The Warrior's Manual
I had reached the goal I had set for myself. But what was I supposed to do now? Look for another goal to chase?
No. I chose to savor and enjoy the result instead.
I kept up my walks and hikes in the surrounding area, with an immense sense of gratitude. I was convinced that life would show me the next goal when I was ready, not a moment sooner.
The Unexpected Opportunity
A few days later, I had the chance to connect with a startup that was working on an interesting app, and they asked whether I'd like to collaborate with them.
The news came very suddenly. Having always worked as an employee, I wasn't used to freelance work. I had a lot of doubts about it.
The Manual of the Warrior of the Light
The owner of the house, my housemate, noticing that I'd been lost in thought those days, showed me a book: "Manual of the Warrior of the Light" by Paulo Coelho.
He explained, with great seriousness, that it was a special book. This book cannot be read like any other, left to right, page by page, chapter by chapter. This book must be questioned.
You ask a question, you open a random page, and the book answers. A kind of question addressed to the universe, which will come to your aid.
Today I use this book every day. It's a kind of compass.
I think there may be a scientific reason behind its effectiveness. Coelho probably wrote each page so that it resonates with some part of our unconscious, surfacing thoughts, desires, and fears we know we have but ignore day after day. The result is that almost anything written on a given page can somehow be linked to the question we've asked, as if a magician, an oracle, or a seer were answering us.
I have to say it often creates exactly that effect: astonishment, incredible wonder, and epiphany.
The First Time
Yet nothing has ever come close to that incredible feeling of the very first time I consulted the book.
Holding my question in mind, directed at the universe, I asked my housemate to open a page at random and read it aloud to me.
I had chills as he read. Every sentence, every word seemed spoken by someone who had known me forever. They reflected everything I was going through at that time, professionally, emotionally, and in matters of the heart.
This discovery was a truly precious gift. It helped me make the right choices and move forward with peace of mind into this collaboration with the startup.
Savoring the Moment
As I said, I also wanted to enjoy the goal I had reached. I dedicated my weekends to fantastic hikes, where I also formed new friendships.
One of them saved my birthday.
It fell on a Sunday, very few trains could take me out to explore the surroundings, especially the mountain areas. But luck brought me the chance to see the north-western part of Calabria and the enchanting Maratea and its surroundings through the eyes of a local, in real depth.
A birthday that had started as a solo affair, with no way to leave the house, suddenly became one of the most unforgettable days of my life.
📻 Soundtrack
📻 Colonna Sonora
🎵 Caricamento...
YouTube Music
"Sunshine" is a celebration of life and connection with others. A song that transforms seemingly ordinary details into precious moments when lived in freedom and good company. I had reached the goal. I was a digital nomad. And instead of immediately chasing the next destination, I chose to enjoy that moment. The sunset walks, the weekend hikes, the new friendships, the birthday transformed from solitary to unforgettable. The electronic structure of the song, that continuous loop, perfectly mirrors that period: a continuum of happiness and gratitude. As if every day were a new turn of the same wonderful loop. The book that guided me, the new work opportunities, the sunset over the sea from breathtaking vantage points, the people who saved my birthday. Everything seemed to spin in a perfect circle of sunshine. Sometimes, after reaching a goal, the most important thing isn't to rush toward the next one. It's to stop. To savor. To let the sun warm you while you wait for life to show you the next path.