The Zahir

by Paulo Coelho

know that freedom has a high price, as high as that of slavery; the only difference is that you pay with pleasure and a smile, even when that smile is dimmed by tears.

The book can always wait until tomorrow, though, because the mayor of Madrid has decreed that the city should be one long party and has come up with an interesting slogan—“Madrid is killing me”—and urges us all to visit several bars each night, coining the phrase la movida madrileña (“the Madrid scene”), which is something I cannot possibly put off until tomorrow; everything is such fun; the days are short and the nights are long.

because fanaticism is the only way to put an end to the doubts that constantly trouble the human soul.

All you have to do is to pay attention; lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step.

We humans have two great problems: the first is knowing when to begin; the second is knowing when to stop.

“what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.”

The universe takes care of correcting our mistakes.”