{seesmic_video:{“url_thumbnail”:{“value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/fjQSq93Hxb_th1.jpg”}”title”:{“value”:”Paulo Coelho and the Winner “}”videoUri”:{“value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/2EBclJx2f0″}}}
Today I received this box and inside of it I found my new book « The Winner is Alone » – the Brazilian edition that is coming out now in my country – and in the rest of the world throughout 2009.
As it always happens, I felt very excited about it – throughout the process of writing the book as well as seeing the physical object. It feels like a new baby and I still have the same feeling that I had when I released my first book “The Pilgrimage” in 1987.
So here’s my question of the week: What type of work gives you pleasure?
{ 190 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Next Comments →
HI, PABLO!
I work at human resources, so, every time I say “you´re hired” gives me a shot of adrenalina. We all need a job and to say that 3 words changes the face of all the people and makes me feel their joy.
Love from Zacatecas, Mexico.
I feel a pleasure about to do my inner energy healing to others and helping with all my hart everyone who needs my helps. I feel also pleasure about reading books. Nowadays I enjoy to read an Egyptian historically books, books from Doreen Virtue and Yours books Paolo.
With all love Ritva
Teaching “The Alchemist” to high school seniors in Chicago! I have found the job where my job is to read as much possible, experience as much as possible, and to share all of that with students.
Any kind of work, when you can see the happy fases and smiles of people, who likes the result of your work, the result of spending your soul on the world…
The work I enjoy most is trying to be a good husband for my wife and a honest father for my son that tries to encourage him of just being him.
Nothing more, nothing less. :o)
hola, primero que todo felicidades por tu nuevo libro y no puedo esperar para leerlo ; yo tengo 19 años estudiaba ingenieria en sistemas pero, descubri que eso no era lo que me daba placer, no era mi sueño, me di cuenta que lo que realmente me daba placer o mejor dicho me gusta , es tomar fotos artisticas quiero ser fotografo y tambien me he dado cuenta que escribir poesia me da mucho placer , asi que pienso que estoy descubriendo mi verdadera vocación: ser artista.
Becoming my greatest self is the work that gives me the greatest pleasure. Though, I admit it is the most challenging “work” I will ever do in my life. Second to that, is screenwriting and teaching. I love crafting a story, digging deep into the psyche of my characters and creating scenes that deeply inspire and get an emotional response (be it positive or negative) from the one reading the script. Teaching is my day job and I love being able to give to my students in any capacity that they require of me.
Viki
p.s. I enjoyed meeting you in Santiago (July 25th 2008) outside your hotel on the day I arrived from my camino. I was the Canadian girl who took photos with you and told you that it was your book “The Pilgrimage” (read in 1997) that eventually brought me to Spain to walk the Camino. I thought it very fitting (a divine blessing really) to have ended my camino with a chance meeting of the person who first brought the camino to my attention and who inspired me to one day take the long journey. Thus, I want to thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Doing my workers (including the tea boy) job tasks when they are sick or on leave. It showers me with beginners hope and ambition.
Your book “The Alchemist” has led me to the questions “Who am I? What I believe and what I care about?
Eventually, I ended up with the reading the Bible and thinking about the eternity.
Thank you for that! You help people to wake up and review the life they are living.
Bella
What I write or sing, and also what I draw, because I always discover people or things I didn’t intend to depict in.
♥
Funny. During my 14-days off in croatia, i found the title of my first book “café revolution” and (finally) made the decision to start writing in september. And now, dear Paulo, you give me this touchy message about your new “baby”, and now i am (even more) looking forward to the feeling that i (probably) might have, when it is published one day. Thank you ever so much.
To give you my answer to your question of the week. My pleasure is it to make this world a better place – every day. Sounds ambitious – i know. But i try to do it in small steps. It happens (mostly) by coaching somebody and helping him/her to do things better (for him/herself). And then, when i see, that he or she is happy with following the new way he/she found (with a bit of my help), i (sometimes) have a tear in my eye… i call this “magic moments”…
Thank you Annie. I enjoy very much to read your poetic lines too.
I find it interesting that I have tried to think first before I answer.
But that is not the truth, so I will just come out with my answers, without structure.
I love creating. I am a film-maker, which means for me to comprise a writer, artist and performer together. There are so many acts of creation involved in what I do, creating images, words and drama, guiding people towards a performance.
Ultimately I love storytelling and inspiring myself and others towards things that we have not yet done. When fiction becomes reality.
I like to describe life as a film, a story in which much occurs. In each film there is time where events happen in-between the scenes, which the viewer does not see.
