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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “I m a big fan of Paulo Coelho... n this a finest work from the author again..” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “I enjoyed "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho and had high hopes for this book even after the first few chapters. Then, when he introduced the "Great Mother" or the feminine side of God manifested in the main character, I felt like it got really weird. There are a few decent developments in the...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This book made me turn on music and dance. :)”
Mark T wrote this review 18 hours ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“good 1...! should read
prernabudhiraja wrote this review 2 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
”
“I thought this book is inspirational and thought provoking. I'd read it again and maybe gain more.”
Heather G wrote this review 3 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Athena the main character is my hero.A woman who dared to live, who dared to go in search of the truth, a witch of the modern world because she was in touch with the earth and her elements. Brilliant narrative from the eyes of those who knew her. Paulo Coelho is the grandmaster of philosophy of the elements”
shruti p wrote this review 6 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“one of the writers another literature... a different style of writing... a story through narrated in first person... ”
ronza wrote this review 8 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Forgettable.”
theriis m. wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Disappointing”
Hannah M wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“There's a witch thing... hmm wanna read it. My witch mother rar!!!”
Chantrise wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“still had good quotes.”
Lien L wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Favorite Quotes
Erin wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
**"If there is any possible consolation in the tradgedy of losing someone we love very much, it's the NECESSARY hope that perhaps it was for the best" (necessary for our sanity and faith in the goodness of life)~ 5
**"If a man we don't know phones us up today and talks a little, makes no suggestions, and says nothing special, but nevertheless pays us the kind of attention we rarely receive, we're quite capable of going to bed with him that same night, feeling relatively in love. That's what we women are like, and there's nothing wrong with that-- it's the nature of the female to open herself to love easily"~ 10
(I THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT.. IT DEMONSTRATES THAT WOMEN AREN'T CONFIDENT/STRONG ENOUGH TO USE THEIR OWN TALENTS/ABILITIES TO BOOST THEIR SELF ESTEEM)
**"And the best way to know who we are is often to find out how others see us. This doesn't mean that we should do what others expect us to do, but it helps us to understand ourselves better." ~ 14
(BY ATTEMPTING TO VIEW OURSELVES FROM A MORE OBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVE-- IE: ALL WOMEN THINK THEY'RE FAT BUT THINK LOTS OF OTHER WOMEN AREN'T SO IF LOOK AT OURSELVES THE WAY OTHER WOMEN SEE US, THEN MORE OBJECTIVE/POTENTIALLY TRUTHFUL)
**"People think that a woman's only dream is to get married and have children. And given what i've told you, you probably think that I've suffered a lot in life. It's not true, and besides, I've been there already. I've known other men who wanted to 'protect' me from all those tragedies. What they forget is that, from Ancient Greece on, the people who returned from battle were either dead on their shields or stronger, despite or because of their scars. It's better that way: I've lived on a battlefield since I was born, but I'm still alive and don't need anyone to protect me."~ 26
(WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER =) AND JUST BECAUSE U'VE DEALT WITH A LOT OF SHIT, DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE FRAGILE AND AN EMOTIONAL TRAINWRECK )
**"Yet, even today, my hairdresser said very proudly: 'My daughter's got a degree'. Most of my parents' friends and most of my parents' friends' children also have degrees. This doesn't mean that they've managed to find the kind of work they wanted. Not at all; they went to university because someone, at the time when universities seemed important, said that in order to rise in the world, you had to have a degree. And thus the world was deprived of some excellent gardeners, bakers, antique dealers, sculptors, and writers."~ 27
(A COLLEGE DEGREE OR FURTHER CAN BE GREAT BUT ONLY IF IT'S USED TO ENHANCE SKILLS THAT YOU WANT ENHANCED-- IE: I COULD GO TO MED SCHOOL BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE A DOCTOR SO WHY BOTHER)
