Book Study: The Alchemist (Another Lesson)

Hi there,

Welcome to another book study from me, where I talk about a quote from a book and my interpretation of its meaning. In this post, I will be talking about a popular quote from the book The Alchemist which says:

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

I cannot hold it back anymore, but I have to admit that the quote sounds like something that you find in a book of magic, like The Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter. How exactly do you start to explain to an individual that the universe is willing to work for you when you need something? When did the universe become a human being that gives out helping hands? Anyways there is always something to be learned, no matter how small it may be.

Well, when you read the book and discover that it is a novel based on the adventurous journey of Santiago, who is on a quest to obtain the treasure he saw in his dream. More like somebody I know, and that is Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece. It is understandable to grab hold of the quote when you come to realize that Santiago from the book The Alchemist encountered multiple setbacks on his quest. Still, at every turn, he found more reasons to keep going and used them as signs from the universe to keep going. It is more like you have to be delusional towards setbacks and keep going.

Now I see that the quote talks more about staying committed to the course through your persistence. It is not only enough to have a dream, but it is also about how much action you are willing to take to achieve such a dream. It has become clear to me why, in business, it is more about the execution and not just the idea or dream. Anybody can have an idea or dream, but not everybody has the zeal to chase it through their execution.

It is more about taking the step towards the dream you have, and the quote makes it better when it says the universe will conspire to help you. Now, here is what I am getting from this: the universe is willing to work, but only for an individual who is in the midst of their action towards achieving what they want. It even went further to say it is because the person is taking actions that is why they are going to receive help. With time, they begin to mingle with people who share in their dream, and they are taking actionable steps. So a committed person will find reasons to keep going and not stop despite the setbacks.

The beauty of books is that it does not matter if it is a work of fiction or non-fiction; there is always something one can learn from it. It's all about being open to accepting the information that lies within the book. This book, The Alchemist, is a novel by Paulo Coelho, written originally in Portuguese and later went on to be an international bestseller. The book was published in 1988, and the knowledge within the book is still valuable in the present world. These are kind of things that strengthen my love for books not matter what. So do not give up just because of the setbacks; take them as a sign from the universe to keep going.

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_{I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.}

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Thanks For Reading!