Just read this delightful little book this weekend - The Alchemist, by Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho.  Thanks Avi, my new friend from Ryze, for the kick ! 

A neat review here ... ' This story, timeless and entertaining, exotic yet simple, breaks down the journey we all take to find the most meaningful treasures in our lives into steps that are at once natural and magical. It is about the faith, power, and courage we all have within us to pursue the intricate path of a Personal Legend, a path charted by the mysterious magnet of destiny but obscured by distractions. Santiago shows how along the way we learn to trust our hearts, read the seemingly inconspicuous signs, and understand that as we look to fulfill a dream, it looks to find us just the same, if we let it. '

Some phrases and paras i marked while reading : 

"The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was. It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny."

"When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision"

"Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life."

"When you want something with all your heart, that's when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It's always a positive force. "

"People become fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World."

"The boy and his heart had become friends, and neither was capable now of betraying the other."

Its a tale told at many levels ... simple yet profound.  The type of tale that makes you feel you need to read it again ... and again .... each occasion unravelling a new layer.