I am back into reading an eclectic mix of books too, fiction and non-fiction in easy searching.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is one such book. I hadn't read it for about five years but it fell off the shelf the other day, so seeing this as an omen I re-read it for the fifth time, and I plan to re-read it every year for a long time to come. This little book about a shepherd traveling to Egypt to find his treasure is so full of wisdom that I learn something every time.
These questions about where and what next were on my mind, and by thinking them over I make myself ready for answers.
An old Chinese proverb says “When the student is ready, a teacher will appear.”
The Alchemist, or Paulo Coelho if you like, has been a teacher for me.
An old Chinese proverb says “When the student is ready, a teacher will appear.”
The Alchemist, or Paulo Coelho if you like, has been a teacher for me.
Here are seven lessons from The Alchemist, that have the power to inspire new ideas and to change life for the better.
1. Dreams get the creative juices flowing
It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
It’s not the dream coming true that makes life interesting, it’s the possibility of it happening. The journey is as important as the destination. However without a destination (your dream) the journey is without direction and loses its meaning. So dream that dream, and pursue it.
2. You knew what you wanted when you were young
It (destiny) is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to 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 realise this destiny.
Think about what you wanted to be as a kid, what was your dream?
3. Pursue your dreams, the universe will help
Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission. And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
There are a lot of names and explanations for this phenomenon, but they main thing is that it’s so true. If you have a dream and really want to achieve it, look at the world with an open mind and you will recognise all the signs and all the people that will help you along the way. You can call it the Law of Attraction, or destiny, or the power of visualisation, or synchronicity, or whatever. Share your dream with people and focus on realising it, and you will get help.
4. Pursue your dreams, don’t fear failure
Only one thing makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure.
People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.
A couple of quotes from the Alchemist I particularly like are:
Don’t fear failure, expect success. Fearing failure will do two things:
It will prevent you from taking action, and without action you’re not moving
It will increase the likelihood of failure happening (as you so actively visualise it)
Reframing failure also works for me. I like this saying “It’s not falling that we call failure, it’s neglecting to get up again.”
5. Make decisions and learn from the journey
Making a decision is only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, they are really diving into a strong current that will carry them to places they had never dreamed of when they first made the decision.
“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.
Making a decision and committing to action are not results, they are the start of something powerful. They set forth a chain of events, a strong current, that takes you further on your journey. Enjoy that journey as it will take you to places you did not expect, and provide you with the lessons you need to realise your dream.
6. Love makes us better
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.
Love never keeps someone from pursuing their destiny.
Love will not get in the way of realising your dream. If you let love be the reason for giving up on your dreams, you will blame love for it later in your life. You’ll look at the one you love with an underlying feeling of remorse, which in turn will sabotage your love. If we love we strive to be become better than we are, better as a partner,as a parent or as a person. The love will only deepen when we allow ourselves and others to pursue their dreams and love them for the journey they take.
7. You never lose control
“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised. “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
This one is so important. You never lose control! There are always decisions to make, always actions to take. There may be stages in our journey in life that will be difficult and that need perseverance. Stay in touch with that dream, and never ever give in to the feeling that you can’t do it. You are in in your own driving seat!
That's it for today! (Rather long - but pithy I feel Paul? No post yet?)
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