The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.

Paulo Coelho is the author of the acclaimed book “The Alchemist,” which has sold more than 65 million copies in 80 different languages. But it was a long and winding road to that success. Coelho dropped out of law school and pursued failed careers in acting, theater directing, journalism, and songwriting before becoming a celebrated author. What’s more, “The Alchemist,” first published in 1988, originally sold fewer than 1,000 copies, and the publisher decided not to reprint the book. But Coelho didn't give up. He kept trying and found another publisher willing to take a chance on him. His story shows that it’s not how many times you get knocked down that defines a life, but whether you have the strength and persistence to keep getting up and moving forward.