People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.

Point to Ponder:

“Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.”― Paulo Coelho

Story Line: Paulo Coelho was born in Brazil. As a teenager, Coelho wanted to become a writer. His parents wanted him to be an Engineer like his father. At 17, Coelho's introversion and opposition to following a traditional path led to his parents committing him to a mental institution from which he escaped three times before being released at the age of 20.  At his parents' wishes, Coelho enrolled in law school and abandoned his dream of becoming a writer. One year later, he dropped out and lived life as a hippie, traveling through South America, North Africa, Mexico, and Europe. Upon his return to Brazil, Coelho worked as a songwriter. In 1974, Coelho was arrested for "subversive" activities by the ruling military government, who viewed his lyrics as left-wing and dangerous. Coelho also worked as an actor, journalist, and theatre director before pursuing his writing career.

"I was doing something that gave me food and water – to use the metaphor in The Alchemist, I was working, I had a person whom I loved, I had money, but I was not fulfilling my dream. My dream was, and still is, to be a writer." Coelho would leave his lucrative career as a songwriter and pursue writing full-time.

In 1982, Coelho published his first book, Hell Archives, which failed to make a substantial impact. After a few more attempts, In 1987, Coelho wrote The Alchemist and published it through a small Brazilian publishing house who made an initial print run of 900 copies and decided not to reprint. He subsequently found a bigger publishing house, and with the publication of his next book Brida, The Alchemist took off. HarperCollins, the biggest publishing House in the United States, decided to publish the book in 1994. Then, it became first a Brazilian bestseller, later a world-wide phenomenon. The Alchemist has gone on to sell more than 83 million copies, becoming one of the best selling books in history and has been translated into 81 different languages.

(Source Biography Wikipedia)

Reflection: A dialogue from Alchemist

“Everyone believes the world’s greatest lie…” says the mysterious old man. “What is the world’s greatest lie?” the little boy asks. The old man replies, “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”

Comments

[Mark Dennen]

Everyone can and should live their dream. That said, they should also realize there are consequences to their decisions. If they choose to be an elementary school teacher or a social worker, both noble professions, they should realize they are likely not to make the amount of income they would make as an engineer or a biochemist. The problem is many want the dream and the income and often this is not possible.

For many, me included, a job is not a life, but a means to a life. I did my job to provide for my family and when I was able, I retired to pursue other things. I suspect many are in a similar situation. You cannot have it all, so you must make choices and live with them.

[Shawn]

Wow, look at that timeline of never giving up... Decades and decades of time... Think about how many people would have quit or as he said " died of thirst just when the palm trees are on the horizon".

He fell in love with the process. The longer the battle, the sweeter the victory.

Good for him and great story to pass along... Keep going Friends

[Madhuri]

"...Perfect is boring, and dreams are not real. Just . . . DO.” Year Of Yes.