To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation. –from The Alchemist
If there’s one thing I thoroughly regret in life is the fact that I didn’t read this book before I embarked on my first trip alone to Europe. This international bestseller is without a doubt one of my favorite books! I’ve heard about the journeys and the lessons given by Coelho in this novel, but I had no idea I would have an emotional roller coaster while reading it.
The novel tells the story about an Andalusian young shepherd named Santiago and his journey from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried under the Pyramids. Along the way, he meets certain characters who helped him on his quest to finding such treasure, but what he finds is even better. This is truly a tale about following your dreams.
Without giving too many details, I will provide some of my favorite lessons from this magnificent novel, which is divided into two parts. In the first part, Santiago, has a dream about a treasure hidden under the Egyptian pyramids. Since he was only a shepherd, he asked a Gypsy woman for help to interpret his dreams and how to make them happen. Like Santiago said, It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
Along the way, he also meets a wise man who gave him some knowledge as well as directions on how to follow his dreams and how to get to Africa. The wise man entrusted in Santiago two stones (Urim and Thummim) that he should use when conflicted in which way to go or what choices to make; but only to be used when actually needed. He also provided some advice on his journey, ‘The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon’. This type of behavior tends to happen to many people. They forget where they came from, the struggles they had to face to get to the top, and often enough forget the meaning of remaining humble. Soon enough, they face back to where they started just because they didn’t appreciate their surroundings, while keeping an eye to what they already have. Instead, they become ambitious and selfish.
On the second part of the novel, Santiago arrives to Africa and due to a series of unfortunate events, ends up giving up on his dreams. He meets a Merchant, whom helps him with a job and teaches him Arabic and other important lessons. One of the most important ones is ‘Maktub‘. The merchant replied, “you would have to have been born an Arab to understand”, he answered. But in your language it would be something like ‘It is written’. Now, if you’ve seen Slumdog Millionaire you know exactly what I’m talking about; and if you’ve never seen that movie, let me impose on you another lesson and watch the movie. When something is written, that means it cannot be changed, only achieved. It is up to us to decide whether to go down that road or change paths. The universe will conspire to make you choose the right path, it is up to us to pay attention.
Continuing his journey, Santiago ends up buying a camel to cross the desert and finally be on his way to following his dreams again. But since nothing worth having comes easy, he had to learn yet another lesson by an Englishman and an Arab about the meaning of life.
There’s no such thing as coincidence. The closer one gets to realizing his Personal Legend, the more that Personal Legend becomes his true reason for being…
…But that disaster taught me to understand the words of Allah: people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want. We are afraid of losing what we have, whether its out life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.
Santiago, meets an Alchemist and a girl named Fatima whom he falls in love with. This is how he learns how to follow his heart throughout the desert. One night, as the boy is looking at the stars and telling the Alchemist how he is afraid that his heart will suffer, the Alchemist replies, “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.” If it’s worth having, it’s worth suffering for. If you have to ask yourself, Is this worth it? Then, you have already found the answer. Life is interesting when challenging your thoughts and choices, but never doubting your conscious or your Sixth Sense. The higher power always knows what they are doing.
But like every warrior in search of true happiness and the realization of accomplishing his/her dreams, there comes a time when we must fly away and continue the journey by ourselves. That time came to Santiago when the Alchemist left him alone in the middle of the desert so that he could flourish or perish the road by himself. He left him with but just one more lesson,
…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 we’ve learned as we’ve moved towards that dream. Thats the point at which most people give up. It’s 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.’ Every search begins with a beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.
Since I don’t enjoy reviews that give away too much, but just enough so that the readers can pick up the book, I will leave it to this point. You won’t know how Santiago ends his journey unless you read the novel. Will he accomplish his dreams? What happens to him in the desert? Who does he meet? Will he see his beloved Fatima again? What happens to her? Is this all but a dream?
All the lessons given by Coelho are definitely life lessons that can be applied on a daily basis. If we paid enough attention to our surroundings, do anything in order to achieve our dreams, set time to talk to strangers (they have the best knowledge), or even test out the waters and go somewhere new, then you will slow and steady find your true meaning of life and your Personal Legends.
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
Tan and Strong 