The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is one of the most popular books to be ever published. It teaches us various lessons, the most important being that we may search high and wide for hidden treasure but it is in us that lies the power to unearth them.
The fortune lies with you- Lessons learnt from the Alchemist
The Alchemist is a book about the story of a shepherd named Santiago, who gives up all his sheep and goes off in search of a treasure to far-off lands in Egypt . The novel itself has been translated into more than 56 languages because of the important teachings on life that it offers to anyone who reads it.
Out of the many lessons that the Alchemist teaches us, perhaps the most important is that the fortune lies with us and no one else, we need no pyramids to provide us with treasures but need to find the hidden gold in us. It is in our hands to create our destiny and turn it into gold.
- A dream – It is important to have a dream, a vision that empowers you to set off on a journey, perhaps not to faraway lands but a journey within yourself. Think of what you want so badly that you can make a lot of effort to achieve it. It can be a job, a relationship or even a title. Envision yourself achieving it and make it tangible. If you have a dream, that you have hidden away for it being too unrealistic or fantastic , unearth it. Take positive steps to making that dream a reality.
- Follow your dream – Santiago was a shepherd but he dreamt of treasure and gave up his occupation and set off to search for it. The importance of this is that a poor shepherd boy took a huge leap of faith and followed his dream, the skills which he had as a shepherd would always be there but if he didn’t follow his dreams, it would be a waste. We should all take a cue and learn to follow our dreams as well. As long as something is done, we will never realize whether it can be done or we are just imagining that it will be done. What will , however, forever nag at us is the thought that we never tried. So take a leap of faith , follow your dreams. That will always be the most vital step towards achieving anything that you want.
- Power of conviction – Never underestimate the power of a vision. A dream maybe a small one, perhaps a bike or a big one like a house. Whatever you might think, no dream is small. If we have not achieved something, it is never because we didn’t have the necessary amenities but more because we lacked the conviction. The dream wasn’t real enough for you or you just didn’t want it badly enough. The overall message in the book also portrays the thought that when you really want something, you will always manage to get it . Paths will open up and difficulties will seem miniscule because at the front of your mind, all you see is the dream and nothing else.
- Listen to your heart – It is important to listen to what you heart says for it is the only true being that knows you through and through. It knows your wildest dreams and knows what you are capable of as well. Listen to it for so very often, the heart is right. When the times seem the darkest and your heart tells you that you will find a way out, believe it. We attract good when there is good in our hearts, the good things find their way back to you. Similarly, when you are filled with negativity you will attract more and more of things that do not work for you. Do not be led down by critics and negative people. Instead focus on what your heart says and if it says you can, it is probably right.
- The end doesn’t matter , the journey does –
As is portrayed by the turn of events in the book, the end does not matter but the journey surely does. It is what you gather when you set off on a positive path in life , the richness of experience that makes you into a wonderful person, a winner .Do not be afraid of failing, failure should never even cross your mind when you embark on a journey. Instead think of your dream, again and again. Remind yourself of it when fear and hesitation cross your mind. At the end of the journey, you will find that you are a changed person, a person molded into gold and shape you for the better.
