The Winner Stand Alone

"One of the recurrent themes of my books is the importance of paying the price of your dreams. But to what extent can our dreams be manipulated? For the past decades, we lived in a culture that privileged fame, money, power – and most of the people were led to believe that these were the real values that we should pursue.

We all should be a “winner”. Not in the sense of someone who finally wins what is important to his/her life. Not in the sense that happiness is the most valuable gift on Earth – and it can be attained here and now, when your work fulfills your heart. We should be a winner in the sense that the system portraits a successful person: celebrity, influence, photos in glossy magazines, behaving like the masters of the universe.

Yes, you may reach the goal society has fed you – but will you be satisfied? Will you be whole? Will you be in peace? This cycle of possession never ends – because the moment that you think that you have reached your goal another desire creeps in. And how can you find rest when it is the hunt that moves you?

While people are connected – omniscient thanks to their mobile phones and GPS – they all speak the same words, fight for the same goals, and crave the same things. How could it be otherwise? If fashion exists it is precisely because you can mold the desire of the masses – or how else could a bag, a dress impose itself as necessary?

In a world of invisible yet unsurpassable “diktats”, where a few puppeteers pull the strings of the many, instill in other people’s dreams the pursue of superficial things, there seems to be a rising feeling, a silent despair that creeps in.

Greed to have, greed to be seen, greed to prevail, even greed to kill, if you think it is for a good cause – like love, for example.

What we don’t know is that, behind the scenes, the real manipulators remain anonymous. They understand that the most effective power is the one that nobody can notice – until it is too late, and you are trapped."

This is the post in Paulo Coelho's blog about his latest book, The Winner Stand Alone. I haven't read the book, though this book is in the top three my must-have-books list.

Coelho mention about happiness. Simple happiness, doing what you like, or at least not doing a job that makes you feel like you're killing yourself inside. My friend talk to me yesterday about how she got scold from a person who interviewed her because she cannot answer 'What is your greatest accomplishment?'. These day it's all about that, isn't it? as if you are half human if not pursuing something, as if it's a despicable thing for not 'accomplish' on something. I'll say stay alive is pretty much an accomplishment...

Everybody have a goal, even they didn't realize it, even they didn't talk about it, or seems like do nothing to pursuit it. I do have goal. I have some, and one that I desire the most. One that makes me choose to put other aside, and walk in the path less traveled. But what actually the motives? yes, that is the most important question, motives behind it all, to see beyond the surfaces...

Coelho talking about greed. For me the greed is there, alongside the hunger and the thirst. Wanting to have some, wanting to be seen, wanting to prevail. But there are also other things, love if I may said so. Not the love to other person, but love to the things I like and inspire me the most, the activities that bring joy to me, the things that makes me punch the sky and exclaimed "yeah, I'm alive and it feels good!"

As Coelho said in his many works, it's not about fulfilling your desire, but about fulfilling your heart. Not about bag and shoes and clothes, or fame and fortune, but about doing things that your heart wish for. Therefore, be prepare to revealed what your heart wishes for and join in, as Coelho said, in the journey into a world that is coming to and end...

"We are part of the solution, if we go back to the real values of life, being “follow your dream” the most important of all. Not the dreams of the Superclass. Not the dreams of our parents, or our partners. We should be what we always wanted to be."