The Alchemist

Once I finally started, I could not put this book down. The Alchemist is the story of a boy named Santiago. He is content as his life as a shepherd until he meets a king that tells him to find and follow his personal legend. His legend was revealed to him once in a dream. One day he would travel to see the great pyramids in Egypt. There, in the sand, he will find a great treasure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Many will find it preachy. Many will find it dull. Either they already have achieved their personal legends, they have tried and failed or they are too afraid to even start pursuing it.

A reader could look at this book and say “of course things will work out for him in the end. It's a story. Life isn't really like that.” I wholeheartedly disagree. Santiago has stopped and listened to the world. We often forget that there is a whole other world out there. One we need to stop and listen to. How many times have you stopped what you were doing and decided to just live in the moment? Listen to the waves crash. Feel the sun on your face. Breathe the scent of wind. Watched the bee collect honey for its hive.

The alchemist is more than a boy pursuing his legend. It's a reminder to enjoy the smaller things in life. It is to live in the moment, but never forget where you're headed. It's a reminder to keep going in the face of adversity. The worst that can happen is death. Would you rather die in pursuit of your goals and dreams, or would you rather die knowing you never even attempted them?