KILLING OUR DREAMS January 13, 2014 by Paulo Coelho The first symptom of the process of our killing

our dreams is the lack of time. he busiest people ! ha"e kno#n in my life al#ays ha"e time enough to do e"erything. hose #ho do nothing are al#ays tired and pay no attention to the little amount of #ork they are re$uired to do. hey complain constantly that the day is too short. he truth is, they are afraid to fight the %ood &ight. The second symptom of the death of our dreams lies in our certainties. 'ecause #e don(t #ant to see life as a grand ad"enture, #e begin to think of oursel"es as #ise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. )e look beyond the #alls of our day*to*day e+istence, and #e hear the sound of lances breaking, #e smell the dust and the s#eat, and #e see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the #arriors. 'ut #e ne"er see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those #ho are engaged in the battle. &or them, neither "ictory nor defeat is important, #hat(s important is only that they are fighting the %ood &ight. -nd, finally, the third symptom of the passing of our dreams is peace. .ife becomes a /unday afternoon, #e ask for nothing grand, and #e cease to demand anything more than #e are #illing to gi"e. !n that state, #e think of oursel"es as being mature, #e put aside the fantasies of our youth, and #e seek personal and professional achie"ement. )e are surprised #hen people our age say that they still #ant this or that out of life. 'ut really, deep in our hearts, #e kno# that #hat has happened is that #e ha"e renounced the battle for our dreams 0 #e ha"e refused to fight the %ood &ight. )hen #e renounce our dreams and find peace, #e go through a short period of tran$uility. 'ut the dead dreams begin to rot #ithin us and to infect our entire being. )e become cruel to those around us, and then #e begin to direct this cruelty against oursel"es. hat(s #hen illnesses and psychoses arise. )hat #e sought to a"oid in combat 0 disappointment and defeat 0 come upon us because of our co#ardice. -nd one day, the dead, spoiled dreams make it difficult to breathe, and #e actually seek death. !t(s death that frees us from our certainties, from our #ork, and from that terrible peace of our /unday afternoons

WHEN HAR EST TIME ARRI ES 1o"ember 22, 2013 by Paulo Coelho /uccess does not come from ha"ing one(s #ork recognised by others. !t is the fruit of the seed that you lo"ingly planted. )hen har"est time arri"es, you can say to yourself3 4! succeeded.( 5ou succeeded in gaining respect for your #ork because you did not #ork only to sur"i"e, but to demonstrate your lo"e for others. 5ou managed to finish #hat you began, e"en though you did not foresee all the traps along the #ay. -nd #hen your enthusiasm #aned because of the difficulties you encountered, you reached for discipline. -nd #hen discipline seemed about to disappear because you #ere tired, you used your moments of repose to think about #hat steps you needed to take in the future. 5ou #ere not paralysed by the defeats that are ine"itable in the li"es of those #ho take risks. 5ou didn(t sit agonising o"er #hat you lost #hen you had an idea that didn(t #ork. 5ou didn(t stop #hen you e+perienced moments of glory, because you had not yet reached your goal. -nd #hen you reali6ed that you #ould ha"e to ask for help, you did not feel humiliated. -nd #hen you learned that someone needed help, you sho#ed them all that you had learned, #ithout fearing that you might be re"ealing secrets or being used by others. o him #ho knocks, the door #ill open. 7e #ho asks #ill recei"e. 7e #ho consoles kno#s that he #ill be consoled.