inspiration Friday

I've been needing a lot of reminders lately.  Inspiration.  And when I need those reminders to follow my dream, to follow my heart, I pray to God.  For guidance.  For courage.  For strength.  For patience. 

And then, I read The Alchemist.  I have a list of quotes from the book that I go back to every time I'm in need of a reminder to follow my heart despite the noise in my head and around me.  Here are a few of the quotes that have become my daily mantras:

"What you still need to know is this: 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.'"

(I told a friend that I feel like I'm at this point.  I see the palm trees, I see my dreams materializing in the horizon, but I'm not quite there yet, and many times (more so lately), I just want to turn back or turn a different direction because the obstacles in my path are testing my courage, my patience, and my perseverance.  They are making me question my decisions.  But I need to trust my heart."

"Listen to your heart.  It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World and it will one day return there."

"In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage.  So he could not be hasty, nor impatient.  If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path."

"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."

"When you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it."

"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 had never dreamed of when he first made the decision."

So, I tell myself, patience, my dear.  But keep going.  Each step will get you closer.   

photo: Anne SORBES