Pablo
Picasso once said, “God is really only another artist. He invented the
giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style. He just keeps
on trying other things.”
When we start working on our dreams, we always feel afraid. We wonder
if there are rules to follow. Who comes up with these rules, while we
all live such different lives? If God created the giraffe, the elephant
and the cat, and we try to learn from his example, then why would we try
to follow one rule or another?
Sometimes rules help us avoid the mistakes others have made before
our time, but more often than not a rule will only make us repeat what
someone else has already done.
Rest assured. Trust the universe, and look forward to surprising
yourself. The apostle Paul said, “God chose what is foolish in the world
to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the
strong.” The wise know some actions repeat themselves. They regularly
encounter the same problems and situations they have dealt with before.
Knowing that makes them sad. They start to think they’ll never be able
to grow, since whatever they experienced before is happening again.
“I’ve already been through this,” they complain to their hearts.
“That may be true,” their hearts reply, “but you haven’t mastered it yet.”
The wise understand that repetition has a cause: to teach the lesson
that still needs teaching. Repetitive situations require different
solutions every time. The one who fails must not see this as a mistake,
but rather as a step toward greater self knowledge.
It’s like Thomas Watson said, “Would you like me to give you a
formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of
failure.”
A merchant sent his son to learn the Secret of Happiness from the wisest of men. The young man wandered through the desert for forty days until he reached a beautiful castle at the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that the young man was looking for.
However, instead of finding a holy man, our hero entered a room and saw a great deal of activity; merchants coming and going, people chatting in the corners, a small orchestra playing sweet melodies, and there was a table laden with the most delectable dishes of that part of the world.
The wise man talked to everybody, and the young man had to wait for two hours until it was time for his audience.
With considerable patience, the Sage listened attentively to the reason for the boy’s visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have the time to explain to him the Secret of Happiness.
He suggested that the young man take a stroll around his palace and come back in two hours’ time.
“However, I want to ask you a favor,” he added, handling the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. “While you walk, carry this spoon and don’t let the oil spill.”
The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.
“So,” asked the sage, “did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining room? Did you see the garden that the Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”
Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
“So, go back and see the wonders of my world,” said the wise man. “You can’t trust a man if you don’t know his house.”
Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail all that he had seen.
“But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” asked the sage.
Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.
“Well, that is the only advice I have to give you,” said the sage of sages. “The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon.”
"Come in," God said to me, "so, you would like to interview Me?"
"If you have the time," I said.
He smiled through His beard and said: "My time is called eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
"None that are new to you. What's the one thing that surprises you most about mankind?"
He answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they never had never lived..."
His hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said, "May I ask you another question?"
He replied with a smile.
"As a Father, what would you ask your children to do for the new year?"
"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
To learn that it takes years to build trust, and a few seconds to destroy it.
To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. There will be others better or worse than they are.
To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
To learn that they should control their attitudes, otherwise their attitudes will control them.
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.
To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to show their feelings.
To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
To learn that while at times they may be entitled to be upset, that does not give them the right to upset those around them.
To learn that great dreams do not require great wings, but a landing gear to achieve.
To learn that true friends are scarce, he/she who has found one has found a true treasure.
To learn that they are masters of what they keep to themselves and slaves of what they say.
To learn that they shall reap what they plant; if they plant gossip they will harvest intrigues, if they plant love they will harvest happiness.
To learn that true happiness is not to achieve their goals but to learn to be satisfied with what they already achieved.
To learn that happiness is a decision. They decide to be happy with what they are and have, or die from envy and jealousy of what they lack.
To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.
To learn that those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences go far in life.
A] Escolha a montanha que deseja subir: não se deixe levar pelos comentários de outros, dizendo “aquela é mais bonita”, ou “esta é mais fácil”. Você irá gastar muita energia e muito entusiasmo para atingir seu objetivo, portanto é o único responsável, e deve ter certeza do que está fazendo.
B] Saiba como chegar diante dela: muitas vezes, a montanha é vista de longe – bela, interessante, cheia de desafios. Mas quando tentamos nos aproximar, o que acontece? As estradas a circundam, existem florestas entre você e e seu objetivo, o que aparece claro no mapa é difícil na vida real. Portanto, tente todas os caminhos, as trilhas, até que um dia você está em frente ao topo que pretende atingir.
