner Stands Alone

A new book that will again touch hearts and influence the many. The Winner Stands Alone is a new novel about following one's dreams. What does the society impose one to become and to have? Sometimes we are greatly manipulated by the society realizing in the end after achieving them we asked ourselves: Are we happy? Are we satisfied? Are we whole? This recurrent theme of the book will let us get back to when the world was just plain and ordinary. Achievement is not what people look about us, it is about self-worth and fulfillment.

Can't wait to have my own copy of Paulo Coelho's. The novel, however, is not yet available in the Philippines. (oops! I just grabbed my own copy, 4/20/09, yipee!) Released dates in other countries are as follows:

March: UK and Russia
April: France, Greece, Holland, USA, Hungary, India (in English), South Africa, Lebanon and Middle East
May: Australia, Iran, Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia

You may visit PauloCoelhoBlog for further details.

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The Other

I stayed on bed for an hour trying to shut my body from that unplanned night. I failed. I stood up and finished reading the book I recently bought. I still can't sleep. What's wrong with me. Oops, I must have overslept that afternoon I remembered. I would love to believe that everything was just fine. It was actually, but my brain oftentimes wanted to speak to me. My heart isn't just ready for the confrontation. So now I know why. My body can't rest because these two are battling over me.

I observed the woman I had been up until then: weak but trying to give the impression of strength. Fearful of everything but telling herself it wasn't fear - it was the wisdom of someone who knew what reality was. Putting up shutters in front of windows to keep the joy of the sun from entering - just so the sun's rays wouldn't fade my old furniture.

The gods throw the dice, and they don't ask whether we want to be in the game or not. They don't care if when you go, you leave behind a lover, a home, a career, or a dream. The gods don't care whether you have it all, whether it seems that your every desire can be met through hard work and persistence. The gods don't want to know about your plans and your hopes. Somewhere they're throwing the dice - and you are chosen. From then on, winning or losing is only a question of luck.

'I am just like everyone else who listens to their heart: a person who is enchanted by the mystery of life. Who is open to miracles, who experiences joy and enthusiasm for what they do. It's just that the Other, afraid of disappointment, kept me from taking action... But there is suffering... And there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggle for your dreams than to be defeated without ever even knowing what you're fighting for.'

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Love is Like a Dam

I do not have a childhood sweetheart unlike Pilar but I do have someone my heart longed like that of hers. I kept wanting him, although and even though there's a wall I built to keep my heart separated. It may stumble anytime depending on how sturdy I was building it, yet afraid that it will in reality. I was Pilar in this case too. 'Love is much like a dam: if you allow a tiny crack to form through which only a trickle of water can pass, that trickle will quickly bring down the whole structure, and soon no one will be able to control the force of the current.' I believe that I know my limits; that I can control myself; that I know how much suffering I could bear. But if that wall stumbles out of unexpected factors, love, so powerful, takes over. 'To love is to lose control'

If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. If he has to make a choice, may he make it now. Then I will either wait for him or forget him... Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering.

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Between Good and Evil

Are humans evil or good by nature? This is the question posed primarily by Paulo Coelho's The Devil and Miss Prym. Being good or evil can be affected by either punishment or reward. The book answered with an implication that greatly depends on the individuality of a person. In the end, what emerged is the choice of a person and how influential the Voice is within.

I never thought I would be battling between good and evil. Not until this morning. The situation is different from the story of Miss Prym for I would not be receiving reward nor punishment. But the decision is too difficult to make. If I make a move to stop one person, I might end up in a conflict. If I make no move, I will be an accessory of destroying the other. I wish I had not been too curious and involved so that I have not heard the whole incident and the plans of the former. Now the situation had affected me because the two people are dear and close to me. I do not dwell much of this because it really stirs me. But I fairly know that whichever I choose to do, there will always be great consequences for everybody.

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A Jist of Brida

I read Brida the whole afternoon the other day. Another laudable work of Paulo Coelho.

Brida is a story of finding one's destiny, of knowledge, of one's self, and of love. It is about a young woman who came in search for magic. She went in to the woods and searched for the Magus who she believed will help her find the answers. Magic, like life is mysterious as he said. The Magus taught her the Tradition of the Sun after seeing in her a Gift. Her Dark Night was the first lesson she learned from him. She went back to town and visited the bookstore of magic and witchcrafting she constantly visits. The storeowner introduced her to Wicca, an expert in tarot card reading, after he was being told that she went to the forest and met the magus.

Wicca saw in Brida a Gift too but was more curious of what interests the Magus about Brida, she must find out. She taught her the Tradition of the Moon. The two became Brida's Teacher, one who guides through revelation and the other teaches witchcraft. In her quest to the mystery of magic, she found out that she was a witch too, like Wicca, who has the gift of calling the spirits, incarnated hundred of years ago. The simple quest of understanding magic led her to her Soulmate, the Magus. But she must find her own path to life...

