I have chosen a mountain to define my limits. In 1989 (I was just over 40yrs and I had already published The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage in Brasil), I was on my second sacred pilgrimage in the Pyrenees. And I saw a mountain in the distance called Pic du Gez and I said, ‘okay, I have nothing to do today, so I’m going to climb that peak’.
First, it was very difficult to get close to the base – from a distance it looked so easy. When I finally arrived at the bottom, I had about five hours to climb about 2,000m. Not a big deal. So I started climbing, and I got lost. I knew the peak, but I had no water, no food, I had nothing. Eventually, I made it to the top and looked around. It was summer. There was no snow, it was barren.
It looked like the moon and I seriously thought, ‘I don’t know my way back. I can’t take the same route that I took to get here’. I spent nearly four hours climbing and I had no energy for the descent (which is more difficult than the ascent). So I sat down, and my first decision was that I wasn’t going to smoke – I needed to preserve all my energy.
As I looked around, I saw a city in the distance and I said ‘I’m going to that city’.
And again, it seems easy to navigate when you see something like that in the distance. So I started my descent, heading towards the city, but soon after I began I could no longer see the city anymore. I said, ‘my God, I may die here’. And then I thought ‘well, that’s not so bad. I die on a mountain. Winter will come, my body will disappear and I will become a legend’.
Eventually, I made my way to the city, but I couldn’t sleep that night. My body was completely tense. I had gone beyond my limit.
I called my wife Christina the next day and said, ‘yesterday, I was lost in a mountain, I almost died’.
And she said, ‘okay Paulo, great, but don’t call me very often because our telephone bill is getting very high’. And I’m thinking, ‘oh my God, I almost died and here she is talking about my telephone bill because I was always calling collect’ (laughter).
After this experience, I decided that this mountain would tell me when I get old.
So once a year, I return to climb this mountain. One day, I will be unable to climb it and when that day comes, it will be a landmark moment, a turning point, telling me that I can no longer overstretch myself that way and that I need to find something else. I will find something else.
So this mountain is a symbol for me.
{ 150 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
AMEN , AMEN , AMEN ,
“Quando não conseguir correr através dos anos, trote. Quando não conseguir trotar, caminhe. Quando não conseguir caminhar, use uma bengala. Mas nunca se detenha.” (Madre Teresa de Calcutá)
É igualmente digno, subir ou não a montanha…
a great lesson told very simply and beautifully. now i shall fix a symbol to myself. and the i can Nomore follow myself, il follow u and end my journey!
Paulo,
At this very moment I sit at my desk at work & my heart & soul are dancing with laughter I feel so happy & wish I could laugh out loud however, I don’t think that would be very convenient for my career as I should be working right now & reading your blog when I get home – but what can I say!! You have me hooked.
Love the part when you called your wife & her reply :)