These things that happen between the scenes are left out of the film because they are of no interest to the viewer. They are inconsequential. I love to be in the moments that will be on-screen in the film of my life.
But this is a strange film I am living, because unlike big explosions, some of the most important scenes are subtle, involving small slow creations. Some are just choices in my head. But some are grand. And I will see what scenes come next.
In answer to your question – creating moments and living times where I know they have meaning and impact on my life and those of others.
Thank you, Kas
Every time I write a new song :)
Inspiring people by excelling in what I do…
If I find three ways…I will make a fourth one for myself and use it…!!
Dear Paulo
I am a cardiologist and i love my profession whole haeartedly. I get immense solace treating and interacting with my patients
Hi, Paulo,
My mother used to say that you will know you are enjoying your work when work gives you an orgasm.
For me, writing is the only activity that is better than sex. And one of the books that absorbed me totally, body and mind, was, Veronica desides to die.
I love to paint! Every work starts out as a blank canvas, and as it grows under my hands, I experience different emotions: sometimes anger (black & red) but mostly love and calm. (blue, green & purple, even orange) Funny, as each painting grows, it has a friend or family member’s name on it – I just know who it belongs to. It’s as if the image grows into the person for who it is meant! That is the work I love, but unfortunately, that is not the work that pays the bills!! Boring bookkeeping does that!
sigo siendo estudiante, pero ahora por verano trabajo en una agencia de viajes, me gusta mucho el trabajo aunque este estudiando administracion de restaurantes, pero me da satisfaccion cada que un expediente esta listo, hago los cupones de hotel, traslados, y finalmente al llamar al cliente y preguntarle si ya tiene toda su documentacion completa o el recibir respuestas de los clientes agradeciendo la atencion etc es muy muy emocionante, despues de todo el estres por verificar nombres, comprar vuelos, reservar en el hotel…todo sale como se espera. te felicito por tu nuevo libro ya lo quiero leer. =) y una pregunta cuando vienes a mexico? saludos y suerte!
anais
Óla Paulo,
Por que será que eu sinto vontade de ler e reler muitos dos seus livros?!
Admiro voce muito, gosto de saber que nao estou sozinha pensando coisas estranhas ate para mim mesma, talvez por nao ter achado outras pessoas que pensasse as mesmas coisas, como os anjos da guarda, no livro das valkirias, já tinha pensado muito sobre eles e quando li o livro me surprieendi em saber que alguem alem de mim achava que eles agiam e uma forma especial, até da face feminina de Deus, é ja havia pensado nisso e acreditava, porem nunca comentei e pricipalmente em achar que tenho duas Laises dentro de mim, sério, eu tenho a plena certeza que sou duas!
nem sei porque estou escrevendo isso agora para voce, apenas me deu vontade!
I think I’m still a kid. I work in soccer… Soccer is a game, but a passion. So, I think my job is really fun.
I feel committed to my job, and to the world around my job.
I also ‘work’ in myself. I try to improve myself.
I work out in a gym… and actually work as personal trainer, which is working in my body and others body. I think there is a very interesting connection between our bodies and our souls and my jobs have let me see and remind that everyday.
los hombres aman a las mujeres por todo eso y por q ven a su madre en muchos pasos de ellas. simpre me molesto pensar q el dia q me case, mi marido me elija por q le recuerdo un poco a su madre y asi se sienta seguro, pero hoy q tengo un hijo varon, pienso solo en el dia en q ame a otra mujer mas q ami! estas palabras son hermosas y la realidad de un sentimiento sin explicacion, por q a pesar de ser tan complicadas , complejas y cambiantes, ustedes los hombres nos siguen amando con pasion.
Dear Mr. Paulo ..
am still a student .. but for me any kind of work that will make me feel worthy, proud of myself and brings happiness to others, is the kind of work that will give me pleasure ..
Have a nice day :)
I feel a little bit of what feelings Woodstock might have caused in me, allready having been living at this time, reading your blog of today. Answering to your question of today is quite easy to me. – I do improvise nearly daily on my piano.
Allready for years improvising on pianos even for a short moment gives me pleasure in finding spontaneous expression in music. This is an exciting and fulfilling way of making music for me, far beyond sole interpretation, flexible and free in its methods. The best of it is: Everyone is able to improvise in his or her way not only in music but in various ways and situations. This can bee the basis of pleasure for everyone.
Sincerely yours,
Robert
The kind of occupation that makes me go on a catwalk because im too sexy, or being in front of a camera on a shoting, or a job that involves books, in wich i can share my wisdom about it, like managing a bookstore… so im doing all of these.
