Paulo Coelho

            Paulo Coelho is a successful author who has sold over 100 million books in at least 150 countries worldwide. He was born on August 24, 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where for his first 20 years his mom thought he should pursue becoming an engineer just like his father, but instead his parents committed him into a mental institution where later on he would be released. His parents then enrolled him into law school in 1970 which didn’t work out because Mr. Coelho left to start traveling and began taking drugs and becoming a hippie. In 1980, he married a women named Christina Oiticica and has been married to her since. Mr. Coelho has published books like “Hells Archives, The Pilgrimage, and The Alchemist” the latter of which became one of the bestselling books in history. He is also the Messenger of Peace for the UN, and Mr. Coelho has established the “Paulo Coelho Institute” which offers aid to those who face financial issues. Paulo Coelho once said, “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” He meant that people should lead by example not by words. An example of this is donating to charity not just talking about it. Mr. Coelho used this all his life when it had to do with him and his parents trying to get him in a future of their choosing, but instead he went his own way and became the writer and author that everyone adores now a days. His books show a new view of the world that we live in and how we can make it stronger as a whole. I myself have learned from this quote in many different ways. One of which was when I would help kids and play with them and later on they start copying what I do and start following in my footsteps which made me feel a great honor that they see me as a role model. Another time was when I took great care of the elderly and learned from their life and took it into my life and I have used it up to this day. I like doing volunteer stuff and I also like making a difference in other people’s lives such as the two examples before this. I use this quote near and dear to my life because it brings the best out of me and that’s all anyone asks for.

                                                             Works Cited

"Paulo Coelho." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/paulo-coelho-5524>.