Your story reminds me of a trip I took to the beautiful & diverse place where I was born -Ecuador, it was there that I walked for almost eleven hours through untouched tropical jungle without food & a very limited amount of water, I too was saying goodbye to the world thinking that I was going to die!!! :) The first person that came to my mind was my mother & I panicked thinking that I might not see her again, I could not call her because she was on the other side of the Pacific Ocean in Sydney. I now know that her prayers & the small piece of chocolate that I was offered at the end of my walk to regulate my sugar levels, saved my life!!! (all smiles)
Thanks for sharing your wisdom
Bless
Maria Alexandra
Dear Paulo,
I am quite busy recently, so the translation will go a little bit slower. :D
Love
Yan
Chinese Translation:
我选了一座山来衡量自己的极限。一九八九年（我刚过四十岁，已经在巴西出版了《炼金术士》和《朝圣》），我正在比礼牛斯山脉进行第二次朝圣。我望见远处一座叫格兹峰的山，自言自语道：“好吧，今天我没特别安排，就去爬一下那座山吧。”
一开始，要接近山脚就非常困难——远超我的预计。当抵达山脚时，我还有五个小时来攀登两千米的高度。这不算什么。我开始爬了，不一会儿就迷了路。 我知道山顶在什么方向，可我没带水，没带食物，什么都没有。最终，我爬上了顶峰，环顾四周。正值盛夏，山顶没有积雪，土地裸露着，像是月球表面。我无不担心地思量着：“我不知道回去的路，原路返回是不可能的。”来时，我花了近四个小时，已经没有力气原路往下爬（这会比向上攀要更来得困难。）于是，我坐下休息。所做的第一个决定就是不在路上抽烟——我需要保存全部体力。当我再次四处眺望时，发现远处有一座城市，对自己说：“我去那里。”
从这样的高度和距离断定目标很容易。可朝着这个方向往下爬了不久，我就再也看不到城市的所在。我心想：“完了！弄不好我会死在这里！”然后又自嘲一番：“这也不算太坏！我会死在一座山里。当冬天来临的时候，尸体就会消失，我就会成为传奇。”
最后，我好不容易走到了那座城市，可晚上却怎么也睡不着。我全身肌肉紧绷，无疑是这次冒险过了头。第二天，我打电话给妻子克里斯蒂娜，对她说：“昨天，我在山里迷路了，差点没命。”
她却说：“好的，保罗，干得不错，但是不要老打电话给我，家里的电话费已经够高的了。” 我心想，“老天！我差点死掉，她却只想着电话费！谁让我老打对方付费呢。”（大笑）
经过这次冒险，我决定用这座山来衡量我何时变老。
每年，我都会回去一次爬这座山。有一天，我会再也爬不动。当那天来到时，这座山会成为我生命中的一个转折点，告诉我，我不可以再这样过度透支身体，该换样别的事情做。我想我一定会的。
这座山是我的标志。
When you feel you’re useless and you can’t do the things you use to, and the things you like to do you realize that you are growing up, and everyone does because is a unavoidable thing we all have to pass trough, we can’t stop the time and when is our time to go we neither can make the time doesn’t stop.
We all have to have something that define our limits, maybe the day I feel the music is too loud is going to be the day when I’ll know I’m old. I’m not afraid of dying or growing up, I don’t even care of all the changes will happen or won’t. The doubt is lethal for anybody you can suffer to much with it, so just live without thinking too much, enjoying that I grow up every day and that I can do something for me, for the people I care when I’m still alive.
i’ve also some writing instincts in me .. paulo u are an ignitious writer as u ignite and urge people to write by sharing your wonderful experiences in absolutely amazing style and heart catching words.. keep writing the way u do.. GOD bless u…
Don`t go this far ever again . I have a similar story like you, I almost drowned and after 4 hours a boat came and saved me. All this time i was in the water (sea) swiming :) waiting for somebody. When i arrived to the hotel ( were i
was staing ) i called my fiance and he was angry at me because i did not answer to his call and the voicemail catch him.
p.s. : I just love The Alchemist when i was a child.
Take care !
CUAN VIEJO O JOVEN ESTAMOS DEPENDE DE COMO NOS SENTIMOS Y EN ESTE CASO PAULO SE IMPONE UNA META PARA DARSE CUENTA CUANDO SUS FUERZAS NO LE ALCANCEN PARA SUBIR LA MONTANA EL SE DARA CUENTA QUE HA LLEGADO A LA VEJEZ PERO ENTONCES ESTOY SEGURA QUE INVENTARA OTRA FORMA DE CALIFICARSE SI LLEGO A VIEJO O NO PORQUE PODRIA ESCOJER OTRA MONTANA MENOS PRONUNCIADA Y EN ESE CASO SEGUIRIA INTENTANDO LLEGAR A LA CIMA NO ES TAN CONVINCENTE ESTO YA QUE PARA MI EL CUERPO TALVEZ NO PUEDA RESPONDER PERO SU CORAZÒN Y SU ALMA SIEMPRE TENDRAN LA MANERA DE HACERLO POR TRATARSE DE UN ANGEL DE LUZ PARA MILLONES DE PERSONAS QUE LO SEGUIMOS
PC your writing has influenced many ~ i take symbols w/a grain of salt
Thank you.
