February 28, 2008

Bits of wisdom from Paulo Ceolho

Life is like a great bike race, the goal of which is to live one's own Personal Destiny. At the starting line, we are all together, sharing camaraderie and enthusiasm.  But, as the race develops, the initial joy gives way to challenges: exhaustion, monotony, doubts as to one's ability.  We notice that some friends refuse to accept the challenges -- they are still in the race, but only because they cannot stop in the middle of a road.  There are many of them.  They ride along with the support car, talk among themselves and complete the task.   We find ourselves outdistancing them; and then we have to confront solitude, the surprises around unfamiliar curves, and problems with the bicycle.  We wind up asking ourselves if the effort is worth it. Yes, it is worth it.  Don't give up.

 

From now on and for the next few hundred years the universe is going to boycott all those have preconceived ideas.  The energy of the Earth has to be renewed.  New ideas need space.  The body and the soul need new challenges.  The future is knocking on our door, and all ideas except those that are based upon preconceptions will have a chance to appear. "What is important will remain; what is useless will disappear.  But let each person judge only his own concepts.  We are not the judges of the dreams of others. In order to have faith in our own path, it is not necessary to prove that another's path is wrong.  One who does that does not believe in his own steps."

 

Write!  Whether it's a letter, a diary or just some notes as you speak on the telephone but write!  "In writing, we come closer to God and to others. "If you want to understand your role in the world better, write.  Try to put your soul in writing, even if no one reads your words or worse, even if someone winds up reading what you did not want to be read.  The simple fact of writing helps us to organize our thoughts and see more clearly what is in our surroundings.  A paper and pen perform miracles they alleviate pain, make dreams come true and summon lost hope. "The word has power."

 

The phrase is from Pablo Picasso: "God is an artist.  He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the ant.  Actually, he never sought for a style he was simply doing everything that he wanted to do." The master says: "When we begin along our path, a great fear arises.  We feel obligated to do everything right.  In the end, since we have only one life to live, who was it that invented the standard of "Everything right?"  God made the giraffe, the elephant and the ant why do we have to follow a standard? "A standard serves only to show us how others define their own reality.  Often we admire the models of others, and many times we can avoid the errors committed by others. "But as for living well only we know how to do that for ourselves."

February 21, 2008

the future is knocking on...

From now on -- and for the next few hundred years -- the universe is going to boycott all those have preconceived ideas.  The energy of the Earth has to be renewed.  New ideas need space.  The body and the soul need new challenges.  The future is knocking on our door, and all ideas -- except those that are based upon preconceptions -- will have a chance to appear.            "What is important will remain; what is useless will disappear.  But let each person judge only his own concepts.  We are not the judges of the dreams of others.    In order to have faith in our own path, it is not necessary to prove that another's path is wrong.  One who does that does not believe in his own steps."

 - Paulo Coelho