“When you want something from all your heart, all the universe will conspire in helping you to achieve it.” — The Alchemist
We all have heard this quote in different ways, and got motivation by these golden words. Today I’m going to talk about the man who inspired billions of people and made them believe that everyone must have a dream and courage of taking steps to make them real.
Paulo Coelho is the Guinness world record for most translated book by a living author. His masterpiece ‘The Alchemist’ has been translated in 81 languages.
Born in Brazil as a teenager Coelho wanted to become a writer. His father was an engineer and very practical toward life, so he didn’t understood Coelho’s passion. When his father realized that he can’t manipulate Paulo, he sent him to mental institution at the age of 17. There he tried his escape for three times but couldn’t made it. At the age of 20 finally he was free.
After that he joined law school and abandoned his idea of becoming a writer. But soon after a year he dropped out and started life as nomads, traveling through South America, North America, Mexico and Europe where he started using drugs.
After his return to Brazil he started his career as lyricist. At that time he was got arrested by the ruling military government for his lyrics as they found them leftist and dangerous.
After all of these in 1986 Coelho walked a long Road to Santiago which he calls his time of spiritual awakening, and he have described it in his book The Pilgrimage. It was the turning point in his life which gave a very unique concept toward living a life.
“I was happy in doing the things I was doing. I was doing something that gave me food and water for The Alchemist.”–Paulo Coelho
In 1987 he The Alchemist was published with only 900 copies. But as soon his novel Brida with bigger publication The Alchemist went off in 1994.
The Alchemist has gone on to sell over 83 million copies and became one of the best-selling books of the history.
From a mental institution to nomad and drug addict and then the pilgrim of Road to Santiago de Compostela and now the living legend Coelho teaches us the large number of lessons through his life.
He found a unique concept of spirituality for everyone who is in the language of the world of heaven passing through our ears, and that language is love, humanity and never giving up on our dreams.
Thank you much dear Paulo Coelho for showing us true meaning of life.
