Quotes from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

* It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. (p11)

* 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. (p18)

* The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was. It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny. (p22)

* And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. (p23)

* People learn early in their lives what is their reason for being. (p25)

* When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision. (p71)

* Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life. (p77)

* 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. (p82)

* The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves (p85)

* "I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things. I learned that many alchemists realized their destinies, and wound up discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher's Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But above all, I learned that these things are all so simple they could be written on the surface of an emerald." (p87)

* I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the 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 now. (p88/89)

* Because people become fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World. (p91)

* In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path. (p93)

* When you are in love, things make even more sense, he thought. (p105)

* Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World. (p117)

* Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You've got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense. (p122)

* "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. (p132)

* The wise men understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of this wisdom. That's what I mean by action." (p133)

* All you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation. Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there. (p134)

* 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. (p136)

* Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. 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.

* Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. (p138)

* Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor's being severely tested. (p139)

* The boy and his heart had become friends, and neither was capable now of betraying the other. (p141)

* When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there's no need at all to understand what's happening, because everything happens within you. (p155)

I want to resign

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult. I have
decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year-old
again.

*I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star
restaurant.

*I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk
with rocks.

*I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

*I want to lie under a big banyan tree and run a sugar cane juice stand with my
friends on a hot summer's day.

*I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew
were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that
didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and
you didn't care. All you knew was to be happy because you were
blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or
upset.

*I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

*I want to believe that anything is possible.

*I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly
excited by the little things again.

*I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of
computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to
survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank,
doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

*I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth,
justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels
in the snow.

Desire To Excel

We are always seeking to excel in every situation, trying all the more hard each day to do something new, something exhilarating, something that breaks the norms, something that gives a kick in the head, something that you have always yearned for, something so close to your heart that you don't want to let it go, something that gets you instant fame, something that makes you feel important and sought after, something that your ego can feed on and feel satiated in the end. After all we are filled to the brim with energy and a desire to prove to others what we are made off, more than proving to ourselves.
Point is: Is the juice worth the squeeze? Your conscious will always guide you in answering this question. If the answer is YES, only then go for it.