Books that change the way I think about life - Part 1

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I absolutely loved this book. It's about a boy trying to find his purpose in life, and his search leads him around the world. He learns about himself, about how the world works, and ultimately about the creation of the universe itself. The author explains this boy's search by telling the reader:

"We all need to be aware of our personal calling...the path God chose for you here on Earth. Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend...if you can confront the obstacles and believe you are worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here." (Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist)

I have to say, I do often wonder whether I have made the right decisions in life and what it is that I want out of life, and I think this book has helped me to realize that there are no wrong decisions, just a variety of right ones, all of which will lead you to your true purpose in one way or another. Therefore, I will try to be content with what I am doing right now and learn as much as I can while I am doing it. I still have a great deal to learn about being patient (my children are trying to teach me that), I want to learn how to cook better (my whole family is hoping I will), how to raise a garden, and many more things that I realize on a daily basis but just can't think of right now.

Sometimes you just pick up the right book when you need it most. Funny how that happens.