Beneath the vast skies of the desert, where dreams meet destiny, was a story that whispered to my soul. It was Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. It is more than just a fable or a tale. It is a journey, a melody of hope, and a quiet magic that has the ability to transcend you wherever the main character goes.
Through the eyes of Santiago, a humble shepherd chasing the call of his heart, The Alchemist teaches us that the universe conspires in the pursuit of our deepest desires, and that every step, every challenge, and every encounter carries a lesson meant only for us.
In this article, we have gathered 25 quotes from The Alchemist. They are phrases that sing of dreams, destiny, and the mysterious beauty of life. Each beautiful quote is a gentle reminder that the journey is as sacred as the treasure itself.
- “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.”
- “I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the same hand, and we have the same soul.”
- “Tell your heart that 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.”
- “We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust ,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”
- “I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”
- “Why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked. “Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure.”
- “If you start by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.”
- “When you possess great treasures within you and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.”
- “The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said: “I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.”
- “Don’t think about what you’ve left behind” The alchemist said to the boy as they began to ride across the sands of the desert. “If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. And one can always come back. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return.”
- “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”
- “There is only one way to learn. It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.”
- “You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say. That way, you’ll never have to fear an unanticipated blow.”
- Dreams are the language of God.
- “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 souls, 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.”
- “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”
- “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 life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
- “At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
- “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.”
- “My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer.”
- “God has a prepared path for us to follow. We just have to read the omens he has left for us.”
- “If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise,” said the seer. “If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur.”
- “There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.”
- “Everything in life has its price.”
Life is full of lessons, signs, and quiet miracles. That’s exactly what this novel is all about, and these quotes from The Alchemist are sure to spark inspiration. They will guide anyone to follow their dreams, listen to their hearts, and trust in the path we are all meant to walk. Because Maktub. It is written. And always know that the greatest treasures are often found not at the destination, but along the way.
