Book #6 - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I feel like this book would be good to read when you're graduating from high school or college. The Alchemist is very inspirational, providing lessons and words of wisdom that can ignite action to follow your dreams. Perhaps it was a good choice for me now, as I'm reaching that quarter-life crisis point, wondering if every decision I make is the right one.

While reading this book, it became clear to me the Coelho's main theme was to listen to your heart and follow what it tells you. No one else can dictate your dreams, which I feel like is something that gets forgotten when trying to please your parents, your friends or your boss.

There were two main passages that I think everyone, myself included, should cling to when not just making big decisions, but throughout day-to-day life. The first is: "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own." It's so easy to judge others and tell them what to do and how to act. Ask my friends - I am notorious for being judgmental. But I hate it when people are judgmental of me. So, I'm trying to live these word's of Coelho; in essence, worry about yourself, and leave everyone else alone.

The other lesson that is extremely valuable from The Alchemist is: "The world's greatest lie is that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate." This was a hard one to swallow because I've always been a firm believer in 'everything happens for a reason.' But that seems like a cop out at times. Instead of taking control of your destiny, you chalk up your failures as being unavoidable. If the hero in this novel, Santiago, would have given up when he met his first challenge, he never would have fulfilled his personal legend. I think Santiago needs to serve as an example - although it's tough to keep moving forward when life gives us lemons, you need to persevere long enough to make the lemonade.