The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I was told to read “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Coelho. From the outside it looked like a boring book that was definitely not written in this century.
I did not expect much from it, and to be honest, I did not enjoy the beginning; but as the story progressed I soon came to find one of the best books I had ever touched. This is a story about a boy who has a vision of finding treasure in the sandy dunes of Egypt, and along the way, he learns many lessons about life that propel him to achieve his goal.
After having a recurring dream of treasure in a far away land, Santiago, a young Spanish boy, ventures from his home in the Andalusian mountains to find his treasure in the dunes of Egypt. Along the way he meets Melchizadek, a man who spurns the boy to continue in his journey to reach his “Personal Legend.” As he continues, he is faced with robbers, joins a traveling caravan, and even falls in love. All these distractions and hardships only shape him into a stronger person that leads him to achieving his goal.
This book has taught me many lessons, such as understanding nature to understand the world or learning to face your fears. But there is one that stands out to me the most: Within “The Alchemist” there’s a repeated theme of the universe coming together to help you achieve your goal. Now at first glance, this might seem like a bit of a stretch. But as you dive into the meaning of this statement, you realize the significance and truth to it. In this story, the boy is faced with lots of trials and setbacks. But with the help of the universe, he recognizes that he has been placed in this moment by help from above and by those around him that encourage him to achieve his goal.
There’s a repeated theme of the universe coming together to help you achieve your goal.
The same can be applied in your life whenever you feel stuck in achieving your goal. You must remember how far you’ve come and the shoulders of those you are standing on that have gotten you to where you are. This should encourage you to keep going, despite the setbacks.
So never forget how far you’ve come and remember who has gotten you where you are right now, from above and even here in this world. With this in your mind, you should feel encouraged to keep going and if you do, you too will find your treasure.
