The Alchemist
I just finished reading The Alchemist, by Paolo Coelho. It’s an inspiring story of a young shepherd on a quest to fulfill a dream of his and obtain a treasure. The journey brings him challenges and valuable life lessons as he travels from Spain to Egypt and sees the world.
Hope and love
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
“It is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting…”
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
Even when he faces hardships and defeats, the shepherd remains hopeful and learns how to turn situations into gold. His actions are motivated by love and his dream. He encounters animals and people who speak different languages but one thing is universal and deeply understood without the use of any words: love. As a result of love, he betters the world around him.
It’s your journey
“You already know about alchemy. It is about penetrating to the Soul of the World, and discovering the treasure that has been reserved for you.”
“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
"There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.
He learns about trusting his heart and penetrating the “soul of the world” and following his dream. One of the takeaways is to focus on your own journey. It’s easy to let others influence the way you live your life, and after time you might find yourself living someone else’s life. While we do need codependence and each other’s guidances, we don’t want to let what others say cloud our own thoughts. Your inner voice and dreams will lead you to a life journey that is fulfilling for you. Listen to your heart and take the actions towards your dreams even when the end treasure seems far and unclear. It’s not necessarily about the destination, but rather, the journey that contains richness and wisdom of life lessons through experience. Even when you fall down, make the choice to get back up, and turn things to gold.
The secret to happiness is balance
While pursuing dreams, there should be a balance in your internal and external worlds. A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget about his sheep. Here’s the importance of balance as exemplified by this anecdote in the book.
A merchant sent his son to learn the Secret of Happiness from the wisest of men. The young man wandered through the desert for forty days until he reached a beautiful castle at the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that the young man was looking for.
However, instead of finding a holy man, our hero entered a room and saw a great deal of activity; merchants coming and going, people chatting in the corners, a small orchestra playing sweet melodies, and there was a table laden with the most delectable dishes of that part of the world.
The wise man talked to everybody, and the young man had to wait for two hours until it was time for his audience.
The Sage listened attentively to the reason for the boy’s visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have the time to explain to him the Secret of Happiness.
He suggested that the young man take a stroll around his palace and come back in two hours’ time.
“However, I want to ask you a favor,” he added, handling the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. “While you walk, carry this spoon and don’t let the oil spill.”
The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.
“So,” asked the sage, “did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining room? Did you see the garden that the Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”
Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
“So, go back and see the wonders of my world,” said the wise man. “You can’t trust a man if you don’t know his house.”
Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls.
He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail all that he had seen.“But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” asked the sage.
Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.
“Well, that is the only advice I have to give you,” said the sage of sages.
“The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon.”