The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho is a masterpiece, that has won a million hearts and remained on every possible best-seller list worldwide since its launch. This book also holds the Guinness World Record for the most translated book in history ever by a living author. It is a short and simple fable of following one’s heart and dreams while overcoming the fear of failure.
The book describes an adventurous story of an Andalusian shepherd boy, Santiago. He is troubled by his recurring dreams of a treasure buried somewhere at the Pyramids of Egypt. Initially, he is afraid to venture out of his homeland. But because he has the courage to follow his dreams, he travels from his homeland of Spain to the foreign land of Egypt. On his way, he meets a king, a gypsy, an Englishman, and an alchemist, all of whom point him in the direction of his true treasure. With each passing day, during his journey, the boy becomes more educated, learning the true nature and meaning of human life. He also falls in love and understands another important emotion of human life. Finally, what starts out as a quest to obtain worldly goods becomes a discovery of the treasures found within.
The underlying messages that we get upon reading this book are:
1. It’s never too late to follow and realize your dream.
One must have the courage to follow one’s dreams, and only then will one have true satisfaction. If there is something you really want and truly desire with a pure heart, then the entire universe conspires to make that happen. Everything is possible as long as you really want it to happen. So you should never stop dreaming. The story inspires every reader to see themselves in Santiago and wondering what dream they are meant to follow in their lives.
2. The Fear of Failure is your greatest obstacle towards fulfilling your dreams.
The only thing that makes your dream impossible to achieve is the fear of failure. Your aim should be all about overcoming that fear because the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. Even if you don’t succeed, it doesn’t matter because it is not the goal but the journey towards that goal that really matters.
3. The most simple things in life are the most extraordinary one.
The Alchemist is a novel that bursts with optimism. As Coelho states “simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them.” He advises us to be appreciative and more grateful for even the little blessings of our lives.
4. You must know your Personal Legend.
“Personal Legend” signifies something that you have always wanted to accomplish. It may be your dream, passion, or anything that keeps motivating you every single day to work on it.
As the alchemist, that Santiago meets on his journey, says: “Those who don’t understand their personal legends will fail to comprehend its teachings. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream and yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend. But you must not forget that everything you deal with is only one thing and nothing else. There will always be some omens to guide you towards your Personal Legend.”
5. The secret of life is to fall seven times and get up eight times.
On his journey, Santiago had to undergo different difficulties. A tribe of Arab soldiers captured him and the alchemist and threatened to kill them. But he was determined to look for his treasure and so continued his journey. Moreover, when he started digging for his treasure after reaching the exact location in Egypt, he was robbed again. At that time also he didn’t give up.
Just like Santiago, you will face many difficulties on your journey of life, but you must know how to get up every time and keep going. The universe always conspires to lead you to where you need to be.
6. The treasure we seek elsewhere, we find at our doorstep.
A man sets out on a journey, dreaming of a magical place, in pursuit of some unknown treasure. But at the end of his journey, he realizes that the treasure was with him the entire time. He now recognizes this omen and uses it to continue to fulfill his Personal Legend.
CONCLUSION
The Alchemist, through its simple and poetic writing, is one book that will force you to think about how to live your life. It has a mix of spirituality and practicality, which helps you understand the universal language of the world and more importantly, your heart. This book is meant for all those who’ve always wanted to follow their dreams but stopped somewhere because of their fear of failure.
I would recommend this book to anyone who needs some encouragement in pursuing their own Personal Legend. So, what are you waiting for? Read this book now!
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