Life Lessons from The Alchemist That Will Inspire You To Chase Your Dreams
Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist” a life-changing tale about following your deepest desires and dreams, has sold more than 65 million copies worldwide in more than 50 different languages, making it an international bestseller that has changed the lives of many people around the globe through life lessons from The Alchemist.
The story is of a shepherd boy who goes by the name of Santiago who travels to Egypt after having a recurring dream about a treasure that awaits for him there.
If you have never read this book before or if you’ve thought about reading it in the near future, I highly recommend it because you’re missing a lot of life lessons from The Alchemist. If you have, well, then you’ll know just how insightful and inspirational the story of a simple shepherd boy who decided to follow his dream can actually be.
If you take even one of these many mantras and incorporate it into your own life, I guarantee it will be refreshing for your soul and immensely life-changing.
Related: If you feel you can’t have enough of Paulo Coelho and Life Lessons from The Alchemist, here are valuable lessons that I have learned from Paulo Coelho on 25 Life-Changing Lessons to Learn from Paulo Coelho.
Here are Powerful Life Lessons from The Alchemist:
“Love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny.”
True love will never put a barricade between you and your dreams. Be it the love of your family, friends or significant other, if the people who surround you do not support, encourage or urge you in the direction of your deepest desires, they may not be the best people to keep in your company and keep around you.
You are a product of your environment — choose yours wisely and carefully. If you don’t surround yourself with the doers, the believers, the dreamers and the thinkers you won’t be getting too far. Only they will lift you higher and push you forward.
“The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself… no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams.”
Fear holds many of us back in life and it is a shame that it does. The fear of failing, of rejection and of other’s opinions can impact us so to the extent that we only fail ourselves by our own inaction.
We’ve heard it been said many times before: The thought of something is often worse than the thing itself. It is no different than fearing failure. Don’t underestimate your own resilience – Never underestimate yourself.
“People are capable at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”
There is absolutely no such thing as too old or too young when it comes to chasing your dreams. In the same way, there is no such thing as a right time or a wrong time. It is simply a matter of deciding what it is you want to do and taking the necessary steps to get there gradually. It’s all about the starting the process and believing in it.
Wherever we are in the world, and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, only we can decide to take the leap of faith and make our dreams realities. Trust me, it’s worth it.
“When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Know this – What you think about, you bring about. If you put all your time, focus, energy and positive thoughts toward whatever it is you want, you’d be amazed at what opportunities come knocking at your door.
Whatever it is, however it happens, if you want something badly enough, it’s as if the stars re-align and are only too willing to give to you whatever your heart truly desires. Call it fate, call it coincidence, call it beginner’s luck or whatever sits best with you, but when you put that time and energy into something with all you have, you will manifest it into your life for certain.
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight.”
Advocates from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Michael Jordan to Johnny Depp to J.K. Rowling and many more successful people worldwide have sworn that success in life simply cannot come about without any great failures. No matter how many times you get knocked down, rejected, or turned away, either personally or professionally, the key is to never accept defeat – never.
Always move forward and never stop learning – never. See your failures as valuable lessons on your path to success, learn from them, grow with them and never give up on your dreams.
“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
You will meet many a person who will share opinions regarding your life and your work, whether you ask for it or not. Some will agree with you and some won’t. C’est la vie! You will never, ever, please everybody; it’s not worth the time and energy.
At the end of the day, the only person you need compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. As long as you’re working toward your own happiness, don’t let the opinions of others divert you, chiefly those from people who have not yet found their own paths in life.
We are all unique, what we decide to do with our time is entirely in our hands; listen to your heart and answer only to yourself.
“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”
The greatest riches we can ever hope to have are the ones that bring us immense joy and make us truly happy. Where do you find your happiness? To where does your heart call?
It may be a profession, a hobby, a place, a person, a pet or a lifestyle, but it’s only when we stop and acknowledge what it is our hearts want that we will find our greatest treasures. These are the treasures that will bring joy and happiness into our lives; this is where the heart is. And like all treasures, we must dig deep enough to find it and well, treasure it.
“People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.”
For many different reasons, many people’s dreams remain just that — merely dreams — for their entire lives. Why is it that we don’t chase them? Do we not all deserve to live out our dreams and deepest desires?
Do we doubt ourselves, our capabilities, our potential or do we doubt our own self-worth? We only have one life and one chance at living exactly how we want to. We need to believe in ourselves and in our dreams. We need to trust that anything is possible and that we, alone, can make it happen.
If you’re going to believe anything in this lifetime, believe in yourself.
“At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
We are in control of our own lives, irrespective of where we’re at. We choose which paths to take, where to go and with whom we spend our precious time. The sooner we become aware of this fact — the power we have over our own destinies —, the sooner we can start shaping the lives we really wish to live.
It is never too late to seize control of our lives, be aware of where our choices may take us and form the paths we want to truly take. The power to do that lies within each and every one of us.
“Never stop dreaming.”
Above all, never stop dreaming. It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. Just believe that anything is possible.
“Fear is a bigger obstacle than the obstacle itself.”
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of it’s dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”
Any new pursuit requires entering uncharted waters – that can be terrifying. But with great risks comes great rewards. The experiences you gain in pursuing your deepest desires and dreams will make it all worthwhile.
“What is “true” will always endure.”
“If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. And one can always come back. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return.”
Truth cannot be veiled by smoke and mirrors – it will always be solid and stand firm. When you’re searching for the right decision, it will be the one that withstands the tests of time and the weight of all the scrutiny.
Break the monotony
“When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.”
Gratitude is the practice of finding the brighter side of each day. Life can easily become stagnant, mundane, and monotonous, but that changes depending on what we expose ourselves to. There’s always a silver lining, if you look for it.
Embrace the present
“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man.”
There’s no point dwelling in the past and letting it define yourself, nor getting lost and anxious about the future. But in the present moment, you’re in the field of vast possibilities – how you engage with the present moment will direct your life.
Your success has a ripple-effect
“That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
Growth, change, and evolution are weaved into the tapestry of reality. Becoming a better version of yourself creates a ripple effect that benefits everything around you: your lifestyle, your family, your friends, your community.
Make the decision
“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he has never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the unknowns and finer details of of your dreams. Actions will flow out of having confidence in your decision; sitting on the sidelines will get you nowhere.
Be unrealistic
“I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”
Some of the greatest inventions ever made would not have happened if people chose to accept the world as it is/was. Great achievements and innovations begin with a mindset that ignores the impossible.
Keep getting back up
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
Because the eighth time could be your breakthrough. Some of the greatest novels in history were published after receiving thousands of rejections. Thankfully, those authors never gave up – ever.
Focus on your own journey
“If someone isn’t what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
It’s very easy to be influenced by others, but you’ll be miserable if you end up living in someone else’s shoes. There’s nothing wrong with taking advice and learning from others, but make sure it aligns with your desires and passions.
Always take action
“There is only one way to learn. It’s through action.”
You can study, read, and listen until you turn blue in the face, but the full experience is when you actually take action, and let the rubber meet the road. Once you’re done aiming, pull the trigger.
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