Beautiful inside my Mind

I finally got round to reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho yesterday. It turned out to be the perfect book for me now. Paulo Coelho possesses a unique philosophy and view of the world, which emerges in his stories. He is not so much religious as spiritual, and I can click with that because I feel the same way. I believe in a god, higher force or being which unites all of us, and I believe that one does not have to subscribe to a specific religion to feel connected to the universe. I've had experiences which afforded me a great feeling of elation, calm and extreme well-being that reached into the depths of my soul. I've had times when I felt grateful that someone seems to be watching over me, or humbled by the sense of a greater power. Here I am reminded of a beautiful piece of writing by William Blake:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

I think many people in modern-day society have become bitter and cynical. This poem reminds me that retaining a sense of wonder and peace with the world is perhaps the most important thing I could give myself.