Excuse me Mr. Coelho, for explaining me so, and thanks infinity for the possibility to bring these to other people:
I think a lot of people only want to find a job that makes them happy at once. But the best job of our life is that job that we ourselves do or generate. That means, and is my experience in 35 year of work, that: If you love butterflies and want to live and work with it, don´t only look for a job, or a company that can give you a job for it, NO… MAKE YOUR JOB !!! You can say, “Yes so easy ” This guy do not live the reality. But I will teach you how , HOW I DID IT !!! And it works !!!
Be patient.
First: Look for what you Really want, that should be very, very , clear. So exact as possible.Your dream. And say: I CAN DO IT!! For all your life. If not clear don´t start.
Second: Look for how much time you can wait to make it real. If you have less than 1 year : Forget it !! Don´t continue.
Third: You should have the possibility to survive other way from – a Job or Father, Husband,Wife, Friend, Bank Account , etc, for the total time it takes to reach your goal.
Forth: Put in your mind, that YOUR DREAM JOB must produce money to live from and the only way to survive from your own job, is to make money that comes only from people that likes , needs and appreciate your job. They will pay for it.
Fifth: That your new job is like a pretty person you want to have as your Girl- or Boyfriend, that takes time and ideas and interest and wiliness until she ( he) says YES !! And that takes TIME !!!
But like that, you work all the time in that idea, talking to the people about it, and comparing what would the people pay for you, if you would do something for example with Butterflies !!
Try ideas you can make : Example- Making photos about Butterflies- and hundreds of ideas around it.
Then comes the most important part of this instruction:
Write, Call, Talk, with people, companys, offices, familys or any other related with your future job ( if more better ), until you find only 1 ( one ) YES !! Only 1 interested. And do your best to give them something special nobody can offer like you. Then look for more interested, this time can take you 1 to 4 years, that is why you need TIME !!! But your product should be easy to you to produce (assemble, copie, write, finish, cook, cut, remix, fill, paste, record,save ) and sell and in big quantities. AND GOOD !!! For Example a Relax CD with Butterflies photos, And that the people after buying one should need more, not only a luxury. Then you have to register your company. Make your Web Site.
After 4 years everybody knows you by name and you will have enough clients that they will call you like a friend asking for your product, you will not need to sell any more, they will call you daily and you can start partially living from YOUR JOB, and your clients will act like a very good smell, everyone who likes it will refer you to a new client( company or industry) and after 10 years you will have a big own company doing that exactly : Your own JOB.Working 100 % with it.
Clients will: NEED you and call daily for your product, from all the world !!! USE INTERNET !!!
If 100 clients pay you only 1 US$ daily, you will have in 20 days : 2.000 US$. and 1 US$ is nothing !!!
You have done from people that before didn´t needed your product, to clients that can´t live without it. Your created a necessity where it was nothing.Really NOTHING.
Example: The Big Cola Drink Companys. That is only a common ordinary, easy drink and they worked selling it from person to person (years) until you can`t live without it.
Hope a lot of people find their pleasure Job this way.
Glad to help you and give you my experience,
Jorge Alfonzo Venezuela
Paulo,
I used to study at a design college so one of the things I most like to do is take something like a sea sheel or anything from the nature, and just using the paper and pencil and turn it into a whole new draw.
it does takes a while to have it since you have to make the observation drawings, then more three processes to have it done but one it’s completed…feels like the best thing in the world.seems the most special thing cuz its diferent, beautiful and it’s made by you.
XOXO
Paulo,
Forgetting the initial thoughts that came over; when I listen to myself deeply, I understand, once I stop feeling the pressure of the environment around me, I will love everything I do.
Shraddha
Well, I`m trying to look for all the sights in my life… and life took my hand and lead me to my spinningwheel and to work creativ with wool and to give old traditions to other interested people to make their life richer.That makes my so satisfied and happy.
Writing.
It seems like this message is meant for me. meaning I should change my job because the current one does not give me any pleasure. Right at this moment, I am taking voice training. So singing gives me pleasure although I am not making a living out of it. I am hoping I will be able to make money by making art in near future. Also teaching art for little kids. That would give me a lot of pleasure, I think.
Thanks for this opportunity. I am Aeronautical Engineer and working in Maintenance of Helicopters and Airplanes what makes me so happy that I could work without any payment. I am Lucky to have studied want I really wanted. So what really makes me happy ist to make safer the flight, not to hear from a accident in my repaired airplanes and to teach the other people that work with me or hear to my seminars, how to do the job without mistakes and have open eyes to see problems before they occure, to listen themselves when they hear an intern voice that says, please watch that part and verify its good funtioning, I don´t no how, but I think somebody is always behind us telling us things we don´t see with our eyes, but with our felling. It has occured us many times, so in my case I think it´s God or my died Father behind. I´m very glad and understand a lot of people that work in jobs that don´t have fun in big companys. We live 80 % of our life in the work, so happiness can be found easier if our work makes us happy. Look for it !!! We say: Who doesn´t seek for, don´t find.
