The Alchemist

The Alchemist follows Andalusian shepherd boy Santiago as he chases his recurring dream of treasure near the Egyptian pyramids, on the way to which he meets mentors, falls in love, and, most importantly, discovers the meaning of life.

The story begins with a young Spanish shepherd having a recurring dream. It happens each time he sleeps under a Sycamore tree outside of an old church building. In the dream, the boy hears from a child that he must go to the Egyptian pyramids to seek a treasure.

After meeting with a gypsy woman to find out what the dream means, the boy is surprised when she says he needs to go to Egypt.

To make matters even stranger, an old man named Melchizedek tells the boy the same thing. This time, however, the man uses the word “Personal Legend” to explain what the young man must do.

After some deliberation, the boy decides to follow his Personal Legend and head for the pyramids. He sells his sheep and begins his journey by going to Tangier.

Throughout the remainder of the book, he is constantly running into obstacles to his Personal Legend. But at each step overcomes them to find success and fulfillment.

You have a Personal Legend too. It’s as unique as you are. You may already know what it is and simply need the courage to pursue it. Whether it’s a career, family, health, or other aspiration, you must overcome everything holding you back so that you can pursue your biggest dreams.

Once you begin, the whole universe will conspire to make it happen. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be without difficulties.

The boy soon arrives in Tangier. The culture and the language, which he cannot speak, amaze him. This leads to someone stealing all his money. Even worse, he fears he’s made the wrong decision and almost heads back for Spain. But remembering what Melchizedek taught him, the young man pays attention to the omens all around him. He recommits to his Personal Legend and begins working for a local crystal merchant. The merchant recognizes the boy’s presence as a good omen and listens to his counsel that the man should take more risks with the business. This pays off and the two eventually become rich. The merchant knows what his Personal Legened is and recognizes that the boy’s presence is an omen that he should go after it. But he’s too afraid to follow it and stays where he is. In contrast, the young man uses his money to courageously continue on his journey to Egypt. You also must your dreams, even when you’re afraid of the unknown path ahead. Fear is the biggest thing in the…