Summary of the book: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
When Kathleen O’Grady, founder and CEO of Raleigh Coaching, suggested that I read this book, I realized that she was excited for him to do so … and for good reason. Coelho’s book was written 25 years ago and is so relevant today.
The Alchemist is the story of a Spanish boy, Santiago, who loves his life as a shepherd and the time it gives him to read books and dream. From a young age Santiago has wanted to travel, and herding takes him throughout the country and from town to town, selling his wool. Yet he yearns for more; wanting to travel further, experience new things and “see the world”.
In his search, Santiago meets many people who have a profound impact on him. For example, one day he visits a gypsy who hopes he can interpret a recurring dream in which a boy tells Santiago that he will find a hidden treasure if he travels to the pyramids of Egypt. The gypsy has difficulty understanding the meaning of his dream, but says that Santiago must travel to the pyramids of Egypt because there “he will find a treasure that will make him a rich man.”
Skeptical of the gypsy, Santiago continues with his herding. In another encounter, an elder explains that a book James is reading describes “the inability of people to choose their own Personal legends, “which, he explains, are the things that people always wanted to achieve. Basically, that personal legend is his mission on earth and his only real obligation. Santiago is curious about his own Personal Legend and how close or far he is from it.
The old man also tells Santiago de la the biggest lie in the world: that at a certain moment in our lives, we lose control of what is happening to us and that our lives become controlled by destiny. That there is a mysterious force that, over time, convinces each of us that it will be impossible to make our own Personal Legend. The old man tells Santiago that he should not believe this lie and suggests, instead, that When a person really wants something, the universe conspires in his favor and helps him get it.. Santiago thinks about his many life experiences and wonders how the universe has helped him progress towards his Personal Legend (not yet identified).
Another of Santiago’s encounters is with a glass merchant who does not like change, who does not dream, and who has owned and operated the same underperforming glass store in the same location for 30 years. The merchant explains to Santiago that he does not dream because he fears that if his dream comes true, he will have no reason to continue living. And that he is also Afraid that the realization of his dream will be a disappointment. compared to what you imagine it would be, so you prefer to just dream about it rather than chase it.
Santiago stays in that Moroccan town and works for the glass merchant who, over time, comes to appreciate Santiago’s enthusiasm for life and the pursuit of his dreams. He also comes to believe that every ignored blessing turns into a curse and finally sees how immense his possibilities are; and that dreams are meant to be haunted, saying that “there is simply no way to stop the river.”
After 11 months of working with the crystal merchant, Santiago decides to travel to the Pyramids to see if the Gypsy was right that he would find his treasure there. He has some doubts but understood that making a decision was only the beginning of things. Cast, when you make a decision, you are “immersing yourself in a strong current that will take you to places you have never dreamed of. “As Santiago travels with a caravan through the desert to the pyramids, he feels that The closer you get to your personal legend, the more you become your true reason for being..
Comes to see that The obstacles a person faces during their journey to their Personal Legend are similar to the problems the caravan encountered while moving through the desert.: large rocky areas, sand too fine for camel hooves, dry lakes, terrible sandstorms, etc. But no matter how many detours and adjustments he made, the caravan continually moved toward the same destination, just as Santiago was struggling to stay focused on his Personal Legend.
During his search, Santiago took many risks, faced dangers, and overcame numerous obstacles, but was diligent in getting back on track. Found that the threat of death makes people much more aware of their lives and he came to believe what Allah has said: people should not fear the unknown if they are able to achieve what they need and want. And understood that Once you are truly committed to achieving your personal Legend, so that you cannot go back, you only have to worry about the best way forward.D.
Finally, Santiago found his Personal Legend during his trip to the Pyramids, but it was not what he had imagined, such as material wealth or fame. Learning rather than wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure – and focus on to be and become, not merely doing. He also learned that anyone who interferes with the Personal Legend of something else will never discover his own.
He saw that people are afraid to pursue their biggest dreams, because they feel that they do not deserve them or that they will not be able to achieve them. Cast There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.. But that the fear Suffering is often worse than suffering itself.
One final thought in this book: finding one’s personal legend (mission on earth) may seem like a very future-oriented endeavor. However, Santiago learned to appreciate living in the present and the dangers of living in the past or future. “If you pay attention to the present, you can improve it. And if you improve the present, what comes next will also be better. Forget about the future and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.“