Paulo Coelho Quotes About Love, Life and The Alchemist

Looking for Paulo Coelho quotes from some of his most popular books?

Here are some of our favorites!

Enjoy!

Born on 24 August 1947, Paulo Coelho de Souza is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist who’s best known for his international bestselling book, ‘The Alchemist’, the story of a young man traveling the world, searching for purpose, love and adventure.

As ‘The Alchemist’ is one of my favorite books of all time, and I am honored to share some highly inspirational and quotes about happiness from one of my favorite authors,

Paulo Coelho quotes are filled with wisdom and practical advice, whether you’re looking for a new career, ending a relationship or trying to figure out what the next step should be.

You can find Paulo Coelho quotes all over the web, but the purpose of this post is to let his words of love and inspiration motivate you to let go, move on, and rise up!

Make sure to leave a comment and share this with a friend!

And after, be sure to read on with our collection of Elie Wiesel quotes for additional inspiration.

More Power To You!

Enjoy!

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration. 

Check out our entire collection of motivational quotes here. 

Paulo Coelho Quotes from The Alchemist and his other books about life, adventure and love

1. “People want to change everything and, at the same time want it all to remain the same.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Change can be scary, even when it is something we want. The idea that we could fail, or that it might not be what we really want after all, holds us back. That desire to have things stay the same happens because it safe and comfortable the way it is, even if whatever it is makes us miserable.

2. “If you want to see a rainbow you have to learn to see the rain.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Rainbows only come out after a storm. Life is a lot like that, too! Sometimes, the worst thing that ever happened to us, ends up being the best thing. It might not happen immediately like a rainbow, but it happens! The hard times teach us to appreciate the beauty that follows.

You will also enjoy our article on Dirty Harry quotes.

3. “People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: You are never too old to fulfill an old dream that you had set aside. It is also never to late to start down the path of a new dream. You are more capable than you think you are. Your dreams matter, and you should go for them!

4. “Be Brave. Take Risks. Nothing can substitute experience.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Life is what you make of it. If you are brave and take risks you will experience much more than someone who never dares go after their dreams. Now, this isn’t advocating for you to be reckless. Instead, put yourself out there, be vulnerable, believe in yourself, and don’t pass on great opportunities because you are scared.

5. “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: The poetic element of these words is strong. It can be difficult, scary, and heartbreaking to say goodbye to certain people or chapters of our lives. However, sometimes, it has to happen for you to grow into the next phase of your life. What is out there waiting for you to be brave enough to go find it?

6. “When I had nothing to lose, I had everything. When I stopped being who I am, I found myself.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: There is a freedom in thinking you have nothing to lose. It can encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and go after what you want with passion. Maybe the you that you have been trying to be, is not the authentic version of yourself? You will know that deep inside. Stop being that version of you and really question what you want!

7. “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is lethal.” – Paulo Coelho 

Everyday Application: Routines are actually a good thing! However, boredom and discontent are dangerous. If you are feeling restless, unsatisfied, or troubled, then maybe it is time to go on an adventure! It might also be a good time to develop a daily routine…

If you’re enjoying this article, you might also like our collection of famous poems to inspire you when you feel like giving up.

8. “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Possibility and hope are some of life’s strongest motivators. There are many things to be grateful for that could keep life interesting, but following a dream is a big one. What are your dreams? Write down who you would be if all your dreams came true!

9. “When someone leaves, it’s because someone else is about to arrive.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: This one is a bit of a spin on, “If one door closes another one opens.” Unfortunately, not everyone is meant to stay in our lives forever. But everyone who comes into our lives has a purpose, and teaches us something we needed to learn.

10. “Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.– Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Fear is the enemy of dreams and your heart’s desires. Letting fear take root inside you is one sure fire way to start ignoring the wishes of your heart. Be vulnerable, but also know your worth and capability. You can do this!

