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Tell me about your favourite book

When Fiona asked me to name my favorite book, ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho immediately came to mind. Santiago’s journey is filled with lessons about pursuing one’s Personal Legend, or destiny. The themes of personal transformation, the importance of recognizing and following omens, and the idea that the journey itself is as significant as the destination resonate with me, encouraging me to reflect on my own lives and aspirations.

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Nothing is better than going to bed early and reading a favourite book before sleeping. It is good self-care with lots of benefits, it helps to build a positive habit and heal your mental disorder. Below are my notes while reading this book that resonate deeply to me. I’m still on my journey to my personal legend. It becomes my strong prayers everyday, supporting me during my journey. 

Here are some the best lines from this book:

• I’m like everyone else I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.
• The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget to drop oil on the spoon.
• When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World.
• Everything on earth is being continuously transformed, because the earth is alive and it has a soul. We are part of the soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us. But in the crystal shop you probably realized that even the glasses were collaborating in your success.
• I watched the caravan as it crossed the desert. The caravan and the desert speak the same language, and it’s for that reason that the desert allows the crossing. It’s going to test the caravan’s every step to see if it’s in time, and, if it is, we will make it to the oasis. If either of us had joined this caravan based only on personal courage, but without understanding that language, this journey would have been much more difficult. 
• If you can always concentrate on the present, you’ll be a happy man. You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.
• The closer he got to the realization of his dream, the more difficult things became. It seemed as if what the old king had called “beginner’s luck” were no longer functioning. In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path.
• Don’t be impatient. Eat when it’s time to eat. And move along when it’s time to move along. 
• When people consult me, it’s not that I’m reading the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances. How do I guess the future? Based in the omens of the present. The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity. 
• Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World.
• You must love the desert, but never trust it completely. Because the desert tests all men, it challenges every step, and kills those who become distracted.
• Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense. 
• There is only one way to learn. It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned throughout your journey. You need to learn only one thing more. 
• On the way toward realizing his own personal legend, he had learned all he needed to know, and had experienced everything he might have dreamed of.