the winner stands alone

Today I finished reading the fiction 'The Winner Stands Alone' by Paulo Coelho. When I read the cover page I understood the title as this: Anybody who wishes to be winner must have the courage to stand alone. Or it is 'standing apart' and 'not being part of the ordinary' makes one a winner. But when I reached the last page the meaning becomes different. What the author means is 'the winner is left alone' or 'the winner is lonely'.

People think a winner is someone who is loved by everyone. But as you climb the steps of fame, there's always another side to that. People might be fascinated by you, but on the other hand, those who haven't been as successful are bound to view you with a certain bitterness.

The Winner Stands Alone is not about paying a terrible price for your dreams. On the contrary, it is about the gigantic price we pay for allowing ourselves to chase illusions, instead of our true dreams. The fiction is a feather in the cap of my ever favourite author. Hats off!

Some quotes:

“Success is both an addiction and an enslavement...” 

“If you believe in victory, then victory will believe in you.” 

“Life sometimes separates people so that they can realize how much they mean to each other.” 

“Even if you slept with every man on Earth, my love will still survive.” 

“We are all a part of the divine spark. All have a purpose in creation and that purpose is called Love. That love, however, shouldn't be concentrated in just one person, it should be scattered throughout the world, waiting to be discovered. Wake up that love. What is gone cannot return. What is about to arrive needs to be recognized.” 

“Life sometimes separates people so that they can realize how much they mean to each other.” 

“If you love someone, you must be prepared to set them free.” 

“People are never satisfied. If they have a little, they want more. If they have a lot, they want still more. Once they have more, they wish they could be happy with little, but are incapable of making the slightest effort in that direction.” 

“Talent is a universal gift, but it takes a lot of courage to use it. Don't be afraid to be the best.” 

“Whenever someone dies, a part of the universe dies too. Everything a person felt, experience and saw dies with them, like tears in the rain.”