Paulo Coelho Quotes About Life and Dreams

11. “Tears are words that need to be written.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: The hope of any writer is to make the reader feel something just from reading their words. Tears, sadly, can be a source of inspiration for a story. However, even if you aren’t a writer, if there are tears in your soul write them down down. You will be surprised at the power of journaling!

12. “You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his personal legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t a true love…The love that speaks the language of the world.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: When you abandon a dream or goal how does it make you feel? If you are ok and can move on, then you might have wanted that goal at the time, but it wasn’t a true passion. You know when you give those up…it leaves you feeling lost and incomplete.

Also see these Alchemist quotes for the dreamer in you.

13. “It takes huge effort to free yourself from memory.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Memories can be beautiful, especially if they bring us comfort and joy. However, not all memories are happy ones. When the bad memories play on repeat, or impact your present, then it is necessary to put in the work to free yourself. Future you will thank you!

14. “Waiting hurts. Forgetting hurts. But not knowing which decision to take can sometimes be the most painful.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Remembering can hurt. Forgetting can also be painful. However, you can choose your pain. Make the the decision that will help you grow into the person you dream of being. Unfortunately, many times in life all our choices are hard. Which hard you choose is up to you.

Paulo Coelho Quotes About Love

15. “Passion makes a person stop eating, sleeping, working, feeling at peace. A lot of people are frightened because, when it appears, it demolishes all the old things it finds in its path. No one wants their life thrown into chaos.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: That is why a lot of people keep that threat of chaos under control. They do not follow their passions because it requires them to change so many parts of their life. Other people think exactly the opposite: they surrender themselves without a second thought, hoping to find in passion the solutions to all their problems. Which type of person are you?

16. “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Love can be a powerful motivator to become our best selves. Self-love and awareness will help you discover things about yourself that you didn’t know. On our quests to be better we often become more grateful, choose to look at the positive, and make healthier choices. This impacts our overall mental and physical health, and everyone around us too.

17. “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”– Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: There is an inherent and powerful beauty in the simple things, like a sunrise or the company of a friend. These things might be thought of as simple, but they are more important than we give them credit for. If the sun didn’t rise everyday, then everything as we know it would end.

18. “But love is always new. Regardless of whether we love once, twice, or a dozen times in our life, we always face a brand-new situation. Love can consign us to hell or to paradise, but it always takes us somewhere. We simply have to accept it, because it is what nourishes our existence. If we reject it, we die of hunger, because we lack the courage to stretch out a hand and pluck the fruit from the branches of the tree of life. We have to take love where we find it, even if that means hours, days, weeks of disappointment and sadness.” – Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: Nothing is permanent in this life, not even love. Our parents and family members die, marriages end for various reasons, and friendships fade. However, that should not discourage you from loving. It makes it even more precious and meaningful. You never know were love might find you, but it is always worth it.

Paulo Coelho quotes on love and family

19. The moment we begin to seek love, love begins to seek us. And to save us.” ― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

20. “Everything tells me that I am about to make a wrong decision, but making mistakes is just part of life. What does the world want of me? Does it want me to take no risks, to go back to where I came from because I didn’t have the courage to say “yes” to life?”– Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: If you feel like you are making a wrong decision for actual reasons, then you might want to listen to your gut. However, if things like fear and doubt are telling you it is wrong, then don’t listen! Dare to step outside your comfort zone and say yes to life. After all, this is your life and no one wants to wonder ‘what if’ at the end.

21. “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”– Paulo Coelho

Everyday Application: It seems like someone is always going to have an opinion about your life and the choices you make. The good news is, it is your life and not theirs. You are responsible for all of your choices, and do not need validation form anyone.

Paulo Coelho quotes love and writing

22. “We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal.

23. “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.”– Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho quotes on dreams and learning

24. “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.” – Paulo Coelho

25. “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.” – Paulo Coelho

26. “Choosing a path meant having to miss out on others. She had a whole life to live, and she was always thinking that, in the future, she might regret the choices she made now. “I’m afraid of committing myself,” she thought to herself. She wanted to follow all possible paths and so ended up following none.

