Book Review of “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
September 2nd, 2011 by Diane Conklin under Diane's Book Reviews. 132 Comments.
“The Alchemist” is a great book with a great message that is told as a story.
I had heard about and been told about this book for a while but hadn’t added it to my list of reads until recently when a friend said I should read it. I especially like books that have a great message that are told in the form of a story as it just makes for really fun reading.
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho is a book about a boy named Santiago and his journey toward his calling or his life purpose, and the inevitable struggles, challenges and obstacles that get in the way of that.
We all experience this – we all have a purpose, calling, dream, or whatever you call it that pushes and motivates us to do something above and beyond what we might otherwise do (in the book, Paulo Coelho refers to this as your “Personal Legend.” The question is, have you let the everyday get in the way of your big why…of your big mission or purpose?
As the story moves along, we see Santiago pause in his journey and think about going back to his old life, the life where he’s comfortable and where he knows what to expect – his comfort zone. Each time Santiago is about to go back there, he makes another decision and instead continues to move forward toward a new and better life – toward his purpose – and each time he makes that decision he is happier and happier (even through the challenges and struggles).
The easy thing is always to turn back to what we know and what’s comfortable, but it rarely gets us where we want to go, is fulfilling, and almost never allows us to grow.
The biggest lesson I took from the book is to continue on my quest, my journey and to be grateful for everything that happens along the way. Also, for me, I have started to listen more and more to my heart, to my intuition, to my gut, to spirit, whatever you call it for yourself, and sometimes I still slip back to being a human doing instead of a human “being.”
I still have a lot of work to do to stay aware and to remember to look at the things that are going on around me as well as how I feel about things.
We’re all connected and part of each other and the world at large. The best way to make our presence felt and to leave our legacy is to keep moving forward toward that one thing that is in our heart, that one thing that we are moved to accomplish…and just keep moving forward toward it – no matter what gets put in our path.
Keep reading the world around you, stay aware of all the signs, big and small, and pause if you must, but never stop pursuing your dream. No matter what that is or how big or small you think it is – you owe it to yourself and to the world to fulfill that.
My advice: read this book…read it every year…follow your heart!
I’d love to hear from you if you’ve read the book too! (and if you haven’t…I’d recommend adding it to your list and read it soon).
To purchase this book click here: The Alchemist
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