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Paulo Coelho

The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage. In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006) and Winner Stands Alone (to be released in 2009). During the months of March, April, May and June 2006, Paulo Coelho traveled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author traveled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path - The Pilgrimage in order to share with his readers his impressions. Since this first blog Paulo Coelho has expanded his presence in the internet with his daily blogs in Wordpress, Myspace & Facebook. He is equally present in media sharing sites such as Youtube and Flickr, offering on a regular basis not only texts but also videos and pictures to his readers. From this intensive interest and use of the Internet sprang his bold new project: The Experimental Witch where he invites his readers to adapt to the screen his book The Witch of Portobello. Indeed Paulo Coelho is a firm believer of Internet as a new media and is the first Best-selling author to actively support online free distribution of his work.


“I am going to sit here in the river. If you go home to sleep, I will sleep in front of your house. And if you go away, I will follow you--until you tell me to go away. Then I'll leave. But I have to love you for the rest of my life..”
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“A Warrior of Light values a child's eyes because they are able to look at the world without bitterness. When he wants to find out if the person beside him is worthy of his trust, he tries to see him as a child would”
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“there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth.”
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“That is what the forest taught me. That you will never be mine, and that is why I will never lose you...." ........."I will always remember you, and you will remember me, just as we will remember the evening, the rain on the window, and all the things we'll always have because we cannot possess them”
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“To enjoy the rainbow, first enjoy the rain.”
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“From where I am," the sun said, "I can see the Soul of the World. It communicates with my soul, and together we cause the plants to grow and the sheep to seek out shade. From where I am--and I'm a long way from the earth--I learned ow to love. I know that if I came even a little bit closer to the earth, everything there would die, and the Soul of the World would no longer exist. So we contemplate each other, and we want each other, and I give it light and warmth, and it gives me my reason for living.”
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“When mouths close, it’s because there’s something important to be said.”
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“The pure force of life are in communication with each other, independently of us, and then we cannot hide who we are.”
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“we are responsible for the Universe, because we are the Universe'(Brida)”
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“Happiness is the only goal worth pursuing”
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“I want to continue being crazy; living my life the way I dream it, and not the way the other people want it to be.”
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“Life is always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act.”
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“Then the voice - which identified itself as the prince of this world, the only being who really knows what happens on Earth - began to show him the people around him on the beach. The wonderful father who was busy packing things up and helping his children put on some warm clothes and who would love to have an affair with his secretary, but was terrified on his wife's response. His wife who would like to work and have her independence, but who was terrified of her husband's response. The children who behave themselves because they were terrified of being punished. The girl who was reading a book all on her own beneath the sunshade, pretending she didn't care, but inside was terrified of spending the rest of her life alone. The boy running around with a tennis racuqet , terrified of having to live up to his parents' expectations. The waiter serving tropical drinks to the rich customers and terrified that he could be sacket at any moment. The young girl who wanted to be a dance, but who was studying law instead because she was terrified of what the neighbours might say. The old man who didn't smoke or drink and said he felt much better for it, when in truth it was the terror of death what whispered in his ears like the wind. The married couple who ran by, splashing through the surf, with a smile on their face but with a terror in their hearts telling them that they would soon be old, boring and useless. The man with the suntan who swept up in his launch in front of everybody and waved and smiled, but was terrified because he could lose all his money from one moment to the next. The hotel owner, watching the whole idyllic scene from his office, trying to keep everyone happy and cheerful, urging his accountants to ever greater vigilance, and terrified because he knew that however honest he was government officials would still find mistakes in his accounts if they wanted to. There was terror in each and every one of the people on that beautiful beach and on that breathtakingly beautiful evening. Terror of being alone, terror of the darkness filling their imaginations with devils, terror of doing anything not in the manuals of good behaviour, terror of God's punishing any mistake, terror of trying and failing, terror of succeeding and having to live with the envy of other people, terror of loving and being rejected, terror of asking for a rise in salary, of accepting an invitation, of going somewhere new, of not being able to speak a foreign language, of not making the right impression, of growing old, of dying, of being pointed out because of one's defects, of not being pointed out because of one's merits, of not being noticed either for one's defects of one's merits.”
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“fanaticism is the only way to put an end to the doubts that constantly trouble the human soul.”
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“Miracles only happen if you believe in miracles.”
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“Break a pact. Accept forgiveness. Make a bet.”