**A saint is someone who lives his or her life with dignity. All we have to do is understand that we're all here for a reason and to commit ourselves to that. Then we can laugh at our sufferings, large and small, and walk fearlessly, aware that each step has meaning. We can let ourselves be guided by that light emanating from the Vertex~ 51
**In life too, it's the culminating point, the goal of all those who, like everyone else, makes mistakes but who, even in their darkest moments, never lose sight of the light emanating from their hearts. ~51
**Dance to the point of exhaustion, as if you were a mountaineer climbing a hill, a sacred mountain. Dance until you are so out of breath that you organism is forced to obtain oxygen some other way, and it is that, in the end that will cause you to lose your identity and your relationship with space and time. Dance only to the sound of the percussion; repeat the process every day; know that, at a certain moment, your eyes will, quite naturally, close, and you will begin to see a light that comes from within, a light that answers your questions and develops your hidden powers~ 53
(ME WITH RUNNING... ESPECIALLY ON LONG OR FAST RUNS, I FEEL LIKE I'M NO LONGER IN MY BODY AND SOME EXTERNAL FORCE IS PULLING ME FORWARD... ALSO, I'M SO FOCUSED ON MY PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS THAT ALL EXTERNAL THOUGHT, ETC. STOPS)
**We were born and brought up with the maxim that 'time is money'. We know exactly what money is, but what does the word time mean? The day is made up of 24 hours and an infinite number of moments. We need to be aware of each of those moments and to make the most of them regardless of whether we're busy doing something or merely contemplating life. If we slow down, everything lasts much longer. Of course, that means that washing the dishes might last longer, as might totting up the debits and credits on a balance sheet or checking promissory notes, but why not use that time to think about pleasant things and to feel glad to simply be alive"~ 67
(ENJOY EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY, NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE DOING =) )
I felt uneasy. Shouldn't I be doing something? Well, if I wanted to invent work, that wouldn't take much effort. We all have projects to develop, lightbulbs to change, leaves to sweep, books to put away, computer files to organize,etc. But how about just facing up to the void? It was then that I remembered something that seemed to me of great importance: I needed to walk to the letter-box-- which is less than a mile from my house in the country-- and post one of the Christmas cards lying forgotten on my desk. And I was surprised: Why did I need to send that card today? Was it really so hard just to stay where I was, doing nothing? A series of thoughts crossed my mind: friends who worry about things that haven't happened yet; acquaintances who manage to fill every minute of their lives with tasks that seem to me absurd; senseless conversation; long telephone calls in which nothing of any importance is ever said. I've seen my directors inventing work in order to justify their jobs; employees who feel afraid because they've been given nothing important to do that day, which might mean that they're no longer useful... I had a long hard struggle with myself not to get up from my desk. Gradually, though, the anxiety gave way to contemplation, and I started listening to my soul-- or intuition or primary emotions, or whatever else you choose to believe in. Whatever you call it, that part of me had been longing to speak to me, but I had always been too busy."~ 71-72
(THE DIFFICULTY OF DOING NOTHING FOR THE MAJORITY OF SOCIETY WHICH IS SO FAST-PACED)
Believe. Believe in your abilities; believe that you have already arrived where you wanted to arrive... you said that you'd changed the behavior of the people in the bank where you worked because you'd taught them to dance. That isn't true. You changed everything because, through dance, you changed their reality. You believed in the story of the Vertex... you liked dancing and believed in what you were doing. ~ 132
(HUMANS HAVE THE POWER NOT ONLY TO CHANGE THEIR REALITY-- IE: WAY VIEW WORLD-- BUT ALSO THE WAY OTHER PPL DO THROUGH DISPLAYING THEIR VIEW OF REALITY TO OTHERS AND DISCUSSING IT WITH THEM)
You need to know that you're not alone, that other poeple are in contact with the same thing as you. Just knowing that allows you to believe. ~ 133
(SJLA!)
Everything is worship if your mind is focused on the present moment. ~ 149
(NOT JUST PRAYING TO GOD IN A CHURCH... CAN WORSHIP THROUGH EXACTITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR THE WORLD AROUND US)
Reprogram yourself every minute of each day with thoughts that make you grow. When you're feeling irritated or confused, try to laugh at yourself. Laugh out loud at this woman tormented by doubts and anxieties, convinced that her problems are the most important things in the world. Laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation, at the fact that despite being a manifestation of the Mother, you still believe God is a man who lays down the rules. Most of our problems stem form just that-- following the rules.~ 150
That's the main aim of life-- revelation! You make yourself into a channel, you listen to yourself and are surprised at how capable you are. ~ 151
What is a ritual? It means transforming something monotonous into something different, rhythmic, capable of channeling the Unity. That's why I say again: be different even when you're washing up. ~ 151
You are what you believe yourself to be~ 152”
