Tuesday 22 April 2008

Words of Wisdom

While sitting at the dental clinic, waiting and waiting and waiting, I got the chance to start reading a book that SQB lent me. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. So far, it seems very inspiring, a book that you pick up and read a chapter out of to get guidance when necessary.

From what I managed to read today, it reminds me a bit of my favourite of all time, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This book was such an amazing journey for me. To this day, I can’t remember where I was when I read it, know I was on a plane going somewhere (definitely not home, which at that time was Gothenburg or London), I had about five hours on me, and I took my time and read the whole book. I can’t remember the story and have not read it again yet (SQB is giving me a copy which I’ll read after the Prophet), but I recommend it to everyone.

I think I recommend it because of how I felt after finishing the book, which, luckily I still remember. It was a sort of Eureka moment, wow, life can be so easy if we just go with the flow and try to live with nature, embrace the simple life. Sounds very flower-power now, but I’m sure those who have read the Alchemist know the feeling I am trying to describe. Once I got back to London(?) I made two decisions very easily, decisions I had previously gone back and forth on.

I think The Prophet may have a similar impact on me. My favourite line from today was in the chapter ‘on marriage’, a topic that we’ve been discussing a lot lately (had a discussion with Ruby and her workmate about it just yesterday). The Prophet says:

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.


What a fitting quote for an ocean lover like me! And what a beautiful way to capture how we change as people in life and therefore our love cannot be a solid, tangible thing but rather something so abstract that is always in transition.

5 comments:

The Author said...

Maya, likening love to the movement of the sea is still abstract to me (as is everything about love except touching in one of its many positions and manifestations). That said, I love Gibran too. A friend introduced me to him and I was taken for life. About the decision you took after reading the Alchemist, I think I can guess what it is...

Maya Mame said...

I agree with you, the likening to the sea is abstract, that's what I like about it. The decision I took will be my little secret, although it won't be anything that's going through your mind...
; )

Anna said...

jag har boken av gibran men har fakiskt inte läst den....nu blir jag sugen! måste nog läsa alkemisten också.
gibran säger nåt väldigt klokt angående barn också....nån citerade honom i en gratulation när vi fick J. kram på dig

The Author said...

Trust me, you overestimate what goes on through my mind. I am positive the decision has a not-too-vague association with where you decided to call home, and what you wanted your place in life to be :-)

Maya Mame said...

Aah da maste jag lasa om barn nu, Anna.

Nana Yaw, unfortunately you're wrong but partly close.

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