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“La viuda sonrio, sus ojos brillaron y el pudo observar lo bonita que era... Elias lleno otra vez la copa. Su corazon empezaba a alarmarse; le gustaba estar al lado de aquella mujer. El amor podia ser una experienncia mas temible que estar ante un soldado de Ajab con una flecha apuntandole al corazon. Si la flecha lo alcanzase, el estaria muerto, y el resto quedaria a cargo de Dios; pero si el amor lo hiriera, el mismo tendria que asumir las consecuencias.”
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“Love is the force that brings us back together, in order to condense the experience dispersed in many lives and many parts of the world.”
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“I came to set fire to the earth. And I am watchful that the fire grow.May the fire of love grow in our hearts. May the fire of transformation glow in our movements. May the fire of purification burn away our sins. May the fire of justice guide our steps. May the fire of wisdom illuminate our paths. May the fire that spreads over the Earth never be extinguished.”
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“By the River Piedra I sat down and wept. There is a legend that everything that falls into the waters of this river -- leaves, insects, the feathers of birds -- is transformed into the rocks that make the riverbed. If only I could tear out my heart and hurl it into the current, then my pain and longing would be over, and I could finally forget.”
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“It is not necessary to move mountains in order to prove one's faith.”
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“Özgürlüğün özlemini çekecekleri yerde kendilerine bir çoban arayanlara acımak gerekir.”
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“Always remember the proverb: "This too shall pass." Your negative feelings won't last forever, there's a light at the end of every tunnel. It might not happen today or tomorrow, but you'll feel better eventually.”
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“It is bound to come a moment when what seems close is still very far away.”
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“Nuestra Señora, devuélvemela fe. Que yo pueda ser también un instrumento de Tu trabajo. Dame la oportunidad de aprender a través de mi amor. Porque el amor nunca apartó a nadie de sus sueños. »Que yo sea compañera y aliada del hombre que amo. Que él haga todo lo que tenga que hacer… a mi lado.”
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“Esperar. Ésa fue la primera lección que aprendí sobre el amor. El día se arrastra, haces miles de planes, imaginas todas las conversaciones posibles, prometes cambiar tu comportamiento… y te vas poniendo ansiosa y ansiosa, hasta que llega tu amado. Entonces ya no sabes qué decir. Esas horas de espera se han transformado en tensión, la tensión en miedo, y el miedo hace que nos dé vergüenza mostrar nuestro afecto.”
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“El amor no hace muchas preguntas, porque si empezamos a pensar empezamos a tener miedo. Es un miedo inexplicable, y no vale la pena intentar traducirlo en palabras. »Puede ser el miedo al desprecio, a no ser aceptada, a quebrar el encanto. Parece ridículo, pero es así. Por eso no se pregunta: se actúa. Como tú mismo has dicho tantas veces, se corren los riesgos.”
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“Esperar duele. Olvidar duele. Pero el peor de los sufrimientos es no saber qué decisión tomar.”
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“Yo necesitaba un amor posible, mi corazón y mi cuerpo estaban todavía vírgenes, y un príncipe encantado me vendría a buscar.”
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“El amor es siempre nuevo. No importa que amemos una, dos, diez veces en la vida: siempre estamos ante una situación que no conocemos. El amor puede llevarnos al infierno o al paraíso, pero siempre nos lleva a algún sitio. Es necesario aceptarlo, pues es el alimento de nuestra existencia. Si nos nega-mos, moriremos de hambre viendo las ramas del árbol de la vida cargadas, sin coraje para estirar la mano y coger los frutos. Es necesario buscar el amor donde esté, aunque eso signifique horas, días, semanas de decepción y tristeza. Porque en el momento en que salimos en busca del amor, el amor también sale a nuestro encuentro. Y nos salva.”
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“No es necesario hablar del amor, porque el amor tiene su propia voz, y habla por sí”
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“Sí mi mente estaba volando. Me gustaría estar allí con alguien que me dejase el corazón en paz, alguien con quien pudiese vivir aquel momento sin miedo de perderlo al día siguiente. Así el tiempo pasaría más despacio; po-dríamos quedarnos en silencio, ya que tendríamos el resto de la vida para conversar. Yo no tendría que estar preocupándome de temas serios, decisiones difíciles, palabras duras.”
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“La Virgen entiende el misterio de la entrega total —prosiguió—. Y, por haber amado y sufrido, nos liberó del dolor.”
