"Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won’t suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when that person looks back – and at some point everyone looks back – she will hear her heart saying, “What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days? What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you? You buried yourself in a cave because you were fearful of losing those talents. So this is your heritage; the certainty that you wasted your life."

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Source: Paulo Coelho (2009). “By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept: A Novel of Forgiveness”, p.7, Harper Collins

About the author

Paulo Coelho

Writer

Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author best known for 'The Alchemist', which explores themes of destiny, love, and self-discovery.

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