By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

by Paulo Coelho

They have been joyful—because those who love conquer the world and have no fear of loss. True love is an act of total surrender.

May my tears run just as far, that my love might never know that one day I cried for him.

All love stories are the same.

Every day, God gives us the sun—and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy.

But that moment exists—a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.

There are many ways to commit suicide. Those who try to kill the body violate God’s law. Those who try to kill the soul also violate God’s law, even though their crime is less visible to others.

I was there because suddenly life had presented me with Life.

To love is to lose control.

“Look at the stones on the ground.”

am just like everyone else who listens to their heart: a person who is enchanted by the mystery of life. Who is open to miracles, who experiences joy and enthusiasm for what they do. It’s just that the Other, afraid of disappointment, kept me from taking action.”

My heart told me that I was in love. And I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.

“May the Immaculate Conception teach me to love as she loves,” I finally said. “May that love grow in me and in the man to whom it is dedicated. Let us say an Ave Maria.”

If I have to fall, may it be from a high place.

“Because God came to earth to demonstrate His power to us. We are a part of His dream, and He wants His dream to be a happy one. Thus, if we acknowledge that God created us for happiness, then we have to assume that everything that leads to sadness and defeat is our own doing. That’s the reason we always kill God, whether on the cross, by fire, through exile, or simply in our hearts.” “But those who understand Him . . .”

Something was beginning to make sense to me.

“Yes. The world is at a point when many people are receiving the same order: ‘Follow your dreams, transform your life, take the path that leads to God. Perform your miracles. Cure. Make prophecies. Listen to your guardian angel. Transform yourself. Be a warrior, and be happy as you wage the good fight. Take risks.’”

They taught us that the passions of childhood are impossible, that we should not flee from priests, that people cannot perform miracles, and that no one leaves on a journey without knowing where they are going.

recalled how much time I had spent fighting for something I didn’t even want.

He knew that no single day is the same as any other and that each morning brings its own special miracle, its magic moment in which ancient universes are destroyed and new stars are created.

So try not to waste your time blaming yourself; the universe will see to correcting you if you’re not worthy of what you’re doing.”