There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

Paolo Coelho de Souza, Brazil, 1947 - present. Author, activist, spiritual influencer. Paolo Coelho is one of the most influential spiritual authors of our time. He has written many life changing books such as The Pilgrimage, The Way of the Bow, The Manual of the Warrior of Light and, most notably, The Alchemist, a fictitious account of a humble shepherd who feels there must be more to life and his travels to find his true purpose. This book contains many deep lessons on the meaning of life, the importance of following our hearts and the understanding of omens. Although Paolo Coelho was raised in a strict Catholic family and schooled by Jesuits, his writings appeal to any person who draws breath, regardless of what their religious affiliation may be. But this article isn't just intended to recommend Mr. Coelho's books, rather to plug the idea behind them, which is one that I have also come to believe and live by, by means of many wonderful authors and teachers along the road, such as Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, and other greats. These are all people who do not affiliate with any one religion, but do strongly believe in the supernatural and eternal something or someone; the energetic powers, laws and forces that govern our universe and even beyond. We are subject to these regardless of our understanding or knowledge of them, but those who recognise these scientific and essential truths come to find genuine peace. There is a comprehension of the purpose of life and the way not only to live it well, but to benefit ourselves and all around us to the best and genuinely be free of the needless stresses and worries that come from living life caught up in your head and body, and caught up in misguided reasoning and logic. There is only a little logic about science, about quantum physics, about nature, the largest part of experience is sheer wonder when you get into the minutiae of life. "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own," spoke Coelho. Well he knows this because his own parents wanted him to follow a respectable career path, such as engineering as his father had done, and not become a writer. In fact, they were so concerned about this that they had him committed to a mental institution where he spent some three years of his youth before relenting to study law in accordance with his family's wishes. So Mr. Coelho knows what it is to suffer for your passions and to deny your true calling. In time though it became impossible for him to contiunue and he quit his studies, defying his family and travelled extensively. Mr. Coelho's tribulations did not stop at spending his prime in a lunatic asylum. Initially writing song lyrics for the successful artists of the 60's and 70's who dabbled in occult and drugs led to Paolo being arrested by the militant government, once back home in Brazil, for his association with such alternative and anti-establishment types. Three times arrested, detained and once tortured. So when we read the deep and inspiring works of such a person, it is backed up by the experience of suffering and of living life against your own instincts as well as the brave break to follow your own heart at all costs. That's why Coelho can talk about overcoming the fear of failure to achieve his dreams and the sincerity that is required and the definiteness of purpose to continue pursuing a dream despite the strongest fears of not accomplishing anything but ruin. I understood from reading his work that he strongly believes we are all created unique and with a calling and that resonates with me, as Mr. Coelho says himself: "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting."