It’s 1 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon in the autumn of 2024, and I have just finished reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – a book I had started, perhaps, 17 years ago. What a beautiful journey it has been, between the pages of all these years—learning and unlearning, loving and losing, falling and getting up, and all the adventures that words can barely describe.
As I move closer towards the end of this beautiful chapter, I feel a dozen emotions stirring inside me. Always been in the search for treasure, I found that the truest meaning of life is discovering oneself. The treasure isn’t out there somewhere; it lies deep within us. But also, you can’t skip the steps. You have to travel many roads, take countless journeys, and meet many priests, the Englishmen, the fortune tellers, the alchemists, the warriors, and the bakers all along your way. You need to visit crystal shops, cross deserts, navigate oases, and withstand storms— in order to reach the pyramids that hold the final answers. And when you finally stand before the pyramids, you realize that the treasure was always within you. And, you need to get lost to find it – to find the very essence of your being. Nothing outside of you can complete you—everything outside is merely a reflection of what lies inside of your heart and soul.
The love you seek from the world around you, the affirmation you long for, the treasures you imagine to be elsewhere—all of these reside within you. The universe conspires to help you realize that everything you truly need is already within you. It’s about having the courage to look within and believing that it is there. As Paulo Coelho writes, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” But it’s never just about the desire—it’s about taking that first step, and the next, and the next. Even when the path gets lonely or all the winds are against you, it’s about trusting THE UNIVERSE.
I remember when Santiago—the shepherd boy—left his familiar fields to seek his treasure. He didn’t know what lay ahead, but he chose to follow his heart. You have to leave the familiarity – time and again in order to reach the next phase. And, each phase has its own beauty and special meaning that it carries within it. As long as you don’t settle – there’s always a treasure ahead.
But if we silence the whispers of our hearts, we lose sight of our Personal Legend—the unique journey we are meant to undertake.
The Alchemist teaches us that we are the alchemists of our own lives, capable of transforming our dreams into reality, of finding gold within the ordinary. The journey will not always be smooth—it will break you (more times than you can count), challenge you, bring you to your knees, but every heartbreak carries a lesson, every fall pushes you closer to your true self. And so, even when fear haunts you, TAKE THAT STEP. Trust the signs that the universe sends your way, follow the omens, and most importantly, follow your heart.
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To anyone and everyone reading this blog or the book that inspired me to write this, I want to whisper: Listen to your heart often. Look for the signs. Follow your intuition, even if it takes you down unexpected roads. And don’t stop—even if you fail each time you start again. Because it’s never about the gold you seek beneath the pyramids of Egypt—it’s about discovering the gems within you.
S.
For anyone who hasn’t read The Alchemist, I highly recommend it! It’s more than just a book—it’s an experience that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.