In your novels, you transmit a wonderful magical world, full of spirituality and goodness, and you insist that goodness is not limited to a place, religion or group. How did you reach this conclusion, especially with all that you went through earlier in your life?
The cost is always high but worth it. If I look back at my life – which in this moment I am “obliged” to look at since a biography about my lyricist days just came out in Brazil and soon another will come out by the end of the year – I see many occasions where society tried to make me conform to “normality”. This resulted in three hospitalizations in an asylum when I was a teenager (which I describe in my book Veronika decides to die), torture when I was a young adult by the hands of the paramilitaries, and many defeats. You could look at these experiences and say “Paulo’s life is tragic” but I don’t see it that way. What I do see is someone trying to remain true to oneself. Yes there is a price but I believe that life tends to be very generous to those that are brave enough to take these risks. In a word, I’ve always had faith in life.
I am reading a book about left handed people or ambidextrous,who have a different view of the world. Most interesting. Apparently they are intuitive, hot tempered, iconoclastic, experimental, solitary and fantasist.
The book is called “A left handed History of the World” by Ed Wright
Paulo, are you left handed or ambidextrous?
Religions are sometimes as different as the cultures or the centuries are. But the human been has exactly the same spiritual needs, because he is all the same from the moment of creation till now. He just needs more time to discover who he is.
Or everyone of us can discover him/herself in an unique different process.For examples, some discover their full potential by being nuns, some being soldiers and seeing death, some smelling a flower, some looking into his/her baby’s pure eyes, there are so many ways to “meet” yourself. Mainly by challenging your own limits of rezistence. By sacrifice.It hearts many time, realy badly, realy badly, God. But in the end…Mr.Paulo, look to all souls are writting to you, mailling you. And you are kind and share your part with us. Thank you, we know that behind this gift for us is pure sacrifice. Thank you, God bless you.
With deep respect,
Adina
Reading what you say above, I feel as I am a close friend to you and you ‘confess’ me your journey.. I feel, I am a loving friend and this is a rare moment of ‘truth’. It is also the wonderful soul of yours, that makes us all look with your own eyes and experience the miracle and magnitude of life, light and love. You teach us, with your paradigm that Odysseus is facing the challenges of the journey with bravery and …joy.
Love,
Thelma
Well,you are an example to many of us.How easy is to lose faith during hard times.But you only grow and become stronger in spirit.But I like you more for you tallent as a writer.If you wont write books,maybe I never knew there are thoughts as beautiful as yours.
Your view of the world, Paulo, as well as your perception of your own life is beautiful and rare. It would have been so easy for you to assume the role of victim, thinking in your mind and telling others “Oh, poor me!” After being institutionalized and likely labeled with this or that psychological “disorder,” you could have chosen to wear that label for the rest of your life, holding it up for others to see, thereafter an easy explanation for any and every failure or shortcoming on your part. Same with the experience of torture in the hands of the paramilitaries – you could have held on to that experience, even long after it was over, in order to frame yourself as a victim and thereby excuse yourself from truly taking hold of life. Instead, in both cases, you chose to take responsibility for your life and for the journey it entails – you chose to take the risks that would make your life and your journey exceptional. I think “bravery” doesn’t even come close to describing your type of sensibility, your approach to life. You are more than brave; you are “true!” There are not very many true people in the world these days.
I can understand, in a sense, why you look back with regret upon the day you saw Borges in that restaurant and yet didn’t approach him. I care very little for riches and even less for fame. It doesn’t impress me in the slightest when someone is “famous.” What interests me is the real person – the inner person, beyond the persona. So, whenever I play one of those games that asks “If you could have dinner with a famous person, living or dead, who would you choose?” I always draw a blank. I always say “Einstein” because I can’t think if anyone else. However, I’m beginning to change my mind. You don’t seem like a “famous person;” you seem like a real person – someone true to himself first and foremost, above all. And that is a rare thing indeed. You seem like someone I’d really like to know – aside from all the books you’ve written, only a few of which I have read yet anyway – I’d like to know the person, Paulo Coelho.
So, if you ever happen to be having lunch in Elijah’s cafe in Kirbyville, Texas, do let me know.
Sincerely,
Savita
You are a true inspiration for me and the rest of the world :-)
It´s strange that some people try to force their opinion on other people. The charm of being a human is that we can have diffrent view on things but still be friends (in my opinion).
Accept and respect that we all have our own truth.
How boring would the life be if everyone had the same thoughts and believes??
What would then be the point of living if everything was perfect from the beginning ?
We need all the colours in the palette to paint a wonderful painting. You cannot do that with only one colour ;-)
Love always
Jessica