READ,WRITE & LIVE YOUR TRUTH

Tag: #Books

  • Paulo Coelho and Small Miracles

    E.G. Kardos

    Several years ago, soon after my first book of my fantasy trilogy was launched, Paulo Coelho responded to an email I sent him with a note of “congratulations and success”. Talking about small miracles, I was in awe. 

    Coelho happens to be an author I hold in high regard and who has inspired much of my writing, especially in my trilogy, The Elias Chronicles.

    Coelho has authored numerous books, but the one that captured my heart was The Alchemist. It was given to me by a dear friend who felt it was important for me to read. I had never heard of the author or the book at the time. Now, I recommend it to all. It is a story of believing in yourself and following your dream.

    More Small Miracles

    Months later, I sent Coelho a follow-up email. Would I be lucky again and hear back from this known author around the world. I was amazed to hear from him once, but would I hear from him again? 

    Celestial bodies aligning in the night sky, planets, stars

    The stars and planets must have been aligned, as I did hear from him once more. With a short note, he sent me a copy of a story that he wrote that was being published in many journals around the world. 

    Photo by Prayoon on Adobe Stock

    Again, I was overwhelmed by his gift to me. His generous action and the simplicity and power of his story inspired me to write Blessing the Poor.  A holiday story, which I plan to post in December. 

    Here’s What I’m Thinking

    The book that was given to me by my friend years ago, and Coelho’s generous acts, are testaments of why I believe the way I do; we must take time and value each moment of our lives. But then, we need to do more. We must take it upon ourselves to inspire others to reach for what is good in them and around them. 

    Not only should we dream, and we should dream, but it is what we do with our experiences that counts much more than the dream. Dreams are just that, dreams, but our experiences make us who we are.

    In Coelho’s last message to me in 2008, he ended by telling me, “The Warrior of light concentrates on the small miracles of daily life.” I decided to learn more from his words and read what I found. I contemplated this phrase.  

    Photo by Alban_Gogh
    pilgrim, pilgrimage, desert, wanderer, walk, nature, sand, landscape, dunes, sunset, spirituality, peaceful, spiritual quest, ai generated

    These are my takeaways

    • These small miracles are found in our ability to find beauty and appreciate it. Finding joy and fulfillment can be found in the sublime and the mundane. This, I would say, is always found in the moment.
    • Gratitude need not be for receiving abundance, but for the sliver of good that may pass us by if we are focused on our desires.
    • The “Warrior of Light” finds beauty in others as they nurture their light within them.
    • The “Warrior of Light” isn’t always successful, but in failure, they find the light.
    • We are all intuitive creatures, and when we open ourselves to the voice within and look to the powers of the universe for guidance, regardless of our spiritual beliefs and practices, wisdom is not too far away. 

    I must remind myself to acknowledge the small miracles of daily life.

    What are your takeaways?

    You may enjoy these articles: Be True to Yourself: The Amulet: Journey to Sirok, The Meaning of OUR Life, Follow Your Heart and Live Your Truth, Magic in a 

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

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  • Love is a Strange Thing

    E.G. Kardos

    The sun is setting over a field of tall grass

    “Love is a strange thing, and I yearn for it once more. I don’t need to give it much thought, I just need to give it sunlight and space to grow–to run in a field of tall grass and be free.”

    Photo by Victoria Prymak

    This is a quote from my novel, Cutting of Harp Strings. It is perhaps my favorite quote from all my books. Apparently, it is appreciated by others too.

    As a writer, it’s incredibly rewarding when others share a quote or excerpt from my book. They, of course, cite where they found the quote and name me as the author. Sometimes people will mention this in a discussion or post it on their social media. This shows me that others, and not just me, appreciate the quote. Among the throngs of authors, I see this as a major “win.” 

    Quite frankly, it’s exhilarating.

    A few weeks ago, however, I discovered that this quote was used on a social media account, and not only did they not cite my book or me, but they used it as a personal quote – verbatim. Sure, I know this wrongfully goes on all the time, but it was a real shocker for me—at least give me some credit I thought. I was steamed. 

    I mean this is my work and it depicts the soul of my novel—my soul.

    It felt like someone reached into my chest and pulled out my heart. Was I overreacting? Maybe. But I don’t think so because a writer chooses their words carefully. Words matter as does their arrangement. It’s like the notes of music. This novel, too, was thirty years in the making.

    I politely contacted the person and asked them to credit me with the quote. I didn’t ask them to remove it but to merely cite me. That was about four weeks ago, and it is still up as if it is their quote.

    But you know what?

    The very day I contacted the person, I decided to think differently. I decided that it was okay— not that I wanted to continually encounter this situation, but because this person was so captivated by my words that they wanted to use them for themselves. 

    Because of this shift in perspective, I immediately felt good. It was weird – like magic and I felt a surprisingly warm feeling wash over me. I imagined they might have read the book, and this passage had landed in a spot in their heart where they wanted it to remain close. They wanted it to be part of who they were. Then I thought…

    Doesn’t every writer love when their readers become one with their story? I do.

    In a way when I read the quote in light of this event, it grew a hundredfold. It became my elixir – and the reader’s as well. 

    Here is the full quote found in my novel. If you use it in some way, and I hope you do, please let folks know where you found it.

    “It’s a maze—life that is. Sometimes, for moments here and there, it appears otherwise with clean lines and crystal facets. Not often. Life is more than what I thought. And I knew this all along but wasn’t willing to believe in myself—to believe me. Aiden showed me, but it was for me to act. Love is a strange thing, and I yearn for it once more. I don’t need to give it much thought, I just need to give it sunlight and space to grow—to run in a field of tall grass and be free.” 

    … to believe in ourselves….

    You may like: A Little Known Zen Story on Friendship

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

    Latest Posts

    Most Viewed Posts

    All Posts

    Please notify me when you publish a new blog post.

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