Paulo Coelho followed his heart. It took great courage, sacrifice and duress. It usually does. But his determination to follow his dreams of being a writer, and the challenges he overcame to succeed, helped shape him into the incredibly successful author he became. We can learn from him through his books and these inspiring Paulo Coelho Quotes.
The all time favorite Paulo Coelho book is The Alchemist. However, as you will see from these quotes, Paulo is a prolific and inspiring writer, creating many novels steeped in wisdom, mystery and magic, so don’t stop at alchemy… that’s just the beginning of the creator’s journey of alchemy and transformation.
About These Quotes
These Paulo Coelho quotes are organized alphabetically by topic. There are actually more than the stated number in the title because they are arranged alphabetically by topic and some are under more than one topic heading where relevant. This is to help you find the category of quotes that you’re most interested in at the moment.
For example, a quote on fear and struggle is most likely to be found be under the heading for ‘Fear’, and also the heading for ‘Struggle’.
Okay! Let’s get onto the profound wisdom in these Paulo Coelho quotes from the world renowned author.
The Alchemist Quotes by Paulo Coelho
“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he’d never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in The Alchemist
“Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God, and with eternity.
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Remember your dreams and fight for them.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in The Alchemist
“The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And… no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God, and with eternity.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“When I have been truly searching for my treasure, every day has been luminous, because I’ve known that every hour was a part of the dream that I would find it. When I have been truly searching for my treasure I discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible [for a shepherd] to achieve.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Happiness can be found in a grain of sand… because a grain of sand is a moment of creation.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“‘Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him.’ his heart said. ‘We—people’s hearts—seldom say much about those treasures because people no longer want to go in search of them.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them. The path to their own personal legends and to happiness.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“In love, no one can harm anyone else; we are each responsible for our own feelings and cannot blame someone else for what we feel.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Most people see the world as a threatening place, and because they do, the world turns out indeed to be a threatening place.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
[The shepherd asked his heart] “…please [heart] never to stop speaking to him. He asked that when he wandered far from his dreams, his heart press him and sound the alarm. The boy swore that everytime he heard the alarm, he would heed its message.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951Rephrasing this quote from the original one in The Alchemist for better personal application:
“Please heart, never stop speaking to me. When I wander far from my dreams, press me and sound the alarm. I promise that everytime I hear the alarm, I will heed its message.”
~iCreateDaily-Rephrasing (to personalize) of a quote from The Alchemist, by novelist, Paulo Coelho
“Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which — as we say in the language of the desert — ‘One dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“Every search begins with beginner’s luck and every search ends with the victors being severely tested.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God, and with eternity.
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“‘That’s the principle that governs all things’, he said. In alchemy, it’s called the Soul of the World. When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you’re closest to the soul of the world. It’s always a positive force.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
Authenticity
“You are someone who is different, but who wants to be the same as everyone else. And that in my view is a serious illness. God chose you to be different. Why are you disappointing God with this kind of attitude?”
Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in Veronika Decides to Die, b.11/23/1951
“You must be the person you have never had the courage to be. Gradually, you will discover that you are that person, but until you can see this clearly, you must pretend and invent.”
“If you want to be successful, you must respect one rule – Never lie to yourself.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian author, b.11/23/1951
Beliefs
“Your beliefs shape you and make you who you are.”
~Paulo Coelho, Author, b.11/23/1951
“You are what you believe yourself to be.”
Paulo Coelho, in The Witch of Portobello
Change and Growth
“When you change, the whole world changes with you.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian Author, b.11/23/1951
Children Quotes
“A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Fifth Mountain, b.11/23/1951
Desperation Quotes by Paulo Coelho
“If we are desperate, though, if we have nothing to lose, or if we are full of enthusiasm for life, then the unknown reveals itself, and our universe changes direction.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in Eleven Minutes
Detachment Quotes by Paulo Coelho
“When I had nothing to lose, I had everything.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in Eleven Minutes, b.11/23/1951
Dreams Quotes by Paulo Coelho
“Remember your dreams and fight for them.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, in The Alchemist
Elegance
“Elegance is usually confused with superficiality, fashion, lack of depth. This is a serious mistake: human beings need to have elegance in their actions and in their posture because this word is synonymous with good taste, amiability, equilibrium and harmony.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, b.11/23/1951
Enthusiasm for Life
“…if we are full of enthusiasm for life, then the unknown reveals itself, and our universe changes direction.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist author, in Eleven Minutes
Excuses and Explanations Quotes
“Let go of the need to explain yourself.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, b.11/23/1951
“Don’t explain. Your friends do not need it, and your enemies will not believe you.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, b.11/23/1951
Fear Quotes by Paulo Coelho
“The only thing standing between you and your dream are your fears.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, b.11/23/1951
[The Warrior of Light] uses fear as an engine, not as a break.”
~Paulo Coelho,novelist in Warrior of the Light b.11/23/1951
“Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God, and with eternity.
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist in The Alchemist, b.11/23/1951