Paulo Coelho is one of my all time favorite authors. When I read a book I typically read it in 1 or 2 sittings. His books, while they are short, are so incredibly filled with wisdom that I find myself spending most of my time sitting, reflecting and journaling on what I learn. And of course his blog is filled with wisdom as well. I came across this story on his blog today and I just had to share.
How Poor We Are
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from the trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”
“It was great, Dad”.
“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.
“Oh yes”, said the son.
“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered:
“I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
“We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden and they have a creek that has no end.
“We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
“Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
“We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
“We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
“We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added:
“Thanks, Dad for showing me how poor we are.”
Discovered on Paulo Coelho’s Blog
True living is about being ‘unrealistic’ and following your heart. Yet, perhaps one of the biggest obstacles we face in living our dream life, is the socially constructed ideal of the ‘real world.’
Whenever I tell someone that I am going to, let’s say, live in Buenos Aires for three months, I hear them say, “Well, thats nice, but some of us have to work.” I have to work too. That is not a good excuse. If you want something you can make it happen. What are your real fears to not following your dreams?
The ‘real world’ aka the work 8-5, buy a house, get married, have kids, get a dog world is not what you are suppose to do. If that is what your heart desires, then that is beautiful and an amazing life. Yet if it isn’t, do not let the ‘real world’ be an excuse for not following your dreams.
Is your dream to sail around the world? There are plenty of people that do it, and even with families. Is your dream to start your own company? You can make tiny steps while you are still working your 8-5. Is your dream to write a book? Get a pen and start writing.
Do not let your fears tell you that the ‘real world’ is what life is.
Your life can be whatever you want it to be.
We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.
- Woodrow Wilson
When we dream we can see the infinite possibility of our lives. We can see all that we are capable and more. We can use our dreams to shape our lives and our future.
Yet the biggest mistake we make is leaving our dreams as dreams. You can make any dream become a reality.
What is holding you back from accomplishing your dreams? Did you decide somewhere along the line that dreams were meant to be dreams? Was it fear? Did you think that your dreams were unrealistic? The only thing that makes them unrealistic is thinking that they are.
Yet there is nothing that holds us back from achieving our dreams more than our self limiting beliefs. Not lack of money, talent, resources, etc. If you want something bad enough you can make it happen. Stop telling yourself that it is impossible. Nothing is. Nothing. You are the only one standing in your way. Go after that dream, keep going, never stop and never ever look back.
Where do you go when you dream?
Make it a reality.
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.
All of us are struck at one time or another on this life journey, with this overwhelming question that starts to haunt us. What is the meaning of life? I have been thru my share of existential crises in this life, and I do not claim to know the exact answer to this question.
Yet, one thing that I do know for sure is that life becomes soo much richer when we look to how we can give to the world. Everyone has something unique to offer the world. Something to contribute that no one else can. Something that by giving will change the entire world.
What can you offer the world?
Yes I choose a kissing image, cause kissing someone is never a mistake 
Mistakes are only your perception. Sure, you may think you have failed or really screwed up big this time. Yet, perhaps this experience is making you stronger for something better to come your way, or perhaps if you didn’t fail now it could have been an even bigger disaster down the road.
Do not look back. Live today. We are the ones that keep our ‘mistakes’ part of our reality, no one else does.
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