Even in that most important area of her life, love, she had failed to commit herself. After her first romantic disappointment, she had never again given herself entirely. She feared pan, loss, and separation.

These things were inevitable on the path to love, and the only way of avoiding them was by deciding not to take that path at all. In order not to suffer, you had to renounce love. It was like putting out your own eyes not to see the bad things in life.” ―  Brida

Paulo Coelho quotes on fear

27. “When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.” – Paulo Coelho

28. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho quotes on love and happiness

29. “After all, what is happiness? Love, they tell me. But love doesn’t bring and never has brought happiness. On the contrary, it’s a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it’s sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we’re doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstasy and agony.” ― Paulo Coelho

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of the pursuit of happiness quotes that will make you smile.

30. “Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.” ― Paulo Coelho

31. “Human beings can withstand a week without water, two weeks without food, many years of homelessness, but not loneliness. It is the worst of all tortures, the worst of all sufferings.” ― Paulo Coelho

32. “Joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment help us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments — but all of this is transitory it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken.” ― Paulo Coelho

33. “Everyone believes the world’s greatest lie…” says the mysterious old man.
“What is the world’s greatest lie?” the little boy asks.
The old man replies, “It’s this: that 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.”
― Paulo Coelho

34. “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.” ― Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho quotes on life

35. “This time I m not going to tell you a story. I’ll just say that insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It’s as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that’s going on around you but incapable of explaining what you need to know or of being helped, because you don’t understand the language they speak there.” ― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of insanity quotes to help you stay sane in the chaos that is life.

36. “Even if it is only for a matter of moments, because those moments bring with them a Love so intense that it justifies the rest of our days.” ― Paulo Coelho, Brida

37. “This was the kiss I had waited for so long – a kiss born by the river of our childhood, when we didn’t yet know what love meant. A kiss that had been suspended in the air as we grew, that had traveled in the world in the souvenir of a medal, and that had remained hidden behind piles of books. A kiss that had been lost and now was found. In the moment of that kiss were years of searching, disillusionment and impossible dreams.” ― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of book quotes about the power of reading from your favorite authors.

38. “All religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect. Anyone who chooses a religion is also choosing a collective way for worshipping and sharing the mysteries. Nevertheless, that person is the only one responsible for his or her actions along the way and has no right to shift responsibility for any personal decisions on to that religion.”
― Paulo Coelho, Like the Flowing River

Paulo Coelho Quotes from The Alchemist and other books 

39. “When I experienced humiliation and yet kept on walking, I understood that I was free to choose my destiny. Perhaps there’s something wrong with me, I don’t know, perhaps my marriage was a dream I couldn’t understand while it lasted.

All I know is that even though I can live without her, I would still like to see her again, to say what I never said when we were together: I love you more than I love myself. If I could say that, then I could go on living, at peace with myself, because that love has redeemed me.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir

40. “Dreams are the language of God.” ― Paulo Coelho

41. “Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.” ― Paulo Coelho

42. “Teaching is only demonstrating that it is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself.” ― Paulo Coelho

43. “Pain, loss and separation are inevitable on the path of love, and the only way of avoiding them is by deciding not to take that path at all. In order not to suffer, you have to renounce love.It was like putting out your own eyes in order not to see the bad things in life.” ― Paulo Coelho, Brida

44. “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense.”
― Paulo Coelho

45. “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

46. “The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” ― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

47. “This is what we call love. When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there’s no need at all to understand what’s happening, because everything happens within you.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

48. “If you start by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

50. “Love is a trap. When it appears, we see only its light, not its shadows.” ― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

51. “I’m not a body with a soul, I’m a soul that has a visible part called the body.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

52. “Happiness is something that multiplies when it is divided.” ― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

Paulo Coelho quotes to inspire to live your best life

53. “I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a question of how I view my life.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

54. “You are what you believe yourself to be.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Witch of Portobello