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“Zapato nuevo molesta. La vida no es diferente: nos coge desprevenidos y nos obliga a caminar hacia lo desconocido cuando no queremos, cuando no lo necesitamos.”
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“Hay cosas en la vida por las que vale la pena luchar hasta el fin.”
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“La princesa se ha convertido en sapo. ¿Qué importancia tiene esto? ¿A quién necesito probarle algo si no busco nada, ni hombre ni amor?”
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“En los cuentos infantiles, las princesas besan a los sapos, que se transforman en príncipes. En la vida real, las princesas besan a los príncipes, que se transforman en sapos.”
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“Quien ama necesita saber perderse y encontrarse.”
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“Porque, en la vida real, el amor necesita ser posible. Incluso aunque no haya una retribución inmediata, el amor sólo consigue sobrevivir cuando existe la esperanza —por lejana que sea— de que conquistaremos a la persona amada. El resto es fantasía.”
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“existen momentos en los que todavía es necesario correr riesgos, dar pasos insensatos.”
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“Si no nacemos de nuevo, si no volvemos a mirar la vida con la inocencia y el entusiasmo de la infancia, no tiene sentido seguir viviendo.”
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“El instante mágico del día nos ayuda a cambiar, nos hace ir en busca de nuestros sueños. Vamos a sufrir, vamos a tener momentos difíciles, vamos a afrontar muchas desilusiones…, pero todo es pasajero, y no deja marcas. Y en el futuro podemos mirar hacia atrás con orgul o y fe. Pobre del que tiene miedo de correr riesgos. Porque ése quizá no se decepcione nunca, ni tenga desilusiones, ni sufra como los que persiguen un sueño. Pero al mirar hacia atrás —porque siempre miramos hacia atrás— oirá el corazón que le dice: «¿Qué hiciste con los milagros que Dios sembró en tus días? ¿Qué hiciste con los talentos que tu Maestro te confió? Los enterraste en el fondo de una cueva, porque tenías miedo de perderlos. Entonces, ésta es tu herencia: la certeza de que has desperdiciado tu vida.”
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“Es necesario correr riesgos, decía. Sólo entendemos del todo el milagro de la vida cuando dejamos que suceda lo inesperado. Todos los días Dios nos da, junto con el sol, un momento en el que es posible cambiar todo lo que nos hace infelices. Todos los días tratamos de fingir que no percibimos ese momento, que ese momento no existe, que hoy es igual que ayer y será igual que mañana.”
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“Procura vivir. Deja los recuerdos para los viejos —decía él. Quizá el amor nos hace envejecer antes de tiempo, y nos vuelve más jó- venes cuando pasa la juventud. Pero ¿cómo no recordar aquellos momentos?”
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“Que mis lágrimas corran así bien lejos, para que mi amor nunca sepa que un día lloré por él.”
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“Pero nunca debemos olvidar que una experiencia espiritual es sobre todo una experiencia práctica del Amor. Y en el amor no existen reglas. Podemos intentar guiarnos por un manual, controlar el corazón, tener una estrategia de comportamiento… Pero todo eso es una tontería. Quien decide es el corazón, y lo que él decide es lo que vale. Todos hemos experimentado eso en la vida. Todos, en algún momento, hemos dicho entre lágrimas: «Estoy sufriendo por un amor que no vale la pe-na.» Sufrimos porque descubrimos que damos más de lo que recibimos. Sufrimos porque nuestro amor no es reconocido. Sufrimos porque no conseguimos imponer nuestras reglas. Sufrimos impensadamente, porque en el amor está la semilla de nuestro crecimiento. Cuando más amamos, más cerca estamos de la experiencia espiritual. Los verdaderos iluminados, con las almas encendidas por el Amor, vencían todos los prejuicios de la época.”
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“Eran alegres, porque quien ama ha vencido el mundo, y no teme perder nada. El verdadero amor supone un acto de entrega total.”
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“There are some things in life that are worth fighting for to the end.”
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“In a few more days I'd anticipated telling Veronika that our injections had cured her heart condition. But in light of her unscheduled departure form Villette my telling that particular lie will not be required. The majority of people who attempt suicide repeat that attempt until they succeed. I took a risk in lying to her about her condition, i decided to test the only remedy i have come to have any faith in: awareness of life. Until she finds out from some other doctor that she is perfectly healthy. She'll consider each day a miracle. Which in my view it is.”
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“Her silence was the blank space between the words.”
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