todos pasamos por una situaccion similar por ejemplo cuando me piden permiso mis hijos adolescentes mai puedo ir donde mi abuelita bueno vayan y luego desde donde estan mami me puedo quedar a dormir bueno quedate pero llegas temprano y es el momento cuando empiezan a salir de mis idea muchas situaciones extremas donde veo uno de mis hijos que se queda muy tarde en la acea y sew desta una tiroteo y caen heridos y mi pensamiento es poruqe le di permiso, y luego a mi esposo reprochandome y culpandome, y luego me veo de luto, DIOS como pude en un intante haber permitido con un permiso el que mi hijo se exponga a un permiso, una pelea co mi esposo, un velorio, una culpabilidad y cargo de conciencia, y la experiencia de nunca mas dar permiso a otro chico porque me quede con el trauma de un hijo fallecido yyyyy todo acaba cuando lo veo llegar sano y salvo a mis brazos hasta la proxima vez que me pida permiso VERDAD QUE ES ESTRESANTE SER PAPAS¿¿¿¿¿¿¿
Too brilliant for words; love reading & writing 2 my heart’s galore though I haven’t started writing but really wish to … but am an ace- reader devouring anything that comes my way … well, almost ANYTHING … would like to try my luck tho in Writing … wonder when that big day ‘ n time awaits me … !?!?!?!?! Felt indeed Great reading about how you positively imbibed an everyday lesson from your Mountain-experience, The Mountain Will Tell Me When. Am. Old … God bless your Writing Skills – keep it up & continue writing; for its quite an artistic blessing that takes one imagination soaring sky- high …
i’ve been looking for that day (of when i’ll start writing) and hav been swamped with life. Everytime i read a Coelho piece, i think to myself, “i have to start writing!” before the next assignment of life takes over.
i Hope that we make it; and see our name and works in print…and i now have a 2nd name to remember my book by.
Paulo, continue on, and may u always have the strength to climb the mountain!
God Bless!
Intimate and emotional . A sign ♥
Just Keep Surprising me … I Love u :)
En este momento el año del dragón no es bonito para mí. La vida apesta, todo lo que sube baja, todo lo que empieza tiene que terminar y mientras tanto aquí estoy yo, la misma de siempre y los últimos ecos de un ciclo que terminó el año pasado por que así tocaba. Espero un nuevo comienzo y odio esperar porque desespero, no importa lo lindo que será el futuro, odio estar aquí. Qué se le va a hacer. Aceptar lo que es, al fin, no es mucho pedir.
be worried when the mountains look young ; )
you can always over stretch yourself your limits just become less stretched than they once were. keep climbing and one day just find a smaller mountain
Simple solution that I follow while climbing mountain is “Tire the mountain dont tire yourself” .. That means climb slowly. I think this would keep you young for long. Best Wishes
Dear Paulo! Nice one.. Second last para is hilarious about conern of wives. I agree everyone can identify such landmarks in their lives to define their limits, which can tell them that they can’t stretch further. I have been to many mountains, green one, snow clad, and they always speak to you many languages apart from limits I can go. Like the vastness of this universe and the beauty beyond our imagination Allah has created. But I’ll truly test myself when I go to Kashmir next to test my limits. I also believe that you are not old till the time you start thinking that way, but yes there is time when thinking also has limitation.
Best Wishes
Hi, Paulo~
It also touched me as usual.
Around me, people have stereotypes, like, when we are in middle aged, we have to relax mentally.
Actually, I don’t agree them.
I like reading any kinds of books and thinking about them endlessly.
I have a desire to become an artist, not at the moment, though.
I’m thinking about the ways to make the world better place.
( I have an idea.^^)
Like these, I think we can be better at any ways, direct ways or alternative ways.
Take care, bye~
Cada etapa de nuestra vida tiene un desafió y cuando este se cumple, comienza uno nuevo, de esta manera vamos caminando hasta cumplir con el destino que Dios tiene para cada uno.
There should be times for climbing and times for descending. We always tend to yearn for climbing and fear descending. Maybe because we identify the later with darkness! Nevertheless, darkness is as important as light, at the end the devil can be Lucifer (the bringer of light) too. Wish you nice weekend!
One day, Good willing you will have to climb at least one mountain here in my country and enjoy the sight of the sea. I am sure you will love it! I am not saying this because I live here and it is my country, but because so they are.
When that happens I’ll make sure myself that you get the best sight possible. :)
Love <3
There is no age limits to climb mountains,
The best equipment that is required is a good health, a good heart and be in good spirit,
With love
Marie-Christine
your comment reminds me of ….
when I lived in utah, I was hiking in the mountains. each year, I met an old couple way up in the 70 or early 80s on my hikes. every year, I was worried that they might have gotten too old for those strenous hikes & I was always looking for them & happy when I finally met them again in the wilderness.
one of my favorite hikes was a short one that was very steep. it went parallel to a little creek that you could hear. in the middle of the hike there was a large pine where you could have a rest in the shade. on the top was a saddle so that you could look back where you came from & had a new view into another valley.
when I hiked down, I finally saw them again <3, they took a rest under the pine. it was always amazing to recognize their pleasure being there, slowly with their pace ….
before giving up, the pace is important <3
One day, I will be unable to climb it and when that day comes, it will be a landmark moment, a turning point, telling me that I can no longer overstretch myself that way and that I need to find something else. I will find something else.
that’s the concept of my 96 year-old aunt …..