Jorge Alfonzo Venezuela
i love work which challenges me.the work which says “come on baby!you can not do me “.that why i change my career from engineering to management.every day i complete a difficult work i say to myself ,well done boy les find something more difficult.that’s the way i keep myself happy
Today not everybody have the good look to do what the really want but to do what they need to do to subsist. So I say when the activity done by a human being takes action with joy and passion, gives the pleasure felt by you when opened the box and found your dream becomes reality.
Can´t wait the spanish version …
In my childhood, when I was 6-7 years old, I was often asked by my grandparents while they were working on their field, to bring fresh , cold water, on a hot summer day. Sometimes it took me a longer trip to bring the fresh , cold water, but their happy and satisfied faces after a sip of fresh and cold water was unique and I felt fullfilled by doing this.
As a teenager I was cooking the most delicious pancakes in the family, and I loved the expresion on their faces when they tasted my delicious pancakes.
As a working adult I love looking back with pasion to the work that I made, or just wrote/ e-mailed.
As a mother I always melt in my childrens smiles. Simple things give sometimes the most intense satisfaction.
O vencedor egoísta, esse sim, estará sempre só! MAS, O MAGO, ESCRITOR E AMIGO DOS SEUS LEITORES, PAULO COELHO, JAMAIS FICARÁ SÓ!!!
What’s left if we’re not passionate about anything we do? Not to complain, because I have no desire or reason for that; I’m generally comfortable, but I’ve found nothing to be really passionate about.
The work you fulfil with passion will bring you pleasure.
If it happens to be the case one can hardly say it is really work, then your hobby becomes your job, for which you receive salary and continuous joy. This is one of the best thing which can happen, if you deal with something pleasurable in most of your days. As we need to admit that people spend most of their time in the working place, so we should really choose well, so that 8 or even more hours out of 24 a day should be spent with joy and pleasure. If only everyone would work in a field that gave him pleasure , this world would be so much better, happier.
Answerers took their own example that brings them pleasure and joy. that is already great, they recognised what brings them pleasure, even if they do not work in the same field, this is the first step. a lot of people is even before this stage, just feel that there is something wrong.
Some said that it is the need that drives to the destination. Is it really so? That is your ego which always creates your needs. And always more and more needs. First just a flat, then a house, a car, and one other for your spouse, and where is the end? There is no end. That is what brings to the consumer society we are living in.
Due to these needs you may stay at a working place where you earn the money that your family requires to remain at a standard of living, but that may not bring you any joy and after a time you start to suffer.
“Being appreciated by others brings joy”. Isn’t that ego as well? Instead of doing what you, yourself would like to, you stay at a place because your parents, your family, your friends appreciate you, if you are in a good position.
Others admitted that sometimes it’s hard to find pleasure in their work. That is the sign that you are not doing what you should. If you feel bored and tired of sitting in a working place then it is not your place. You should change.
I think Paulo wanted to get to this point. Make people realise whether how good it is that they do what they like (i suppose it is the minority) or that something is not right (the majority).
And now it is upto you to decide. Suffer for the next couple of years of your life or change, quit and do what makes you happy, even if others think that you are crazy to quit a good job you have now, you are the only one who suffers and feels pain instead of pleasure. So the decision is upto you and not others.
Thnx.
I found this daily question a quite useful tool, at least 1xx people had deeper thoughts then usual.
Na minha juventude, eu sonhava em ser um profissional de histórias em quadrinhos ou cartunista. Elaborava meus próprios personagens, criava os roteiros, desenhava e escrevia os diálogos; enfim, fazia tudo!
Quando tinha cerca de 20 anos, consegui que minhas tiras de quadrinhos fossem publicadas em um jornal semanal.
Me lembro que quando comprei o jornal, e pela primeira vez vi minha tira publicada, não cansava de olhar. Acho que passei a semana inteira lendo e relendo aquela tira de somente 3 quadros.
Imagino a emoção que Paulo Coelho deve sentir ao saber que seu livro recém lançado será lido por milhões de pessoas no mundo inteiro. Concordo que a sensação deve ser semelhante de um filho, recém-nascido.
