I am a huge fan of the Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho, whose words have inspired millions worldwide. He is probably best known for his masterpiece, The Alchemist, a book filled with profound life lessons.
However, Coelho’s wisdom isn’t confined to just one title—his other works, like Eleven Minutes, The Zahir, and Brida, are also rich with insights on love, freedom, and self-discovery. In this post, I’ve gathered some of the best Paulo Coelho quotes, sourced from his most beloved books.
Best Paulo Coelho Quotes
1. “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
2. “When someone leaves, it’s because someone else is about to arrive.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir
3. “We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. 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
4. “So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
5. “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.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes
6. “I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
7. “People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.” ― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die
8. “When I had nothing to lose, I had everything. When I stopped being who I am, I found myself.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes
Related: Summary of the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
9. “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, The Fifth Mountain
10. “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, Eleven Minutes
11. “No one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes
12. “Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
13. “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
14. “If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. If he has to make a choice, may he make it now. Then I will either wait for him or forget him.” ― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
15. “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
16. “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
17. “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, Brida
18. “What is a teacher? I’ll tell you: it isn’t someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Witch of Portobello
For more, check out our Quotes from Books section!
Final thoughts
I hope you found inspiration in these beautiful quotes from Paulo Coelho’s works. His words remind us to embrace our journey, listen to our hearts, and never fear dreaming big. Let them guide you as you navigate your own path.
