Like the Flowing River, Paulo Coelho

Author: Paulo Coelho

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paulo Coelho, at one time his books dominated the market and his name was all over. I read Alchemist by him and as you have it I found it over hyped. The standard great expectations with popular books. Alchemist was a simple book and here I was looking for some miraculous life changing wisdom. 

Riding the popular wave a friend gifted me this one. Soon after we stopped being friends and the book went into a corner of my book shelf like most disappoints in life. Now after 15 years I took it out and felt that I found that Rs 100 note from an old coat pocket. Some books, same books different time, different age, can be enjoyed differently! 

It is a collection of thoughts, experiences, travels, teachings and reflections that Coelho shares with his readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly liked his experience as a writer and travels. Do you know Paulo Coelho’s favorite authors. They are: Jorge Amado, Jorge Luis Borges, Henry Miller and William Blake. 

Each write up was deep and personal, relatable and mark worthy. Although he clearly respects and believes all religion some of his write ups are references from Bible and testaments. 

But what is religion. If you don’t tag a name or a brand, all religions teach the same, to be good, to be kind and to love. 

Enjoy some of the meaningful lines from his book - Like small pearls of wisdom. Like small bits of candy as an aftertaste. 

I organise events like this because I need to keep believing that human beings are still in search of a better world. I need to contribute to making this possible. 

This line instantly connected with me. This is the exact reason I write! 

People don’t really meet together any more, and if you don’t meet, they won’t grow. Once, when I failed to get a reply from a particular politician, I went and knocked on his door, and he said to me: “If you want something, you need to look the other person in the eye.”

Words that are not transformed into actions ‘breed pestilence’ as William Blake said.

The alchemical idea that each of us contains the whole universe and that we are, therefore, responsible for its well being. 

It take courage to take fifteen minutes of your day to stop and look at the world, and at yourself, and simply do nothing. Work is a blessing when it helps us to think about what we are doing; but it becomes a  curse when it’s sole use is to stop us thinking about the meaning of our life. Alas, he passed through life, he didn’t live it. 

The optimist and the pessimist both die in the end, but each loves his life in a completely different way. - Shimon Peres

Everything that had to happen happened, but nothing did. 

If you believe the doctors, nothing odd wholesome: if you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent: if you believe the soldiers, nothing is safe. - Lord Salisbury 

The happiness of one does not mean the unhappiness of the others 

Perseverance is favourable, but perseverance is not the same thing as stubbornness