Paulo Coelho – The Way of the Bow

I recently read The Way of the Bow by Paulo Coelho, which I received from my mom for my 40th birthday. It’s a small book, easy to finish in one evening, but it leaves you with a lot to think about.

The story is framed around archery, but of course it’s not really about bows and arrows. It’s about life… how we set our goals, how we focus our energy, and how we carry ourselves in the process. The bow is our strength, the arrow is our intention, the target is our purpose, and the archer is us.

What I liked most was how simple it felt. No heavy philosophy, just little reminders that made me pause. It made me think about how often I rush toward something without checking if I’m steady, or if my energy is aligned with where I actually want to go.

There’s one line that stayed with me: “The bow will only yield if you know how to hold it in the right way.” It made me think about how often the way we approach things (the mindset, the care, the patience) shapes the outcome just as much as the action itself.

I didn’t expect a short book like this to have such an impact, but it did. If you’re looking for something easy to read yet meaningful, this is a good one to pick up. It feels calming, almost like a gentle reset.

It also left me with a question I keep coming back to: what intention (what arrow) am I really ready to release into the world? Where do I really want to direct my energy?

With love, Sofie