C] Aprenda com quem já caminhou por ali: por mais que você se julgue único, sempre alguém teve o mesmo sonho antes, e terminou deixando marcas que podem facilitar a caminhada; lugares onde colocar a corda, picadas, galhos quebrados para facilitar a marcha. A caminhada é sua, a responsabilidade também, mas não se esqueça que a experiência alheia ajuda muito.
D] Os perigos, visto de perto, são controláveis: quando você começa a subir a montanha dos seus sonhos, preste atenção ao redor. Há despenhadeiros, claro. Há fendas quase imperceptíveis. Há pedras tão polidas pelas tempestades, que se tornam escorregadias como gelo. Mas se você souber onde está colocando cada pé, irá notar as armadilhas, e saberá contorna-las.
E] A paisagem muda, portanto aproveite: claro que é preciso ter um objetivo em mente – chegar ao alto. Mas à medida que se vai subindo, mais coisas podem ser vistas, e não custa nada parar de vez em quanto e desfrutar um pouco o panorama ao redor. A cada metro conquistado, você pode ver um pouco mais longe, e aproveite isso para descobrir coisas que ainda não tinha percebido.
F] Respeite seu corpo: só consegue subir uma montanha quem dá ao corpo a atenção que merece. Você tem todo o tempo que a vida lhe dá, portanto caminhe sem exigir o que não pode ser dado. Se andar depressa demais, irá ficar cansado e desistir no meio. Se andar muito devagar, a noite pode descer e você estará perdido. Aproveite a paisagem, desfrute a água fresca dos mananciais e das frutas que a natureza generosamente lhe dá, mas continue andando.
G] Respeite sua alma: não fique repetindo o tempo todo “eu vou conseguir”. Sua alma já sabe isso, o que ela precisa é usar a longa caminhada para poder crescer, estender-se pelo horizonte, atingir o céu. Uma obsessão não ajuda em nada a busca do seu objetivo, e termina por tirar o prazer da escalada. Mas atenção: tampouco fique repetindo “é mais difícil do que eu pensava”, porque isso o fará perder a força interior.
H] Prepare-se para caminhar um quilômetro a mais: o percurso até o topo da montanha é sempre maior do que o que você está pensando. Não se engane, há de chegar o momento em que o que parecia perto ainda está muito longe. Mas como você se dispôs a ir além, isso não chega a ser um problema.
I] Alegre-se quando chegar ao cume: chore, bata palmas, grite aos quatro cantos que conseguiu, deixe que o vento lá em cima (porque lá em cima está sempre ventando) purifique sua mente, refresque seus pés suados e cansados, abra seus olhos, limpe a poeira do seu coração. Que bom, o que antes era apenas um sonho, uma visão distante, agora é parte da sua vida, você conseguiu.
J] Faça uma promessa: aproveite que você descobriu uma força que nem sequer conhecia, e diga para si mesmo que a partir de agora irá usa-la pelo resto de seus dias. De preferência, prometa também descobrir outra montanha, e partir para uma nova aventura.
L] Conte sua história: sim, conte sua história. Dê seu exemplo. Diga a todos que é possível, e outras pessoas então sentirão coragem para enfrentar suas próprias montanhas.
What is a personal calling? It is God’s blessing, it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth. Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don’t all have the courage to confront our own dream.
Why?
There are four obstacles. First: we are told from childhood onwards that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear and guilt. There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it’s still there.
If we have the courage to disinter dream, we are then faced by the second obstacle: love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue their dream. We do not realize that love is just a further impetus, not something that will prevent them going forwards. We do not realize that those who genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey.
Once we have accepted that love is a stimulus, we come up against the third obstacle: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path. We who fight for our dream, suffer far more when it doesn’t work out, because we cannot fall back on the old excuse: “Oh, well, I didn’t really want it anyway.” We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey. Then, we warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and to know that the Universe is conspiring in our favor, even though we may not understand how.
I ask myself: are defeats necessary?
Well, necessary or not, they happen. When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
So, why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people?
Because, once we have overcome the defeats – and we always do – we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life. Each day, each hour, is part of the good fight. We start to live with enthusiasm and pleasure. Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.
Having disinterred our dream, having used the power of love to nurture it and spent many years living with the scars, we suddenly notice that what we always wanted is there, waiting for us, perhaps the very next day. Then comes the fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream for which we fought all our lives.
Oscar Wilde said: ‘each man kills the thing he loves’. And it’s true. The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel that we do not deserve to get what we want either. We forget about all the obstacles we overcame, all the suffering we endured, all the things we had to give up in order to get this far. I have known a lot of people who, when their personal calling was within their grasp, went on to commit a series of stupid mistakes and never reached their goal – when it was only a step away.
This is the most dangerous of the obstacles because it has a kind of saintly aura about it: renouncing joy and conquest. But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World and you understand why you are here.
Zilu asked Confucius: ‘If King Wen were to ask you to govern the country, what would your first action be?’ ‘I would learn the names of my advisers.’ ‘What nonsense! That is hardly a matter of great concern to a prime minister.’ ‘A man cannot hope to receive help from what he does not know,’ replied Confucius. ‘If he does not understand Nature, he will not understand God. In just the same way, if he does not know who is at his side, he will have no friends. Without friends, he will be unable to draw up a plan. Without a plan, he cannot direct anyone’s actions. Without direction, the country will plunge into darkness, and even dancers will not know which foot to put down next. So an apparently banal action - learning the name of the person at your side - can make an enormous difference. The besetting sin of our time is that everyone wants to put things right immediately, and they forget that in order to do so you need a lot of people.’
Let us divide the word ‘preoccupation’ into two parts - pre-occupation, that is, occupying your mind with something before it actually happens. This is what worrying is: trying to resolve problems that have not even had time to appear; imagining that things, when they do happen, will always turn out for the worst. Naturally there are exceptions. One of them is the hero of this little story. An old king of India condemned a man to the gallows. When the king had finished reading the sentence, the condemned man said: ‘You are a wise man, Your Majesty, and curious about everything that your subjects do. You respect gurus, sages, snake-charmers and fakirs. Well, when I was a child, my grandfather taught me how to make a white horse fly. Since there is no one else in the whole kingdom who knows how to do this, my life should be spared.’ The king immediately ordered a white horse to be brought. ‘I need to spend two years with this animal,’ said the condemned man. ‘All right, you will have two years,’ replied the king, already somewhat suspicious. ‘But if this horse does not learn to fly, you will be hanged.’ Overjoyed, the man left with the horse. When he reached his house, he found his whole family in tears. ‘Are you mad?’ they all cried. ‘Since when has anyone in this house known how to make a horse fly?’ ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘First of all, no one has ever tried to teach a horse to fly, and the horse might well learn. Secondly, the king is already very old and he might die in the next two years. Thirdly, the horse might die and then I’ll be given another two years to teach the new horse - not to mention the possibility of revolutions, coups d’état and general amnesties. And even if everything remains exactly as it is, I will still have gained two years of life with which I can do anything I like. Does that seem little to you?’
Manual para conservar caminhosde Paulo Coelho O caminho começa em uma encruzilhada. Ali você pode parar e pensar em que direcção seguir. Mas não fique muito tempo pensando, ou jamais sairá do lugar. Faça a clássica de Castañeda: qual destes caminhos tem um coração? Reflicta bastante sobre as escolhas que estão adiante, mas, uma vez dado o primeiro passo, esqueça definitivamente a encruzilhada, ou sempre ficará sendo torturado pela inútil pergunta: “Será que escolhi o caminho certo?” Se você escutou o seu coração antes de fazer o primeiro movimento, você escolheu o caminho certo. O caminho não dura para sempre. É uma bênção percorrê-lo durante algum tempo, mas um dia ele irá terminar, portanto esteja sempre pronto para despedir-se a qualquer momento. Por mais que você fique deslumbrado por certas paisagens, ou assustado com algumas partes onde é necessário muito esforço para seguir adiante, não se apegue a nada. Nem às horas de euforia, nem aos intermináveis dias onde tudo parece difícil, e o progresso é lento. Cedo ou tarde um anjo virá, e sua jornada chega ao final, não esqueça.
Honre seu caminho. Foi sua escolha, sua decisão, e na medida em que você respeita o chão onde pisa, também este chão passa a respeitar seus pés. Faça sempre o que for melhor para conservar e manter seu caminho, e ele fará o mesmo por você.
Esteja bem equipado. Leve um ancinho, uma pá, um canivete. Entenda que para as folhas secas os canivetes são inúteis, e para as ervas muito enraizadas os ancinhos são inúteis. Saiba sempre que ferramenta utilizar a cada momento. E cuide delas, porque são suas maiores aliadas.
