A Little Help from Your Friends

A warrior of light succeeds, thanks to the right allies.

 ~ by Paulo Coelho

All of you who see yourselves as warriors of light must share with others the happiness of your choices; otherwise, you’ll never come to know your own qualities and shortcomings.  So before you undertake any major project, find allies – people who are interested in what you’re saying,  “Find other warriors of light.”  I’m saying, Find people with different skills, because a warriors fight for his or her dream is no different from any other path that is followed with enthusiasm.”  Your allies won’t necessarily be people everyone looks at with admiration.  Much to the contrary, they are people who aren’t afraid of making mistakes, so they make lots of mistakes.  That’s why what they do isn’t always praised or acknowledged.  Yet these types of people frequently change the world, because after making mistakes, they hit on something that is exactly right and will make all the difference to their communities.

Allies are people who can’t hang around waiting for things.  They make decisions as they go along, even though they realize this type of behavior is risky.  The best allies are those that don’t think like most people.  That’s why, when looking for companions who share the enthusiasm of your dream, it’s important to believe in intuition and pay little heed to others’ comments.  Most human beings judge others using their own limitations as models.

Join forces with those who experiment, take risks, fall, get hurt and then take risks again.  Stay away from people who affirm conventional wisdom, those who criticize people who think differently, those who’ve never taken a step without being sure they’d be respected for it and those who prefer the comfort of certainty to the tension of doubt.  Ally yourself with those who aren’t afraid of vulnerability – those who watch what their neighbors are doing, not to judge but to admire them for dedication and courage.

Join with those who are flexible.  These are people who don’t hesitate to change direction when they come across an insurmountable barrier or when they spot a better opportunity.  They possess the quality of water: getting around rocks, adapting to the flow of the river, sometimes changing into a lake – until the hollow is full and the stream can continue on its path, because water never forgets its destiny is the sea.

Join those who have never said, “That’s it; I have to stop here.” Because just as winter is followed by spring, nothing can stop, and the warrior’s road is an endless path.  After you achieve your objective, you find another challenge, and it’s necessary to start all over again, always using everything you’ve learned while you’re traveling along.

Join with those who sing, tell stories, enjoy life and have joy in their eyes – because happiness is contagious and always manages to prevent people from becoming paralyzed by depression, loneliness and difficulties.

Join those who walk with their heads held high, even though they have tears in their eyes.  Stay away from those who hold their heads high because they’ve never shed a tear.

True warriors of light don’t confuse arrogance and authority, joy and superficiality, persistence and impatience.  They have their doubts and at times feel oppressed by loneliness, but know many think like they do and it’s just a matter of time until they find true allies.