I've never read any other author who writes like this man. So simplistic, and yet so powerful.
The warrior of light who does not share with others the happiness of his choices will never come to know his own qualities and shortcomings.
So before you start anything, find allies – people who are interested in what you are doing.
I am not saying “Find other warriors of light.”
I am saying: “Find people with different skills, because a warrior’s fight for his dream is no different from any other path that is followed with enthusiasm.”
Your allies will not necessarily be those people that everyone looks at in admiration and says: “there is nobody better.” Much to the contrary, they are people who are not afraid of making mistakes, so they make lots of mistakes. That is why what they do is not always praised or acknowledged.
Yet this is the type of person that changes the world and after many a mistake manages to get something right that will make all the difference to their community.
Allies are people who cannot hang around waiting for things to happen and later decide on the best attitude to take: they decide as they go along, even knowing that this type of behavior is very risky.
Living with allies is important for a warrior of light; together, they all understand that before choosing the objective they are free to change their mind. But after the objective has been decided upon, they focus only on the steps they have to take. And they think as they go along: “each step requires a lot of effort, but it’s worth the risk, it’s worth betting one’s very life.”
The best allies are those that do not think like most people. That is why, when looking for companions to share the enthusiasm of the dream, it is important to believe in intuition and pay no attention to others’ comments. Most human beings always judge others using their own limitations as the model – and sometimes the opinion of the majority is full of prejudice and fear.
Join all those who experiment, take risks, fall, get hurt and then take risks again. Stay away from those who affirm truths, who criticize those that do not think like they do, who have never taken a step without being sure that they would be respected for that, and who prefer the comfort of certainty to the tension of doubt.
Join those who expose themselves and are not afraid of being vulnerable: these watch what their neighbor is doing, not to judge him but rather to admire him for his dedication and courage.
Perhaps the warrior feels tempted to think that his dream does not interest everyone, such as bakers and farmers, for example. But in the warrior they will have a good example of perseverance and courage. And a baker can teach a lot of things, such as the exact mixture of the ingredients, which is based more on intuition than technique. A farmer can show the importance of patience, sweat, respect for the seasons, and the futility of cursing storms – because that is a sheer waste of time.
Therefore, each one of us has something different to teach, and it is all these differences added together that we call “wisdom”.
Join with those who are flexible and understand the road signs. These are people who do not hesitate to change direction when they come across an insurmountable barrier or when they spot a better opportunity. They possess the quality of water: getting around rocks, adapting to the flow of the river, sometimes changing into a lake – until the hollow is full and it can continue on its path, because water never forgets that its destiny is the sea and that sooner or later that is where it has to reach.
Join those who have never said: “that’s it, I have to stop here.” Because just as winter is followed by spring, nothing can stop, and the warrior’s road is an endless path. After achieving his objective, he finds another challenge, and it is necessary to start all over again, always using everything he has learned while traveling along.
Join with those who sing, tell stories, enjoy life and have joy in their eyes. Because happiness is contagious and always manages to prevent people from becoming paralyzed by depression, loneliness and difficulties.
Join those who walk with their head held high, even though they have tears in their eyes. Stay away from those who hold their head high because they have never shed a tear, never looked to the sides.
A true warrior of light does not confuse arrogance and authority, joy and superficiality, persistence and impatience. He has his doubts and at times feels oppressed by loneliness, but he knows that there are many people who think like he does, and that it is just a matter of time until he finds his true allies.
-Paulo Coelho, Warrior of the Light Online (Issue no. 87)
