Paulo Coelho

Stories & Reflections

Doubt and fear

Author: Paulo Coelho

I had many moments of pain and doubt. Becoming a best-selling author was a long journey and I faced many setbacks along the way.

For instance, I had a rough time with my second book The Alchemist. It was first published by a small publishing house and even though it sold well, at the end of the first year, the publisher decided to give me back the rights since, according to his words, “he could make more money in the stock exchange”.

At the time I decided to leave Rio with my wife and we spent 40 days in the Mojave dessert. I needed to heal myself from this and when I came I decided to keep on struggling.

I realized that despite the fear and the bruises of life, one has to keep on fighting for one’s dream.

As Borges said in his writings “there no other virtue than being brave”.

And one has to understand that braveness is not the absence of fear but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear.
 
 
 

Online Bookstore HERE
Kindle (four languages) HERE

 

Subscribe to Blog

Join 16.9K other subscribers

Stories & Reflections

Social

Paulo Coelho Foundation

Gifts, keepsakes and other souvenirs

Souvenirs