55. “You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

56. “Don’t allow your mind to tell your heart what to do. The mind gives up easily” ― Paulo Coelho

57. “You have two choices, to control your mind or to let your mind control you.” ― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

58. “And one has to understand that braveness is not the absence of fear but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear.” ― Paulo Coelho

59. “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.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

60. “No matter how you feel today, get up, dress up & show up” ― Paulo Coelho

61. “Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

62. “So you see, Good and Evil have the same face; it all depends on when they cross the path of each individual human being.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

Paulo Coelho quotes to broaden your thoughts

63. “I’ve learned that waiting is the most difficult bit, and I want to get used to the feeling, knowing that you’re with me, even when you’re not by my side.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

64. “Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

65. “My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

66. “Nothing in this world happens by chance.” ― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

67. “Life can seem short or life can seem long, depending on how you live it.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

68. “If you are never alone, you cannot know yourself.” ― Paulo Coelho, Manuscript Found in Accra

69. “No one places her dreams in the hands of those who might destroy them.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Witch of Portobello

70. “Because I don’t live in either my past or my future.I’m interested only in the present”.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

71. “People learn twenty-five percent from their teacher, twenty-five percent from listening to themselves, twenty-five percent from their friends, and twenty-five percent from time.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Witch of Portobello

72. “Sadness does not last forever when we walk in the direction of that which we always desired.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Fifth Mountain

Other inspirational Paulo Coelho quotes

73. “Love is a disease no one wants to get rid of. Those who catch it never try to get better, and those who suffer do not wish to be cured.”― Paulo Coelho

74. “Never give up. When your heart becomes tired, just walk with your legs – but move on.”― Paulo Coelho

75. “Close some doors. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.”― Paulo Coelho

76. “It is not time that changes man nor knowledge the only thing that can change someone’s mind is love.”― Paulo Coelho

77. “When you possess great treasures within you and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.”― Paulo Coelho

78. “Magical places are always beautiful and deserve to be contemplated … Always stay on the bridge between the invisible and the visible. ”― Paulo Coelho

79. “What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.”― Paulo Coelho

80. “You must always know what it is that you want.”― Paulo Coelho

81. “Many people don’t allow themselves to love…because there are a lot of things at risk a lot of future and a lot of past.”― Paulo Coelho

82. “If it’s still in your mind, it is still in your heart.”― Paulo Coelho

More Paulo Coelho quotes and sayings

83. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” – Paulo Coelho

84. “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” – Paulo Coelho

85. “Love is an untamed force. When we try to control it, it destroys us. When we try to imprison it, it enslaves us. When we try to understand it, it leaves us feeling lost and confused.” – Paulo Coelho

86. “Don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” – Paulo Coelho

87. “Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.” – Paulo Coelho

88. “If I am really a part of your dream, you’ll come back one day.” – Paulo Coelho

89. “There are moments when troubles enter our lives and we can do nothing to avoid them. But they are there for a reason. Only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there.” – Paulo Coelho

90. “People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.” – Paulo Coelho

91. “Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.” – Paulo Coelho

92. “Anyone who has lost something they thought was theirs forever finally comes to realize that nothing really belongs to them.” – Paulo Coelho

93. “Keeping passion at bay or surrendering blindly to it – which of these two attitudes is the least destructive? I don’t know.” – Paulo Coelho

94. “We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.” – Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho: Hear What the Universe Is Telling You

Which Paulo Coelho quotes did we miss?

Coelho always dreamed of becoming a writer from an early age.

Although he was discouraged by his parents who wanted him to become a lawyer,  he still found the courage to pursue his dream of becoming a writer.

Today, Paulo Coelho is one of the most widely read writers and he even holds the Guinness World Record for having the most translated books by a living author.

He also serves as a UNESCO special counselor and the Paulo Coelho Institute in 1996 to provide aid to impoverished children and elderly people.

Hopefully, you’ve gained some valuable wisdom and practical advice from these Paulo Coelho quotes.

Which Paulo Coelho quote is your favorite?

Tell us below!!