I developed (this practice) of releasing my story, AND finally found my mantra while reading ‘The Zahir’ by Paulo Coehlo. That’s a solid read in my books 🙂

The Zahir is a fiction story, which feels way more like nonfiction. The narrator is a famous (spiritual) writer living in Paris and enjoying the privileges of wealth and success ( for that reason it was easy to imagine it being Paulo’s autobiography). The Zahir is a story of a married man who lost the virtue of love. As he lived further and further from sight of this virtue, his wife disappeared, and for two years she became his obsession, or, his ‘Zahir’.

Was she kidnapped, murdered, or did she simply escape a marriage that no longer fulfilled her? He needed to know why she left, where he went wrong to lose her, and how to transform himself to allow a space for her to come back into his life. In his journey, he was forced to step outside of the world he grew accustomed to and into her world and everything she cared deeply about.

The only way for him to release his Zahir and allow love back in was to learn how to release his old story and fill it with new and invigorating experiences.

Paulo once again filled my soul with enlightening lessons, this time it was through a story about surrendering ourselves so love and life can flow freely through us. His words inspired me to dig deeper into myself and find new ways to move forward, and for that, I cannot be grateful enough.

You can buy The Zahir by clicking the link below:

Favorite quotes from The Zahir:

When someone leaves, it’s because someone else is about to arrive…

All you have to do is to pay attention; lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step

Our true friends are those who are with us when the good things happen. They cheer us on and are pleased by our triumphs. False friends only appear at difficult times, with their sad, supportive faces, when, in fact, our suffering is serving to console them for their miserable lives.

Esther asks why people are sad.

That’s simple,’ says the old man. ‘They are the prisoners of their personal history. Everyone believes that the main aim in life is to follow a plan. They never ask if that plan is theirs or if it was created by another person. They accumulate experiences, memories, things, other people’s ideas, and it is more than they can possibly cope with. And that is why they forget their dreams.

In order for the true energy of love to penetrate your soul, your soul must be as if you had just been born. Why are people unhappy? Because they want to imprison that energy, which is impossible. Forgetting your personal history means leaving that channel clear, allowing that energy to manifest each day in whatever way it chooses, allowing yourself to be guided by it.

Others by Paulo Coelho that I LOVE:

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Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed. Be sure to scroll down and subscribe to OmniMinds so you don’t miss out on a post.