O caminho vai para frente e para trás. Às vezes é preciso voltar porque foi perdido algo, ou uma mensagem que devia ser entregue foi esquecida no seu bolso. Um caminho bem cuidado permite que você volte atrás sem grandes problemas.
Cuide do caminho, antes de cuidar do que está a sua volta: atenção e concentração são fundamentais. Não se deixe distrair pelas folhas secas que estão nas margens, ou pela maneira como os outros estão cuidando dos seus caminhos. Use sua energia para cuidar e conservar o chão que acolhe seus passos.
Tenha paciência. Às vezes é preciso repetir as mesmas tarefas, como arrancar ervas daninhas ou fechar buracos que surgiram depois de uma chuva inesperada. Não se aborreça com isso, faz parte da viagem. Mesmo cansado, mesmo com certas tarefas repetitivas, tenha paciência.
Os caminhos se cruzam: as pessoas podem dizer como está o tempo. Escute os conselhos, tome suas próprias decisões. Só você é responsável pelo caminho que lhe foi confiado.
A natureza segue suas próprias regras: desta maneira, você tem que estar preparado para súbitas mudanças do Outono, o gelo escorregadio no Inverno, as tentações das flores na primavera, a sede e as chuvas de Verão. Em cada uma dessas estações, aproveite o que há de melhor, e não reclame das suas características.
Faça do seu caminho um espelho de si mesmo: não se deixe de maneira nenhuma influenciar pela maneira como os outros cuidam de seus caminhos. Você tem sua alma para escutar, e os pássaros para contar o que sua alma está dizendo. Que suas histórias sejam belas e agradem tudo que está a sua volta. Sobretudo, que as histórias que sua alma conta durante a jornada sejam reflectidas em cada segundo de percurso.
By Paulo Coelho The Sufi tradition tells the story of a king who was surrounded by wise men. One morning, as they talked, the king was quieter than usual. "What is wrong, Your Highness?" - asked one of the wise men. "I’m confused," replied the king. "At times I am overcome by melancholy, and feel powerless to fulfill my duties. At others, I am dizzy with all power I have. I’d like a talisman to help me be at peace with myself." The wise men - surprised by such a request - spent long months in discussion. In the end, they went to the king with a gift. "We have engraved magic words on the talisman. Read them out loud whenever you are too confident, or very sad," they said. The king looked at the object he had ordered. It was a simple silver and gold ring, but with an inscription: "This will pass."
‘And what is a good teacher? Someone who questions everything he teaches. Old ideas cannot enslave a man, because they change and take on new forms. So let us use the philosophical riches of the past, but without forgetting the challenges that the present world sets before us.
And what is a good student? Someone who listens to what I say, but adapts my teachings to his life and never follows them blindly. Someone who looks not just for employment, but for a job that brings him dignity. Someone who does not seek to be noticed, but to do something notable.’
When we renounce our dreams we find peace and enjoy a brief period of tranquility, but the dead dreams begin to rot inside us and infect the whole atmosphere in which we live.What we hoped to avoid in the Good Fight -disappointment and defeat- become the sole legacy of our cowardice.
In a kingdom of Arabia lived a queen called Layla. Her wisdom illuminated the land like the sun, her beauty blinded men, and her wealth was greater than any of her subjects.
One morning, her chief advisor asked to see her, and said:
- Great queen Layla! You are the wisest, most beautiful and wealthiest women in the world. But I have heard unpleasant things; some people laugh at or complain about your decisions. Why, in spite of all you have done for your subjects, are they still not content?
The queen laughed and replied:
- Loyal advisor, you know how much I have done for my kingdom. Seven regions are under my control, and all of them have enjoyed peace and prosperity. In all the towns, the decisions of my court are just and inspired.
"I can do almost everything I wish. I can order the frontiers to be closed, the gates of the palace to be locked, the treasury coffers sealed indefinitely.
"But there is one thing I cannot do: make the people shut their mouths. It matters not what false things people say; the important thing is to continue to do that which I consider to be true."
in Paulo Coelho's blog (http://paulocoelhoblog.com)
Pablo
Picasso once said, “God is really only another artist. He invented the
giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style. He just keeps
on trying other things.”
