Certain books seem to enter our lives at the perfect time and provide a glimmer of hope where there was once only darkness. My journey into health and wellness, which is now my life's work, began with serious reflection about who I was and what I wanted to do. One of the most important people that helped me get there was Paulo Coelho, the author and philosopher most famous for his book, The Alchemist. Coelho is a master at simplifying life's difficult questions into easy-to-understand bits of wisdom. His words have been instrumental in helping me overcome hurdles and find my life's purpose. These are some of the lessons I learned from him. I hope that you'll take some of these to heart and benefit from them as much as I did.

1. The secret to life.

The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And if you improve on 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.

2. The world's greatest lie.

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.

3. The language of the world.

There is a language in the world that everyone understands: the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.

4. What happens when we die.

Those who don't return become a part of the clouds, a part of the animals that hide in the ravines and of the water that comes from the earth. They become a part of everything...they become the Soul of the World. 

5. The only way to learn.

There is only one way to learn. It's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. 

6. The way to view others.

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. 

7. The most extraordinary things in life.

The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them. 

8. The power of truly believing.

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

9. What we can learn from children.

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.

10. The only way to understand the miracle of life.

You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
Whether you're struggling through a tough situation or your life is calm and content at the moment, these words hold immense power. Take these life lessons from Paulo Coelho and find ways to apply them to your own. This means never ceasing to seek out knowledge, reading something new every day, having a child-like sense of wonder about the world and learning as much as you can about as much as you can. I'll leave you with these words to ponder from The Alchemist:
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.