ALCHEMIST

I recently re-read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It's a truly amazing book - one of those great reads that seemingly transforms itself depending on where you are in life. And it sparks in me a longing I can't quite identify... somewhere between a desperate desire to be completely satisfied with my life and a yearning to change absolutely everything about it.

Here are a few of the things that struck a particular chord in my heart this time around:

"Making a decision is only the beginning of things"
Yes! Isn't that so true... you think at the time of the decision-making that you're getting through the hard part. But the real work comes later, when you're pursuing your decision, when you're determined to succeed even if the journey is not always easy.

"If you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better"
To be content in the present moment is the Zen route to happiness... and I find it difficult to be content with the present and also try to improve upon it without immediately worrying about the results - if what you do today in the present moment will be right or wrong or enough to create the "later" that you want. But perhaps, if we truly live in the present moment, then the "later" will already be what we want without having to try.

"When we love, we always strive to become better than we are"
I like this idea... but if you go too far (and haven't we all at some point in our relationships - I certainly have) you risk becoming better for someone else and not for yourself. Striving to become your better Self for the good of Love or the good of the Relationship is a worthy cause, so long as you don't lose sight of You.