Lessons from Khaled Hosseini

Pretty much every book has a quote or two worth highlighting and remembering. Quotes that remind us that one of the reasons we read is to think about the kind of provocative ideas we wouldn't have thought about if we hadn't read. Khaled Hosseini's AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED has more than its share of passages that motivate its readers to pause and ponder.

You don’t have to read a whole book to learn from it and think about it deeply. Sometimes, all it takes is one sentence, such as this one:

"I suspect the truth is that we are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable

odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us."

"Extraordinary." EXTRA Ordinary. Beyond common miracles – falling in love, having children, good health and fortune… We want (I know I always have) something fantastical. Yet, fantastical things are fantastical because they are extraordinarily exceptional. The "insurmountable odds" warn us that the fantastical almost certainly won't occur and we should prepare to accept that.

Yet, it's motivating to believe that there is a chance, especially if we do what we can to make something extraordinary happen.