Did she accept the fate of being a witch? Will she end up with her Soulmate? That you must find out...

Some lines of this book caught my heart. Here are the few.

I learned that the search for God is a Dark Night, that Faith is a Dark Night. And that's hardly a surprise really, because for us each day is a dark night. None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, and yet still we go forwards. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.

Sometimes we set off down a path simply because we don't believe in it. It's easy enough. All we have to do then is prove that it isn't the right path for us. However, when things start to happen, and the path does reveal itself to us, we become afraid of carrying on.

But the path of magic - like the path of life - is and always will be the path of Mystery. Learning something means coming into contact with a world of which you know nothing. In order to learn, you must be humble.

Right, from now on, whenever you want to find out about something, plunge straight in.

Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong... Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Sometimes, certain of God's blessings arrive by shattering all the windows.

Judging oneself to be inferior to other people was one of the worst acts of pride he knew, because it was the most destructive way of being different.

I thought I knew what made me happy and what made me sad, then suddenly I realised that I need to think again.

God created the legion of His Left Arm in order to improve us, so that we would know what to do with our mission. But He put man in charge of concentrating the powers of darkness and creating his own demons.

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My Paulo Holiday

For two consecutive days, I was immersed in inspiration and hope. Thanks to Paulo Coelho who have never failed to inspire people in all walks.

The constant cheers and chats in the house made me intoxicated so I decided to seclude myself and started reading. I read on Paulo's two books, Brida and The Devil and Miss Prym. I fin'ly got the time to read them because I was too damn excited to swim in Paulo's great works. I read Brida on the afternoon of the first day and followed it by The Devil and Miss Prym, a friend's gift, in the evening but got sleepy and continued it the next day.

I thought I have great worries in life. Not until Paulo brought me into his world... again.

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I Received Gifts

Yehey! I received my first ever Paulo Coelho book, The Devil and Miss Prym. Thanks dearie… Love it very much! Thanks too for my friends who have shared their blessings to me. Mommy and Manong, love you much! I will definitely be weeping without your presence soon… Merry Christmas to everyone!

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What do I want for Christmas?

I used to think I have nothing to ask this Christmas, except of course for money. But well, only my company can give me that much amount. Unfortunately, for this season, I will not be receiving big (blame it to the world crisis they were talking about) So let's crash it off my blank list. So instead of dreaming of it, why not make a reality check. So I wrote on my Christmas gift list, number one and only one, Paolo Coelho's books.

This thought came to me as I wander the NBS this afternoon waiting for my friend to see me. I got bored after buying my stuffs so I went in immediately to the section where the bestselling books were shelved. I was almost tempted to swipe all the books but realized I had better things to put aside my money for. So if you are thinking and planning to to give me gifts, I let you not bother buying me any other. I suggest you grab Paulo Coelho's and wrap it up for me. hehe. Veronika Decides To Die and The Alchemist are the two that interest me most to read. :D I am on my reading with Brida. ;)

I may have second, third, fourth, and so on things on my future list so better be updated. lol. Jaa, arigatou ne!

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On Her Two-Thirds Part

“Finish reading the book or you will lose time”, a voice told her. She finished twenty-pages and she decided to lock herself in the room to concentrate more. She has no other time to spare reading so she must finish it, yet she was still on her two-thirds part as she was too sleepy and could not comprehend anymore.

She had always wanted to read the book until she realized that her second mind was occupying the thought of visiting her home and talking something about life.

SECOND MIND. She bumped into these words twenty-one and a half hours ago. “It can do with anything. If you’re in love with someone, you can have that person inside your head. The same thing happens with someone you want to forget about. But the second mind is a tough thing to deal with. It’s at work regardless of whether you want it to be or not...”

“We’re always impassioned about something… Have you had someone you loved stick in your mind? It’s really terrible when that happens. You travel, you try to forget, but your second mind keeps saying: “Oh, he would really love that!” “Oh, if only he were here”

“The second mind was there, barring the entrance, with its repetitive ideas, its unimportant problems, its melodies, it financial problems, its unresolved passions.”

“Don’t fight your thoughts. They are stronger than you are. If you want to rid yourself of them, accept them. Think about what they want you to think of about until they grow tired.”

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The End of the "Eleven Minutes"

I cannot remember the exact time I finished Eleven Minutes today but for sure it was past five, I mean afternoon past five. I was supposed to finish it last night after I sent a text message to the owner promising him to complete it by night so I will have his Valkyries the next day. Fifty pages left yet I found myself already asleep with the book on my chest. T’was two in the morning then. I could not comprehend anymore. I could not resist my body’s eagerness to sleep. So I did.

Twelve pages left but it was already one in the afternoon. I must get back to work. So excited to finish it, I immediately read it once the clock struck 5. The novel like all other Paolo's works was splendid! It touched my heart. This was a story of love, dream and purpose in life.



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