“I need to find something else …. I will find something else ….”
consequently … this term “old” is relative & gets modified again & again :)
I love it. Reminds me of Martin Luther King “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”.
Even if I have to occasionally take a step back, I will always take two forward, even if it’s on my knees.
Thanks Paulo! :)
Wow!!!!
Had it been the spirit of people around me… it would have really boosted up my moral…!
Well said i must say!!
Hi, Daniel~
I can not but reply to your comment because it’s so impressive.
I hesitated for short time to reply. What for?
Because I’m not Paulo.^^
Actually, I’m optimist.
So, whenever I meet the comment like yours, I’m encouraged so much.
I already memorized Martin Luther King’s speech.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”.
Thank you~
Great post! Keep on spreading positive outlook to each one of us. Paulo, you’re quite an inspiration to us. =)
Yo hago algo parecido aca en costarica, hay una zona llamada bajos del toro, cada cierto tiempo me voy con dos amigos a una montaña y llegamos hasta una cascada, estar con la naturaleza y llevar el cuerpo y la mente a desentrañar las posibles soluciones a los obstaculos que la naturaleza impone es algo realmente maravillosos, te hace sentir vivo, creo que con los años sera cada vez mas dificil, me parece genial que haga algo asi y que sepa reconocer que tenemos un limite y lo que hace es una excelente manera para saberlo. ARRIBA LA AVENTURA Y LA SABIDURIA QUE NOS DA ESTA.
Good plan. I have a mountain as well, it is a pleasure to take it on.
Una vez en mi Vida decidi subir una montaña que después se me hizo difícil de escalar, y decidi solo caminar al rededor he mirado que mis limitaciones son grandes,ser un mujer de clase humilde ha sido como cadenas a mis pies, y me he limitado a contemplar la montaña que deseaba subir, mas hoy he comprendido que si puedo, solo basta un paso para avanzar ahun con el peso que en ellos llevo!!.Quiero llegar a la cima de ella, en ella están los sueños de escribir siempre he deseado ser una escritora…y tomaré este ejemplo por que cuando lo logre entonces físicamente quiero subir a la cima de una montaña, para sentir espiritualmente y físicamente y decir!!!!SI PUDE SI PUEDO!!! GRACIAS POR TAN BELLO EJEMPLO…
awesome sir…you always put in a positive energy in me…..i always take you as my mentor…..
Dear Paulo,
regarding to taking risks, I am conservative, I know.
I also did a lot of crazy things before, like you, when I was climbing mountains, but I cherish so much of my life and health now.
We all die one day, I am not afraid of it. But if you know, you only have some countable days, you will know how precious life is, and you won’t risk your life recklessly.
My best friend died at the age of 29. Actually since he was eleven, he already knew, that every day he has, could be the last day. He had born with an incurable disease, had later both of his kidneys removed, and went three times a week to hospital to have four hours of dialysis, which is a terribly painful procedure. He had witnessed through years many patients died during it, some committed suicide because of the pain and the hopelessness, by pulling the needles out and let the blood run dry.
But he cherished his life so much, really had lived like everyday was his last day, did so much wonderful things for his hobby and his friends, and always tried very hard to live on.
And my mother was a hard worker, too. She did a lot for her hospital, achieved very good reputation, but as she almost retired, she was diagnosed with cancer. She survived, fortunately, but now she learned to enjoy her life. Life is not only working, working and working. And taking risks in life may not mean heroic, it could also mean stupidity.
If you are alive, you can do so much more for the world, for yourself and others. So why try to be a hero and die in a situation which you don’t have to and could avoid to die.
Love
Yan
You’re right of course Yan. One can not always work. That certainly does no one. Besides risking a burn out. Tension, relaxation, both are certainly important. I personally can not understand why people go to the South Pole on foot. This is quite dangerous. And exhausting. They probably love the challenge, risk, adventure. It is very dangerous to drive car. Or to go on the road. That had almost cost my life. In Vienna last year, a jogger was hit by a snow plow. In Prater, the driver was drunk. The jogger is dead. For me the term hero is difficult. What is it? Certainly no one who climbs mountains. Maybe someone who rescues climber. Additionally, you can probably argue endlessly.
I wish you a wonderful evening
← Previous Comments