I AM happy to be back to column writing once again and bringing The Looking Glass on a digital platform via Pinoy Publiko, my new home.
I would like to thank the editorial team behind this news site for inviting me to be part of the family and share with our readers my thoughts on various topics.
To be honest, thinking about what topic to write in this maiden issue was much longer than the actual writing itself.
And so, I sought the permission of my editor if I can start with something “light.” I am glad he has given me the freedom to write on any topic that fancies or interests me.
Political insights will definitely be an unavoidable subject matter in my future write-ups since my world nowadays revolves around it.
But for now, I will deal with something very personal. My all-time favorite book is, no doubt, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The novel explores the idea of a “Personal Legend” – a type of ideal fate or destiny – and how each person can choose whether to pursue that legend.
At 49, I decided to take a break from the corporate world to finally pursue a dream that has been kept on the sideline for many years—to write a book. I very well remember I included that in my “bucket list.”
When I left my job at a multinational company in 2019, I fully decided to write a book. I had no idea what the subject will be but the plan was to finish it within one year so I could go back to a full-time job once again.
Everything was uncertain at the time. But what mattered was—despite my fears—my determination to finally pursue my lifelong dream. Kahit isa lang.
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it,” The Alchemist said.
The quote has inspired me, believing that all shall be revealed by the universe in time.
A conversation with former President Fidel V. Ramos sealed the fate of my book-writing pursuit. With his suggestion and promised all-access pass to his personal files and documents, I was to write my six years in Malacañang as his former close-in writer. The result was Behind the Red Pen: My Adventures with FVR, which was released in March 2022, four months before he passed away.
I am happy to share that the First Edition was sold out. There is no plan yet to have a re-print, but for those who are still looking for copies, the book is now available via Amazon in various formats- hardbound, paperback, pdf, and Kindle.
(Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Red-Pen-Adventures-FVR/dp/B0BZF71LHP?fbclid=IwAR2QZ1V4TMjraUq4e6Ue1E065BJApHQUetv-_8wFqTPr33XsIBgeLxAfas0 )
Many are asking if there will be a part two. There is a plan. But again, I am leaving it all up to the universe (or the Lord since I am a Catholic) to make it a reality.
Indeed, if there is one book that I would not be tired of reading repeatedly, it would be The Alchemist. Perhaps, it is the simplicity of both the novel’s plot and the words used by Coelho that endeared the book to its millions of readers worldwide.
First published in 1988, it is still breaking all records in The New York Times Bestseller List for being there for over 400 weeks (nearing eight years!).
I checked the book on Amazon and its paperback edition is their No. 1 best seller as of July 8, followed by its audiobook edition at No. 2.
According to Coelho’s website, The Alchemist was originally written in Portuguese and has since been translated into 80 languages, winning the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author.
It has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, becoming one of the best-selling books in history.
I remember I got hold of the book in 2004—at a time when I was having a personal battle. The book has inspired me and has, in fact, hastened my recovery and healing.
At the time when Coelho was not as famous as it is today, and when social media was just going mainstream, having access to him was a lot easier. Can you believe we were even “email pals” for a time?
I emailed him about my experience, and he was truly appreciative. Since then, whenever I feel the need to be inspired, I go back to reading it to lift my spirit. I have become a huge fan of the book that I have ordered a hardbound limited edition with illustrations.
I have also given copies of The Alchemist as gifts for my friends on several occasions. I have never encountered any book where almost every page has quotable quotes.
Let me share with you some of the unforgettable lines and be inspired: “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” (This is, perhaps, the line that inspired me the most). “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
