“Each arrow flies differently. You can shoot a thousand arrows and each one will follow a different trajectory; that is the way of the bow.”

The Bow. “The bow is life: the source of all energy.”

Paulo Coelho has once again enlightened a framework of how purpose becomes a passion through hard work and dedication— willingness to go beyond the pitfall and expect the wrong turns that fate has to offer in return.

The Archer introduces Tetsuya. The man was once known for his famous artistry with a bow and arrow. A boy desperately comes to search Tetsuya as he illustrates how archery depicts the meaning of life. Coelho’s book suggests that a life constricted by fear of rejection is not a life worth living. Instead, one must take risks, build courage, and embrace the unexpected journey fate has to offer. The boy’s eyes seemed to be begging to practice until he knew how to achieve the necessary precision as someone who inspires the student to discover a knowledge he already has in himself. Tetsuya then explained the way of the bow.

The Arrow. “The arrow is the intention. It is what unites the strength of the bow with the center of the target.”

However, with The Archer’s case, not everyone is pleased with the metaphor and how it becomes a veritable example of living a life, searching for unpredictable answers. Many decreed that the words of wisdom sounded completely barren and pretentious. On the other hand, some loved the somewhat “abstract illustrations.” At first read, anyone might think it is a simple book about archery, but it’s much more than that. The way of the arrow is to teach manners to focus, meditate, become one with intention, and be strong within oneself. The latter depicts behind those lines of risky ventures of what it is like to draw the bow as it releases the arrow-- traveling a long road from the movement of the bowstring.

The Archer, without the bow and the target. “From then on, the archer becomes his bow, his arrow, and his target.”

Nevertheless, Coelho heightened that living a life constricted by fear of rejection or failure is not a life worth living. Instead, one must take risks, build courage, and embrace the unexpected journey fate has to offer. “The time has come, therefore, to meet your bow, your arrow, your target, and your way.”

Read the first chapter. Give it a day or two to let the lesson unfold itself within before it becomes a part of yourself; to find the archer within you.