Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons weve learned as weve moved toward that dream. Thats the point at which most people give up. Its the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho