In Paulo Coelho?s novel, The Alchemist , the main character, Santiago, learns through a series of intricately planned lessons the true meaning of life, as well as learning about the Soul and Language of the World. After following these steps, you should be able to fulfill your Personal Legends.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
1. Understanding What a Personal Legend Is?
A Personal Legend, as it?s referred to in The Alchemist, is one?s destiny in life. It?s identifying your purpose in life and pursuing it. When Santiago meets the old King of Salem, Melchizedek, he teaches him what a Personal Legend is. He says that a Personal Legend is ?what you have always wanted to accomplish?.
See The Light
2. Acknowledge your Personal Legend
The world will attempt to reveal your personal legend to you in many different ways whether its through omens, mentors or signs. . Whichever way your Personal Legend comes to you its important that you acknowledge it and take action to make your dreams a reality. After all, ?when you really want something, the universe always conspires in your favor?.
3. Have a Clear Goal
?You must always know what it is that you want?. Create a clear goal for yourself in which you will be able to realize when you have completed your Legend. Without knowing exactly what it is you want, its impossible to ever achieve it.
4. Do not be a Sheep!
Paulo Coelho uses the shepherds sheep to illustrate a mundane life of someone who has ignored their Personal Legend. They live a life where ?all they think about is food and water?. While these are important things, there is so much more to life than just the necessities. Money and greed corrupt some people so that all they think about is how to get more, which is similar to how the sheep are focused only on one thing at a time. The sheep ?don?t even realize that they?re walking a new road every day,? very similar to the way some people get so caught up in the day-to-day that they forget to stop and smell the roses.
5. Seize The Day
Santiago knows that his old life is always waiting for him, but if he doesn?t pursue his Personal Legend now, he may never be able to do it again. The camel driver also says to him, ?If you can concentrate always on the present, you?ll be a happy man? . Since this is such an important message, it comes up again when the topic of the seer comes up. The seer says ?The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better? Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity? . Seize the day, and don?t be distracted by the past, or future.
6. Realize When You?ve Arrived at your Personal Legend
Since you have defined a goal early on, you should be able to realize when you have completed your Personal Legend. After this, you may find that you discover another, and another yet. Whatever you do, whether you are content where you are, or you strive for more, do not forget the lessons you have learned in your journey. After all, it is not necessarily they goal you must pursue, instead savor the time it takes you to get there!
