Why Everyone Should Love The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho wrote a book riddled with inspiring quotes about life, and here are 10 to prove it.

1. "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."

Notice that Coelho said "dream" and not "goal." Goals are what you think you may want for a plethora of reasons such as financial goals. A dream, however, is following your heart and what you want to do. Goals are usually safer and involve less risk of failure. Coelho says you can follow your dreams, but you must do so with your entire heart.

2. "I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you."

This quote is by far a personal favorite. You may run into people along your journey of life, but once you find someone truly special, you'll think it's fate. Yet, every event in your life helped you to get to that one specific person. The universe has helped you along the way through accomplishments and failures to find love.

3. "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."

Think about social media for a moment. Everyone is trying to be the same or they're trying to mold someone else into something they are not. Then, when they take a moment to be introspective, they can no longer see their true self because they can only see what they are not.

4. "Don't think about what you've left behind."

Everyone gets stuck at one point in their life, it's just a matter of how long you choose to stay there that differs. Some can only focus on what they've lost or missed out on, and others recognize the lost opportunity and take it as a lesson to do better for the next time.

5. "Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested.

Similar to New Years resolutions, everyone starts off on the right foot. A couple months in is when they start to slip and maybe even fall off the wagon. Resolutions are never easy because it is adding a new habit to your lifestyle. That takes time. Those who can endure the weak moments and carry on, will find the true reward.

6. "If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better."

We always look to the future and where we want to be in 5 or 10 years. What we never do, is look at how to get there. That is the present moment. What can you change today that will help you get closer tomorrow?

7. "When each day is the same as next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day the sun rises."

Always take a moment to appreciate what you have. You don't need to be religious to look at what you have been given. Not in the context of comparing yourself to others, because what they have they are also grateful for, but in the context of family and friends that have entered your life and those who choose to share in the journey with you.

8. "When we first begin fighting for our dreams, we have no experience and make many mistakes."

Similar to quote #1, it's okay to make mistakes. If you're passionate enough to follow you're dreams, failure will just make you stronger. You may begin to go through uncharted territory and be pushed out of your comfort zone, but you'll be better for it.

9. "When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a story current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision."

Just like the previous quote, you don't know where decisions will take you along the way to the end goal. That's why it's important to enjoy the ride and learn from the people you meet and the stories they tell along the way.

10. "Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity."

Take some time. Really enjoy your surroundings, take a leap of faith, and talk to strangers. You never know what you'll learn or how those moments could change your perspective.