Faces of India

 A book captivated me. A message struck me. During my trip to India, I read the "The Pilgrimage" by Paulo Coelho. The story entails a man's legendary pilgrimage and quest for ancient wisdom. The man learns to understand the nature of truth through the simplicity of life. 

I worship books that make you contemplate what you are doing with your life. Books that make you search for your philosophy, for your truth, for your passion. Not only did this book contain those 3 life-enhancing practices, but it had several messages that just made me say, "YES! EXACTLY!". 

This trip was also a trip of gratitude. I found myself constantly thanking God for every little and big thing he has given me, taught me, challenged me with, and helped me get through. I am ever so grateful for the clean air I breathe; for the parents that took care of all my physical and emotional needs; for the shelter and freedoms I have; for clean water and electricity;  for the education that I have been bestowed; for the religion that I can freely practice;for family and friends that increase my daily happiness; for the job and money that allow me to survive; and for the opportunity to see other cultures and peoples.  I'm thankful that God's answers are wiser than my answers. 


To finish off this little blog, I would like to just say that Paulo is a genius. If you have not read any of his books please do yourself a favor and spend a few hours indulging in this publishing phenomenon. He shares incredible stories that embrace philosophy and wisdom. See what you think?

“When you travel, you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth. You confront completely new situations, the day passes more slowly, and on most journeys you don’t even understand the language the people speak. So you are like a child just out of the womb. You begin to attach much more importance to the things around you because your survival depends upon them. You begin to be more accessible to others because they may be able to help you in difficult situations. And you accept any small favor from the gods with great delight, as if it were an episode you would remember for the rest of your life.” Paulo Coelho

 "You start living for the obsession alone ... You want to arrive somewhere regardless of whether you're enjoying the road or not."

 "You have passed through the two hardest tests on the spiritual road: the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what you encounter. "

"We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. Every day, God gives us the sun and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy."

 

"Teaching is only demonstrating that it is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself."

 "I learned the most important lesson of my life: that the extraordinary is not the birthright of a chosen and privileged few, but of all people, even the humblest. That is my one certainty: we are all the manifestation of the divinity of God."

 "There are three things that a child can teach an adult:To be happy for no reason; to be always busy doing something; And to know how to demand - with all one's might - what one wants"

 "You wanted to be brave, when it was enough to be intelligent."

 "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 future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself brings with it an eternity. "

"Why be fearful of saying no to someone or of leaving something undone when the most important thing of all was to enjoy life fully?"