"You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. Every day, God gives us the sun -and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy. Every day, we try to pretend that we haven't perceived that moment, that it doesn't exist - that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow. But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us. But that moment exists - a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perfom miracles.

Joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment helps us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappoinments - but all of this is transitory; it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken. Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps he won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when that person looks back - and at some point everyone looks back - he will hear his heart saying, "What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days? What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you? You buried yourself in a cave because you were fearful of losing those talents... So, this is your heritage: the certainty that you wasted your life. Pitiful are the people who must realize this. Because when they are finally able to believe in miracles, their life's magic moments will have already passed them by."

~Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra, I sat Down & Wept

The seven deadly sins: Pride

According to the Catholic Church: Self-esteem that goes beyond limits and places itself above love for God.

- From Warrior of the Light by Paolo Coelho

At first I thought this was excessively harsh. After all, I grew up learning it was important to be proud of myself and to do things that would make others proud of me. Surely, pride couldn't be so bad.

But once I started thinking about times in my life I have been excessively proud, and I was honest about my feelings, I realized that pride is dangerous. It almost always triggers a sense of invincibility and superiority which cause me to close my eyes and ears to advice and warnings. Every time I've reached a level where I was proud of myself, I also found myself at a stand still - a place where I stopped growing because pride created a false ceiling where I felt I had reached a peak and could rest.

There has to be a middle ground between feeling excessive pride and believing you're a failure. But I suppose it's a balance you constantly have to monitor and adjust.

"Do not always try to be consistent. Saint Paul, after all, said, "The wisdom of the world is madness in the eyes of God." To be consistent is always to wear a tie that matches one's socks. It is to have the same opinions tomorrow as one has today." -- Paolo Coehlo

What a relief that is!

True Skill

The yogi Raman was a true master of the art of archery. One morning, he invited his favorite disciple to watch a display of his skill. The disciple had seen this more than a hundred times before, but he nevertheless obeyed his teacher.

They went into the wood beside the monastery and when they reached a magnificent oak tree, Raman took a flower which he had tucked in his collar and placed if on one of the branches.

He then opened his bag and took out three objects: his splendid bow made of precious wood, an arrow and a white handkerchief embroidered with lilacs.

The yogi positioned himself one hundred paces from the spot where he had placed the flower. Facing his target, he asked his disciple to blindfold him with the embroidered handkerchief.

The disciple did as his teacher requested.

'How often have you seem me practise the noble and anciet sport of archery?' Raman asked him.

'Everyday,' replied his disciple. 'And you have always managed to hit the rose from three hundred paces away.'

With his eyes covered by the handkerchief, the yogi Raman placed his feet firmly on the ground, drew back the bowstring with all his might - aiming at the rose placed on one of the branches of the oak tree - and then released the arrow.

The arrow whistled through the air, but it did not even hit the tree, missing the target by an embarrassingly wide margin.

'Did I hit it?' said Raman, removing the handkerchief from his eyes.

'No, you missed it completely,' replied the disciple. 'I thought you were going to demonstrate to me the poer of thought and your ability to perform magic.'

'I have just taught you the most important lesson about the power of thought,' replied Raman. 'When you want something, concentrate only on that: no one will ever hit a target they cannot see.'

“Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when the person looks back-she will hear her heart”

“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.” ~ Paolo Coelho

PC is the champion inspirer for this point in my life. I am going to stay here, because moving to the West is the easiest thing to do but my heart is not in it. I am going to stay here because this way every decision I make will be my own. Because it scares me - because it makes my heart leap out of it's place. Because it is the only way I can start walking alone, head high, strong.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” ~Paolo Coelho