Paulo Coelho
Once, in the winter of 1981, I was walking with my wife through the streets of Prague when we came across a young man drawing the buildings around him.
Although I dread carrying things with me when I travel (and there was still a traveling ahead), I was taken by one of the drawings and decided to buy it.
When I handed him the money I noticed that he was not wearing gloves, despite the cold weather (it was 5 degrees below zero).
“Why aren’t you wearing gloves?” I asked.
“So I can hold the pencil.” And he began to tell me how loved Prague in the winter, that was the best season to draw the city. He was so happy with his sale that he decided to do a portrait of my wife without charging anything.
While I was waiting for him to finish the drawing, I realized that something odd had happened: we had chatted for almost five minutes without being able to speak one another’s language. We made ourselves understood only by gestures, laughter, facial expressions and the desire to share something.
The simple desire to share something had enabled us to enter into the world of language without words, where everything is always clear and there is not the slightest risk of being misunderstood.
Welcome to Share with Friends - Free Texts for a Free Internet
Bonjour Paulo,
I had a similar experience.
It was a story without words that had quite an impact on my life.
I was observing a Spanish couple watching a TV program in English - they did not understand English - they had lowered the sound and as they were watching they were commenting about the event. It suddenly occurred to me that what they were saying was exactly what I was thinking.
That day was very significant to me. I then became aware of other ways of communication.
Love
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Once in India the Nun Gabriela (+ died on the island Leros, Greece) said: I know 5 languages
- smile
- tears
- touch
- pray
- love
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It is nice when you meet someone with who you have an infinity.
One summer three years ago I met my lovely Czech friend Iva. At the time she was studying in Prague.
Prague is one of those cities I’d love to visit, not the least as that is where my lovely friend Iva is.
It is a pity that Prague has hordes of English who are there for the cheap alcohol.
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Paulo eu acredito ja ter passado por esta experiencia varia vezes, quando cheguei aqui na Alemanha nao falava nem oi em alemao vivi quase dois anos sem falar o idioma, ja vivi este momento magico varias vezes.beijos andrea
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Dear Marta, welcome to our .. company. We, here, speak the language of love, thanks to our host Paulo Coelho.
LOVE,
Thelma.
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Dear Paulo
This is the first time I dare to comment one of your posts, though I always read and enjoy all of them.
I’m a woman who after a difficult life was able to find, or at least guess, there is a way we have to do towards our inner self. And there we’ll find LOVE. Inconditional and true love towards every human being.
I could do this after reading or listening many masters who have illuminated my mind. You are one of them.
Others have been illiterate masters, who hardly knew how to write or read, as my grandmother.
And I think here is the heart of the matter, we are able to communicate with everybody, only when we can experiment LOVE. It’s the wordly language.
Thank you for allowing me to share and interchange thoughts or believings and learn from other’s way of thinking.
Love. Marta
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“Charismatic” redirects here. For other uses, see Charisma (disambiguation)
The word charisma (Greek “kharisma,” meaning “gift,” “of/from/favored_by God/the_divine”) refers to a trait found in persons with a facile personality, characterized by personal charm and magnetism (attractiveness), along with innate and powerfully sophisticated abilities of interpersonal communication and persuasion. One who is charismatic is said to be capable of using their personal being, rather than just speech or logic alone, to interface with other human beings in a personal and direct manner, and effectively communicate an argument or concept to them.
Dear Cristina, I found the above in the Google. carisma is from the Greek word Charisma = Χάρισμα = Gift.
LOVE,
Thelma.
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The gift of Languages is a “carisma”. We know it by the Gospels. So people can communicate even though tey don’t speak the same language, if they have developed that “carisma” (sorry I don’t know how to translate it in english, so I’ve written it in italian).
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Many years ago,when I lived in London,my friend got engaged to a Dutch guy.We attended their engagement party in Holland,her father a widower an Irish farmer attended .We did not speak Dutch,his family did not speak English.we had a wonderful few days in their home-exchanging stories with our photos, good food ,songs and laughter, and prayer -his Dad was a minisiter in a local church : )
Breda
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Just thinking about this post, I am wondering how is it that 2 people from different cultures are able to understand one another even if a language barrier is present… and on the flip side, 2 people who speak the same language will misunderstand or misperceive the message of a conversation…
When I was young I often heard adults talk about people from different ‘worlds’, commenting on foreigners being in my country and not learning the language. I sometimes feel as though the only foreigners in the world are those who choose to judge a person based on their look or background, without opening their heart and soul to the language Paulo speaks of in this post.
I think it is the language of God…a willingness to be open to a stranger and welcome that stranger into your sphere.
