The arrow is what unites the strength of the bow and hits the center of the target. Once the arrow is gone, it will not come back. In life as well, if the intention is not clear, straight, balanced, or precise it’s better to hold, reform, and then act. But never hold back from firing the arrow just because you’re afraid of making mistakes. Even if the arrow fails to hit the target, you’ll learn how to improve your aim next time and what changes you need to make.

Arrow

<ol><li>The person who does not share the joy, enthusiasm with others will never know his qualities and defects.</li><li>Find allies who are, not necessarily kind of dazzling people. but who are not afraid of making mistakes, who don't sit and wait, who act.</li><li>While choosing companions to share enthusiasm with trust your intuition.</li><li>Have water-like qualities: flowing around rocks, adapting to the course of the river, sometimes forming into a lake, and continuing on its way, because the water never forgets that the sea is its destiny and sooner or later it must be reached.</li></ol>

ALLIES 

The bow has no conscience; it is the archer’s hand and desires that drive the bow. Your life, as well, doesn’t have itself pre-designed your thoughts and desires will design the shape of your life.

Never excuse yourself by saying that your opponent was stronger than you. You are the one who chose the target (smaller or larger) and you are responsible for it. You must understand and regard your target with respect and dignity. With negative intention, you may as well hit the target, but you will not improve anything inside of yourself. Concentrate on the target but also consider other factors, because the arrow, when it is shot, will encounter factors you failed to take into account, like wind, weight, and distance.

Target

(The Archer) In archery, the archer’s posture should be in the state of serenity and elegance necessary to learn how to shoot. Elegance is not the most comfortable posture, but is the best posture if the shot is to be perfect. Elegance is simplicity and concentration; the simpler the more sober, the more beautiful. When you are in the right state of mind, calm; you can do your best. Simplicity is the key to everlasting beauty. The snow is lovely because it has only one color, the sea is lovely because it appears to be completely flat, but both sea and snow are deep and know their own qualities.

POSTURE

by PAULO COELHO<ol><li>The archer cannot always choose the battlefield, so start training and be prepared for unfavorable situations.</li><li>‌we should never judge people without first learning to hear and respect them.</li><li>‌the difficult thing is not to learn something rather it is to practice it every day until you achieve the necessary precision.</li><li>‌A master is not someone who teaches something but someone who inspires the student to do his best to discover the knowledge he already has in his soul.</li></ol>

INTRO - THE ARCHER

<ul><li>Bow: Life; the source of all energy</li><li>Arrow: Intention, Action</li><li>Target: Objective to be reached</li></ul>The concept of bow, arrow, and target implies not only in archery but in our normal life as well. The bow refers to the course of life. In our life, we take many actions and form millions of intentions to hit the target just like in archery, the archer draws the bow string and aims at the target with an arrow.

BOW-ARROW-TARGET

(The Archer) <ol><li>The arrow is the intention that leaves the archer’s hand and sets off toward the target.</li><li>The arrow follows the path chosen for it when it was released by the archer.</li><li>To hold an arrow is to be in touch with your ]own intention.</li><li>A man’s intention should be perfect, straight, sharp, firm, precise.</li><li>Ensure that your arrow has not been bent or damaged by previous shot.</li><li>In it’s simplicity and lightness, the arrow can appear fragile, but it can carry the energy of archer’s body and mind a long way.</li></ol>

How To Hold The Arrow

In this book, the story revolves around archery but it has the life lessons that every person who wants to grow and master things should know.

From the #1 best-selling author of The Alchemist comes an inspiring story about a young man seeking wisdom from an elder, and the practical lessons imparted along the way. Includes stunning illustrations by Christoph Niemann. “A novelist who writes in a universal language.” —The New York Times In The Archer we meet Tetsuya, a man once famous for his prodigious gift with a bow and arrow but who has since retired from public life, and the boy who comes searching for him. The boy has many questions, and in answering them Tetsuya illustrates the way of the bow and the tenets of a meaningful life. Paulo Coelho's story suggests that living without a connection between action and soul cannot fulfill, that 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. With the wisdom, generosity, simplicity, and grace that have made him an international best seller, Paulo Coelho provides the framework for a rewarding life: hard work, passion, purpose, thoughtfulness, the willingness to fail, and the urge to make a difference.

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Paulo Coelho de Souza is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His novel The Alchemist became an international best-seller and he has published 30 more books since then.