The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho

Even if my neighbor doesn’t understand my religion or understand my politics, he can understand my story.

“If you start out by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work toward getting it.”

I’m afraid that if my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living.

“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.”

people become fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World.

“I have been waiting for you here at this oasis for a long time. I have forgotten about my past, about my traditions, and the way in which men of the desert expect women to behave. Ever since I was a child, I have dreamed that the desert would bring me a wonderful present. Now, my present has arrived, and it’s you.” The boy wanted to take her hand.

The dunes are changed by the wind, but the desert never changes. That’s the way it will be with our love for each other.