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Thanks Thelma for contacting me-I am heading out to the literary festival again tonight ,to nourish my soul-talk soon
Love,
Breda
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He is so devoted to what he does, that all the happiness he receives form the paintings keep him warm… i loved it..thank you!
Love and Graditude
Annie
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Thank you all.
Dear Breda, thank you for … searching for me .. yesterday. These days I was a little busy: our Easter, our daughter left for England on Sunday and then she left for L.A. yesterday.. We also went to the mountains and to Paphos with friends.. The weather is very beautiful in Cyprus at this time. We even went swimming last week.. and on Troodos mountain there was still some snow!
Dear Heart yes I searched for you here in the HOME of Paulo Coelho’s BLOG .. I wish I could make everybody ‘friend’ here! Yes I thought how can I thank the people who are my friends or send a message, but I could not find a way.. If Paul from Austria was not … walking, he could have help us! I think our Paulo Coelho will find a way.. Please Paula, help !!!
LOVE,
Thelma
p.s. I am in Facebook and Myspace … as a fan/friend of Paulo Coelho, with my real name : Thelma Tryfonidou.
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This happened 2 years before my birthday.
Lovely story of a man loving so much what he does that he can bare anything, because of that love. The coldness wouldn’t affect him while he was painting.
Also the second part: when You talked to each other with not being able to use the same languages, that was like the moment with that video about You talking about Your life, I don’t remember the title, but You presented it here like 2-3 weeks ago and Marie Christine translated it! I watched the movie then, I understood main things in it, but a verbal person that I am, I guess I needed to lean on words… not body language and its aspects.
I guess we should risk more, do more things even when we don’t know how to exactly do them, or do them even if we are afraid of them or if we have never ever done those kind of things in our lives. It’s essential to learn and be open to new things. That is what I’ve learnt.
A beautiful story, really!
Love,
L.L.
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If I may add, when there is a desire to understand, there are no obstacles in communication that cannot be overcome. What a lovely story!
Love,
Sherry
http://evolutioninconsciousness.blogspot.com/
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Thank you for your awesome little memory from Prague. I’m back on those little streets when I read it, and glad you balances my general negative impression of this exceptional city, with something positive. Truly, one can find treasures in Prague. Myself, I ended up with two certified Russian Icons. It was a bit scary to smuggle them through customs traveling back, but worth it.
Hi Thelma, I just want to tell you I appreciate you found me on the google thing, and sent me your lovely friend request. I accepted and see you are on my friend’s list. The problem is I want to send you a note back, but don’t know how! I’ve tried to study it here and have asked others, but we cannot figure it out. Is there a way you can send me something I can reply to? Hope to be in contact with you soon. And, HAPPY CYPRIOTIC EASTER! Didn’t know you celebrated on your own cycle, a week later this year.
Luv you,
Heart
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Between the Hammer and Anvil.”Babylon tower” created the Language.”The Fire” from hearts and eyes was hidden behind words.Between Instincts and Wisdom we have been kept since.One step backwards-and Nature rules,little bit vorward-and music of other spheres overhelms-where words become “pale shadows”..To find right words,to use them right and at the right time is the way out from “downfall” or “untimely accession” to the Olympus.
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First I thought you were chatting in English. Happens in these big cities, where often come many strangers, that people develop a sort of universal language made by gestures.I noticed that in my journeys in big capitals.Now with your story I remember how wonderful time I passed in Florence, and in the center of the city, near the Ufizzi Gallery there was once an artist as in your story. My friend was willing to made me that present, and so I have a nice drawing of myself, made in the beautiful Florence. Everybody who came to my house, see that drawing in frame now,and they say” Who is that beautiful lady?”.I laugh, because it is me, some time ago.
Is nice having plesant memories.
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Hi Paulo,
I always follow your posts, but this is actually the first time that I make a comment, and I decided to do so, because I can relate to this particular topic, to something that has been on my mind for a couple of days.
I think I understand what you say about being able to communicate without words, or at least without words that we know.
I’m from Mexico, but right now I’m leaving in Japan, it’s a wonderful country, I really like it, but the thing is that I don’t speak Japanese very well, in fact I’m just a beginner, but so far I haven’t had a problem living my life in here.
The other day, in one of my classes, we were talking about how Japan had been closed to the world, and how it started opening ports allowing ships and people to come into the country back in the 18th century. I remember I started wondering how come they were able to trade and communicate with each other, if neither of them new the other language, specially Japanese, since Japan had refused to have any relation with the outside world(most of the time).
And then I realized I was doing the same thing, every time I go out on the streets and try to buy food, or ask to get somewhere, or even in the train, I can live and interact with people, maybe not as efficiently as a person that knows the language, but at least in some point we are able to understand each other.
I guess it’s just part of human nature, it’s something that we all have in common, we all feel, we all have the same basic needs, we all use our body to express ourselves, and therefore we are all able to understand each other, even though we come from different cultures and backgrounds, as you implied it’s something that we almost do unconsciously.
There’s a saying that I liked to change a little bit, “a smile can say more than a thousand words”, I believe. I think it has worked for me so far.
Thank you for your time.
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Probably the best relationship I ever had was with a man who spoke no English. At the time, I spoke not one word of Italian. I say it was the “best” relationship - what I mean by that is that it is the one relationship that I look back on with great nostalgia and an enormous sense of joy. I think, “Oh, why can’t all relationships be like that? - at once so innocent and yet so primal.” It was probably the most “real” relationship that I have ever had. From start to finish, there was just the desire, the joy, the pleasure, and ever so much laughter.
He worked at a gym and was also a physical therapist. I was recovering from a cycling accident, had recently had surgery to rebuild my wrist, and he became my physical therapist. I also worked out at the gym, so we saw one another quite a lot. I have no idea how we communicated anything, but we did. Soon enough, there was a first kiss, and that led to our meeting now and then. And everything, as I said, was so simple, so primal. There was no pretense at anything, just this desire, this unbridled passion to spend as much time as we could wrapped up in one another’s arms, which we did. We were each so unfamiliar with the other’s language that there really was no need to even try to talk. Always when we did try to hold a verbal conversation, we would end up laughing hysterically. We spent a lot of time laughing anyway - a lot of things are comical when you strip away the seriousness of language.
At any rate, this went on for several months, then I decided to move from Bologna to Florence. We only saw one another once after that. As I say, when I look back on that period, it is with great nostalgia. It is amazing what can be communicated without the use of words at all, relying solely on gestures, facial expressions, touch, sound. There was indeed a kind of “savageness” to that relationship, but also a kind of innocence that we simply cannot know from the moment that spoken language enters into the picture.
In words, there is a kind of subterfuge, which we may not be consciously aware of at all times, but, nonetheless, it is there. The words are made of letters and the letters have holes in them - into these we run and hide, and speak only what we want others to understand of us. We may not exactly lie, but we are always shifting, this way and that, taking first one angle and then another, fishing for what might please the lover, what might spark their interest or hold their attention.
There is another side of “savage” that we see in the animals. A primal nature that is as stainless as the songs of angels. In the movie “Out of Africa,” the character, Denys, speaks of this when he says of the animals, “They don’t do anything halfheartedly. Everything’s for the first time… Hunting, working, mating. It’s only man that does it badly. It’s only man that tires of going through it. Who says, ‘See here. Now I know how you feel about me… and you know how I feel about you… and we understand each other, so let’s lie down and get on with it.’” Just before this statement, he also quotes a rather poignant passage from Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”: “He prayeth well… who loveth well, Both man and bird… and beast.” I would add to this: Blessed are the animals, for they have no language.
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Dear Paulo,
Someone once said,
“Sharing is loving…”
and,
Here is what Buddha said,
-”Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
In addition,
Another poor guy from the land of Buddha says,
(Guess who?)
-”WE are branch of the same tree, a single common human tree where each of us try to divide from each other but only those branch stays alive which believes in its shared root.”
-”Confusion, doubt, misunderstanding, unhappiness, anxiety, … are result of dividing self, those who understand self are less likely to have above elements.”
-”Despite so much of differences like culture, race, language, religion, caste, creed, country, opinions, views and origin, Human beings must understand the power of WE.”
God bless you all !
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…to enter into the world of language without words, where everything is always clear and there is not the slightest risk of being misunderstood.
This is my ‘ideal means of commucination’. The language of the Soul, of the Angels! The language of LOVE.
LOVE,
Thelma.
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Wonderful story Paulo :-)
I had such a moment yesterday when I met a wonderful person for the first time.
She talked and when she couldn´t find the words I already know what she mean.
And when I drove home I was so lucky so I cried, that I met this wonderful person.
Love Jessica
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Querido Paulo,
As vezes a gente fala, fala, fala e não diz nada. As vezes o silêncio fala mais do que as palavras… acredito que todos os seres humanos podem se comunicar sem falar o mesmo indioma. Contanto que haja a energia da comunicação ela se faz por si propria, seja por forma de gestos, olhares, ou até o silêncio. Me fez bem esta mensagem de hoje… alias, todo dia me faz bem… Adorei sua foto com Cristina, e sua campanha com a Mango! Parabéns!!
Fiquem com Deus!!
MARG,
Ca
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