Paulo Coelho’s Blog

5 Responses to “Quote of the Day”

• masher

  November 18, 2008 at 11:10 am

  everyone may be born a warrior but learn different ways very young and can take on the habitual mistakes of others around us . my mother was forever telling me to not stay this not say that tell a little white lie here and there for varying reasons,the injustice of this i felt very young yet quckly done the same and soon learnt to copy her.now im grown up i see her intentions were not bad yet many of her ways led to heartache we all have to relearn to find our inner warrior again ,being genuine is difficult at first but far easier in all long run ,on everyone x

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• Savita Vega

  November 17, 2008 at 7:58 pm

  Silvio has an excellent point! I think that it is so difficult to forgive sometimes, NOT because the transgression in question is so “unforgivable,” but simply because the one who has hurt us remains unwilling to take note of their mistake and admit it.

  I notice often when people go to apologize, they start out all right - they say, “I’m sorry I…(did this or that) BUT….” and then they turn right around and try to blame the person they are apologizing to. It’s like they’re saying, “I’m sorry I hurt you, BUT you asked for it.” Or “I’m sorry I hurt you, BUT the fault is really yours.” That’s not an apology. Rather, it is just a way of masking another stab at that person - driving the knife deeper. When one truly takes responsibility for a mistake they have made, they say, “I’m sorry - I won’t do it again.” They don’t try to make excuses for their actions by twisting the apology around to blame someone else.

  I try very hard to catch my own self in this regard. If I feel like I need to apologize for some wrong I have done, I never allow myself to say, “Im sorry, BUT….” I force myself to stop at “I’m sorry.” I don’t make excuses to try to explain away my actions, I just try very very hard not to repeat the same mistakes again.

  That, I think, is the true meaning of taking responsibility for one’s actions: First, the willingness to admit mistakes. Secondly, the willingness to voice openly an appropriate apology. And thirdly, the will to avoid repeating the same mistake or continuing with the same action.

  Words mean nothing if they are not followed up by one’s actions. If one apologizes for something, and yet continues to commit the same transgression over and over again, that apology is meaningless. Words alone are empty. Everyone is indeed entitled to mistakes - we all make them - but one can only take true responsibility by taking control of one’s own actions. That means not repeating the same mistakes one has already recognized as wrongful or hurtful to oneself and/or others.

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• THELMA

  November 17, 2008 at 6:48 pm

  Responsibility is a virtue that makes us reliable. To err is human and we must accept that mistakes are steps towards our …. perfection. The prices paid lead to wisdom.
  Love,
  Thelma

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• Shadow

  November 17, 2008 at 6:24 pm

  I agree about the truth of the Warrior of the Light. A warrior IS someone who stands for what he believes in and is willing to pay a price for his mistakes. Everyone is a born warrior, it just depends on whether they are willing to embrace their inner Warrior of Light.

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• Silvio

  November 17, 2008 at 6:11 pm

  If we all took responsibility for our mistakes, then people would be able to forgive much more easily. True words from you, Paulo. Thank you and God bless.

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