Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day,we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.
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’s still there.
I couldn’t have found God in the seminary, he thought, as he looked at the sunrise.
It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
So the boy decided that he would never again believe in dreams. He remembered that he had a number of things he had to take care of
Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.
[the King]: The book describes people’s inability to choose their own Personal Legends. And it ends up saying that everyone believes the world’s greatest lie. What’s the world’s greatest lie? the boy asked, completely surprised. 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.
People say strange things, the boy thought. Sometimes it’s better to be with the sheep, who don’t say anything. And better still to be alone with one’s books.
Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, the boy thought. He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have.
The boy felt jealous of the freedom of the wind, and saw that he could have the same freedom. There was nothing to hold him back except himself. The sheep, the merchant’s daughter, and the fields of Andalusia were only steps along the way to his Personal Legend.
[wise man to the boy] “Well there is only one piece of advice I can give you’ said the wisest of the wise men. ‘The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon.
The old man continued, “You have been a real blessing to me. Today, I understand something I didn’t see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse
The sheep had taught him something even more important: that there was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time he was trying to improve things at the shop. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired”
He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really driving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.
The boy was beginning to understand that intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where the histories of all people are connected, and we are able to know everything, because it’s all written there.
No matter how many detours and adjustments it made, the caravan moved toward the same compass point. Once obstacles were overcome, it returned to its course, sighting on a star that indicated the location of the oasis.
We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.
The boy noted that there was a sense of fear in the air, even though no one said anything. Once again he was experiencing the language without words…the universal language. The Englishman asked if they were in danger. Once you get into the desert, there’s no going back,said the camel driver. and, when you can’t go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward. The rest is up to Allah, including the danger.
It was my fear of failure that first kept me from attempting the Master Work. Now, I’m beginning what I could have started ten years ago. But I’m happy at least that I didn’t wait twenty years
The desert, with its endless monotony, put him to dreaming
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.
When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.
Then you’ll die in the midst of trying to realize your Personal Legend. That’s a lot better than dying like millions of other people, who never even knew what their Personal Legends were.
What's the world's greatest lie?... 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.
I'm like everyone else - I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.
We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.
When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
.... he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke-the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert....
It was the pure Language of the World. It required no explanation, just as the universe needs none as it travels through endless time.
There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in that world. Without such love, one's dreams would have no meaning.
It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.
....intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where the histories of all people are connected, and we are able to know everything, because it's all written there.
The darkest hour of night came just before the dawn.
Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.