The Archer

by Paulo Coelho

“You have a good grasp of technique and you have mastered the bow, but you have not mastered your mind.

The archer cannot always choose the battlefield, so start your training again and be prepared for unfavorable situations. Continue in the way of the bow, for it is a whole life’s journey, but remember that a good, accurate shot is very different from one made with peace in your soul.”

What is a master? I would say that he is not someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to do his best to discover a knowledge he already has in his soul.”

saying: find people with other skills, because the way of the bow is no different from any other path that is followed with enthusiasm.

When he opens his hand and releases the string, he should say to himself: “As I was drawing the bow, I traveled a long road. Now I release this arrow knowing that I took the necessary risks and gave of my best.”

People always judge others by taking as a model their own limitations, and other people’s opinions are often full of prejudice and fear.

Join with those who sing, tell stories, take pleasure in life, and have joy in their eyes, because joy is contagious and can prevent others from becoming paralyzed by depression, loneliness, and difficulties.

The bow is life: the source of all energy.

The arrow is the intention.

But never hold back from firing the arrow if all that paralyzes you is fear of making a mistake.

If you never take a risk, you will never know what changes you need to make.

Each arrow leaves a memory in your heart, and it is the sum of those memories that will make you shoot better and better.

The target is the objective to be reached.

That is why you must choose your target, do your best to hit it, and always regard it with respect and dignity; you need to know what it means and how much effort, training, and intuition were required on your part.

Just as the arrow seeks the target, so the target also seeks the arrow, because it is the arrow that gives meaning to its existence; it is no longer just a piece of paper; for an archer, it is the center of the world.

Serenity comes from the heart. Although the heart is often tormented by thoughts of insecurity, it knows that—through correct posture—it will be able to do its best.

To hold the arrow is to be in touch with your own intention.

And his true allies will never criticize him, because they know that practice is necessary, that it is the only way in which he can perfect his instinct, his hammer blow.

And then comes the moment when he no longer has to think about what he is doing. From then on, the archer becomes his bow, his arrow, and his target.

The way of the bow is the way of joy and enthusiasm, of perfection and error, of technique and instinct. “But you will only learn this if you keep shooting your arrows.”

Try to develop the gift of kindness: this gift will allow you to be always at peace with your heart.

He blessed me and asked me to leave and to devote myself to what I enjoyed doing most before my fame as an archer ended up destroying me, or led me back to my former life.

“Every second since then has been a struggle against my vices and against self-pity. I need to remain focused and calm, to do the work I chose to do with love, and never to cling to the present moment, because death is still very close, the abyss is there beside me, and I am walking along the edge.”