The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.

One year later he dropped out and lived life as a hippie traveling through South America North Africa Mexico and Europe and started drugs in the 1960s. Paulo Coelho (Portuguese: [ˈpawlu kuˈeʎu]; born August 24 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist. As a teenager Coelho wanted to become a writer.

He has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious international awards amongst them the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and France's Légion d'honneur.