Paulo Coelho, the Alchemist is changing my life!
If you haven’t read “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, then I cannot stress enough how important it is that you read it. Yes, life has taught me that not everything is for everyone but It would be some kind of injustice if I never at least tried to share the existence of this book with you.
In summary, The Alchemist is a magical (more spiritual than magical really) story of a shepherd boy who goes on a mission to fullfil his dreams. Along the way he meets up with people that play either the antagonist or protagonist role in him reaching his goal. He faces obstacles that he must overcome if he is to get to his destination. Throughout the story this young boy has to make sacrifices and take risks- some pay off and some leave him in dispair. Through all of this, there is one thing the boy continues to discover, it is that he cannot give up and that everything happens for a reason and it is part of the universes’ way of conspiring to help him obtain his desire.
I could go on and on but here are five things that stood out the most to me as I read the book:
1: God Speaks To Us In Many Ways
The first thing I learnt from the whole experience of reading the book is that God can speak to us in many ways. In the story the boy was constantly encouraged to listen to the universe. Wherever he was, he was to silence the commotion in his heart so he could better listen to his environment. Whenever he did this he always received insight so deep it had me praying to God and asking Him what I need to do to be that deep. The concept isn’t alien to the bible, because in many passages of scripture we get to see that God can speak to His people in so many ways. He can use anyone, anywhere and anything. We just need to be silent enough to listen (Hebrews 1:1-2, 1 Kings 19:11-13, Isaiah 30:21).
2: Our Comforts Zones Are Rarely Where We Should Be
So as you may know by now, the young boy was a shepherd. I mean, he was doing fine before all this “follow your dream stuff” came about. For the longest time he felt it was his dream. He left home and the calling to be a priest so he could travel the world as a shepherd. To him being a shepherd was one thing, it was the means in which he could fulfill his true desire and that was to see the world. As the story progresses we find out that his heart was not at peace and that the universe conspired to challenge him to pursure his truest desires, no-matter what the cost. I see a lot of that boy inside of me. There are so many things I can do and therefore live a pretty safe life but there are not what I really want to do. Like the boy I had to make some tough choices and take some risks so I could go in search of my treasure. Unfiltered Christianity is one. Media is another. There are many. I’ve realized that when I do anything outside of the things I really love, I am not happy. Seeing I only live once, I choose to pursue my passions. Again, the bible is not silent to this idea, check these verses out: Proverbs 14:12, Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Matthew 16:25.
3: Life Is All About Sacrifices
If you do not yet know and accept this truth then I am sorry to say this to you but life is going to catch you off-guard a lot of the time. I think sacrifice has got to be one of the main pillars of our existence. In The Alchemist the boys makes a lot of sacrifices just to get to where he wanted to get. He sacrificed his sheep and therefore his profession (remember this was his comfort zone). He sacrificed his money, his social life, his safety and at times even in his life. His heart was solid, it was set on reaching his treasure and he spared no expense, no-matter how painful it was. He counted the cost of reaching his target. I will be honest, I am still learning the character of sacrifice but what have learnt thus far has created in me such an interesting force. I sacrifice a lot but I can do more. For me to do a lot of what I do involves sacrifice. Unfiltered Christianity is a sacrifice. But I am determined to see my dream come true so I press on. The principle of sacrifice is no stranger to the bible, look here: James 1:3, Luke 14:25-33, Mark 10:45.
4: God Is Always Hanging Around Somewhere
Look, I am going to take a chance on this one but based on how I read the book they seemed to be one character that was present with the boy every step of the way but as a different person all the time. Maybe its the massive amount of science fiction and fantasy I watch but indulge me this one time. This boy first meets a woman who tells him about a treasure. He then meets an old man called Melchizedek who seems to know a lot more than he should. Then there was the man at the crystal shop and then there was the alchemist. They all played a very key role in directing him towards his destination. They were all somewhat wise or very supernatural. I could be wrong about the gypsy and the crystal guy but I refuse to be wrong on the other two. Look, what I am trying to say is that along the way, as you journey through life or Christianity and even as you seek to realize your dreams God is there, every step of the way, if you choose to see it. I believe He is often disquised in ways we cannot easily tell right away or if we are not listening carefuly. The boy picked it up but sadly I do not a lot of the time, I am starting to learn how to use this power a lot more intentionally now. There are scriptures in the bible in which God disguised Himself and some just show that its a thing. Check these out: Genesis 11, Genesis 18, Hebrews 13:2.
5: Your Treasure Is At The Finish Line
I dare not spoil the book for you so I won’t tell you how it all ended. What I will say is that I learnt that in the end, those who follow their hearts and are guided by the “Soul of the World” (to me this is God), will find their treasure (Revelation 21:7).
That’s it!
If you’d like to buy the book you can get it on Amazon. Amazon has a global shipping feature so they can ship it to anywhere. Just click on the book below and you will be directed there.
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