Whenever your mind wanders to human inspirations who are writers, you may be struck by the characters they invented or something about their writing style.  You may have connected with some aspect of their life history, if you happen to have insight into such things. Then again, there may be something enigmatic or mysterious about the person that evokes positive feelings you may not clearly explain. 

Paulo Coelho is a man whose philosophies and life experiences leave me guessing and also gathering more faith in my inner self.  These are 5 lessons I have gained from sharing adventures with his unqiue characters and connecting with chapters in his life story:

1)  Follow your instincts.  People will always have advice and ideas to offer you about how to live your life, what to do, and where to go.  Part of personal growth involves learning to listen to yourself, even if your choices take you to what turn out to seem like dangerous and scary places.  Each decision you make at a given time is in your best interest because of opportunities you have to learn from experience along the way and stretch yourself.

2) Open your heart.  It's so easy to succomb to overwleming sense of vulnerability, to your fears that an opportunity is gone, that your efforts have been wasted, that your lover doesn't care.  Yet, any situation is fixable if you learn to open your heart and believe in the power of love and a positive outcome.  Its a question of gaining perspective.  This result may not be the one you initially think you want, but you likely ignore the hardships you invite actually plow you forward to get what you truly want. 

3) Be willing to meet yourself. Not everyone initially realizes they have the courage and abilities required to merge with who they are.  Yet, we all come to discover parts of our energy, emotions, relationships and life perspectives are out of alignment.  We all fall into patterns that aren't on the surface, good for us, or find ourselves in conditions that are incompatible with our principles and beliefs.  All of it is necessary.  To explore who you aren't brings you face-to-face with who you are.  Why waste precious time  where you are being angry, regretful or upset?

4) Connect with Spiritual Forces.  Everyone has their own idea of what this means.  It could include angels, channelling, mediumship, forms of divination, or some other connection with Forces and Beings beyond yourself.  The idea isn't linked with traditional, organized religion, but it opens you up to discover the divine magic within yourself.  How you define and explore your connection to the 'God Space' or 'wider Universe,' puts you back in touch with qualities that guide your core existence.   Remind yourself what you forgot. 

5) Discern the truth without ego.  Life is full of our own self-created distortions and misunderstandings.  Ego-based views can't be anything but mis-interpretations of the truth.  We may evolve to perceive we carry burdens, but this is for the purpose of learning.  We can choose to discover meaning in silence, in facing root causes for our troubled souls.  This uncovers the hidden truth of the Self.  Deepen you soul journey.