Paulo, parabéns pelo seu novo livro, que é magnifico já pela capa; muito atraente, criativa e sugestiva. O conteúdo, vou apreciar em breve. Mas tenho certeza que vou me surpreender como aconteceu com outros livros seu.
abçs
Jorge Hirata.
I found this question challenging to answer. There are days when my writing gives me pleasure and days when it does not. Likewise there are days when my healing work brings great pleasure and days when it does not. This I found to be true of all my activities, all those things I call work.
So I let the question sit with me a while and then I realised that it is not the work itself that brings me pleasure but the engagement with life. Being in the flow with life in conscious relationship with it is what brings me pleasure and that can manifest in any number of ways small and large from moment to moment and I can just as easily, and as unconsciously, block it and fight it.
So for me pleasure comes from being in harmony with life and from that stems the doing. Thankyou for helping me to answer that question.
Love and blessings
Rebecca
I get pleasure out of completing a piece of written work, not quite knowing at the outset what point i want to get across, but on reflection see the journey i took through the process. It makes me smile when i read back over it and think “Yea, that’s what i wanted to say”.
Keep writing. It makes me smile.
Dear,Paulo I am a student of literature.Whenever I read your books I feel a great relaxation and get rejuvenated ,specially at times I am tired.”Alchemist” really makes one to be hopefull and confidentto face adversities in life.A ray of hope is seen throught your works and I am thankful towards it and eagerly waitsfor your next “one”(the unique”)with great passion.
My heart felt sentiments of gratitude.
love
Paulo
dear paulo your works have been fabulous, a blend of philosopy and spiituality.we with great passion waits for your next work.
Our heart felt gratitude of congratulations.
I am an artist, although I have traded my paint brushes for a mouse and a graphire pen to keep this passion afloat in a really shaky economy- I also work three days a week as a receptionist at a hospital. My penchant for the arts have become a constant conversation maker with the sick patients I help. There is a weird balance right now between the two, albeit different fields. I still long for the day when I can just paint my cares away.
Making furniture and other objects in wood.
To go through the process from a “pile of planks” to making those finishing strokes after applying the linseed oil.
Then engaging in the thought process of experiencing the piece and the space that has been defined by the wood.
Ultimately, by far the greatest pleasure is then to give it someone.
To see the sheer pleasure in the eye of the receiver.
Thank you for contributing to my life
Peter
I am, at the moment a mere waiter or server, but every single time I serve a customer well, and have added to the joy of their day, or somehow made them happier or more joyous in any way, I am filled with complete joy and feel like jumping up and down once I enter the kitchen again!
I am also a casual writer, so I feel INCREDIBLE joy with the completion of a story.
Hi Paulo!
I am a big fan of your books!! Cant wait for the release of “The Winner”. Currently I am a medical student in Sydney and whenever I get to interact with patients in the hospital, providing a listening ear to them and knowing that they know that there is someone out there who cares for them, this feeling really gives me the pleasure and motivation to finish my course no matter how taf it can be….
Well,. this my first time in this blog, always receive “the warrior of the light” in my email. So, tonight i’m visit your blog, and it’s fantastic!
My english it’s too bad, so, i’m writting in spanglish, jeje.
Me encanto la pregunta, vivimos tan presionados por todo lo que sucede a nuestro alrededor que se nos olvidan esos detalles que nos hacen disfrutar más la vida.
En lo personal una de las cosas que más disfruto es la fotografia, me encanta, es una manera de capturar un instante importante, es la forma perfecta de darle emocion a un pedazo de papel con tinta. Tambien la fotografia es jugar con la luz, con sus colores, son sus ausencias.
Tambien me enriquece el escribir, es una forma de materializar mis ideas, lo que estoy pensando en ese momento, es el desahogo del alma y porque no… tambien de la imaginacion. En ocasiones no tengo el tiempo para hacerlo, pero me encanta.
Ok, that’s all!!… this is my opinion.
my best wishes for your new baby!
love, peace and spiritual light!
Mariposa Nocturna (Mexico)
I am a teacher of a second language to junior high and high school students. I find that my moments of greatest pleasure are when I’m teaching and having fun – and know that my students are learning and having fun.
Other moments of pleasure from my work come when students share parts of their lives with me and I can help them or serve as a friend to them, not just a teacher. At these moments, I am reminded of why I wanted to teach.
It’s summer here, and I’m ready to get back to teaching!
I’m a teacher, so everytime I see my students being capable of achieving something which I have helped them to achieve I get that feeling. Eventhough at the time I enter the classroom, I feel butterflies in my stomach because I don’t know how the class will be, I know it won’t be the same than the day before, and that feeling, that challenge, is really awesome.
← Previous Comments
Next Comments →
{ 1 trackback }