The Alchemist is secretly a playbook for learning how to achieve your wildest dreams. Five things I learned about chasing your “personal legend” and feeding the fire in your soul:
Signals are everywhere
“The world was huge and inexhaustible; he had only to allow his sheep to set the route for a while, and he would discover other interesting things.”
Where do dreams come from?
Some people are born knowing what they want to do. They’re in the minority. But most people spend their entire lives trying to find their purpose – or willfully ignoring that they have one.
The boy in the Alchemist lived comfortably as a shepherd until he started having a recurring dream. Instead of ignoring it, he sought help to discover their meaning.
Pay attention to the places your mind wanders. To people you encounter. And to thoughts that linger without aim.
Signals mean nothing without action
“‘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.’”
Your dreams can only become a reality if you do something about it. Nobody magically becomes president, paints The Last Supper, or puts a man on the moon.
Fortunately, you don’t have to have everything figured out to take action. The boy didn’t even know where to go right away, only that he couldn’t stay where he was.
Unfortunately, action means dealing with obstacles disguised as comforts.
Distractions cause suffering
“Once you get into the desert, there’s no going back… and when you can’t go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward. The rest is up to [God], including the danger.”
There are four great distractions you’re guaranteed to encounter on the road of dreams:
- The lie that it’s too late to start
- Pit stops disguised as your dreams
- The comforts of a life with fewer risks
- Opinions from people who think you’re crazy
Letting distractions stop your pursuit will make you suffer because your eyes have already been opened to “what could be”.
When the boy helped the glass merchant grow his business after decades of simply getting by, the merchant was mad at the boy. By revealing his potential, it forced the merchant to pursue it or knowingly under-perform in life.
People like the merchant fear change and let their circumstances dictate their life instead of the other way around.
Your tactics have to constantly evolve
“This wasn’t a strange place; it was a new one.”
The desert is full of risks and problems. It’s also filled with other people on their journey, with threats and also with allies.
It’s your responsibility to learn who is who. Everyone has motivations, but not everyone is on a quest. Most people will not understand what you are trying to do and the sacrifice it requires.
The battlefield is bloody and it begs you to constantly adapt and learn.
Although your destination may be clear, your route is always subject to change.
Treat your dreams like an infinite game, filled with characters, pit stops, skills, setbacks, and victories. And the exciting thing about games is we don’t always know how they’ll end.
Success may surprise you
“The boy stood up shakily, and looked once more at the Pyramids. They seemed to laugh at him, and he laughed back, his heart bursting with joy. Because now he knew where his treasure was.”
The journey toward our dreams is part of the reward, even if you never realize them.
Pursuing success is a success in its own right, and it’s a decision you make every day.
Every moment in your life can be traced back to a decision you made one time, especially successes because they rarely happen on their own.
When you finally arrive at the threshold of your dreams, you may find the person you became along the way was the treasure all along.