Destiny. Fate. You may believe in it and you may not.
I recently read the book ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho. It has been around for a number of years and I was a bit late to read it, but I am glad that I did because it is among one of the best books I have ever read (which is probably the reason why it has already sold millions of copies around the world).
Although this post is not meant to be a book review, I want to give you a very brief summary of what ‘The Alchemist’ is about, because it will help you understand the rest of my post.
‘The Alchemist’ is a story about a boy named Santiago who lives his life as a shepherd somewhere near the north of Africa. One day, as part of his life as a shepherd, he went to a village to sell some wool from his sheep. In this village he knew of a gypsy woman who could interpret dreams. He went to see her because he had experienced a very strange dream that he wanted to know the meaning of. The gypsy woman told him to go to the Pyramids of Egypt so that he will find a great treasure that is destined for him.The boy was very sceptical and unbelieving, and he walked out thinking that the gypsy’s words were utter nonsense.
However, back in the village, he meets an old man who was actually a great king. This king gives the boy the inspiration and the belief in the gypsy’s spoken words and the boy proceeds to sell his sheep and travel across the water to reach Egypt in search of his treasure.
From that moment on, Santiago embarks on a journey across the dessert. On his journey he learns much about himself and the world. He overcomes incredible challenges and he meets and parts with an Englishman, the woman of his dreams, angry tribe leaders and finally the alchemist. (An alchemist is someone said to be able to transform lead into gold).
As Santiago learns more about himself and the Soul of the World, he comes closer and closer to realizing his destiny and how to get there and eventually he does, while it was right in front of him all the time, he needed to go through the entire journey of crossing the dessert and overcoming incredible difficulties to be able to see and find his treasure.
Everybody Walks Their Own Path
You are not your father, you are not your mother or your brother or your sister or anyone else in this world.
You are you, and you are unique. Your life is unique and nobody else in this world will experience exactly the same things as you will. Nobody will perceive the world to be exactly the same in all aspects the way you perceive the world.
One of the best things you can do is to accept this fact. While it is okay to look up to others, and learn from their success and their habits, it is not okay to wish you were them. You have to be content with the fact that you are you, and it is up to you to become the best possible version of yourself that you can be.
Every single person in this world needs to walk their own path, from beginning to end. Your life path is different from mine which is different from my friend’s life path and so forth. Sometimes that path may be very clear and easy to follow, and sometimes it is like a jungle with no clear path. That is when you need to make the path, pick up the machete and cute the bushes,plants and branches out the way so you can make progress. (Figuratively speaking of course).
When there is no path and you have to make your path, it is by no means easy. It will go very slowly, it will be very tiring, and sometimes you have to go back and start a new path in another direction because the current direction leads to a dead end.
You can compare cutting your own path to for instance quitting your job to pursue your dreams and passions of starting your own business. The fact that it is so difficult and that it costs so much effort is the reason why so many people do not do it. They are too scared to start the journey towards their dreams by making their own path where there is no path.
If you choose to follow an entire path that someone else has already made you will likely not live up to your full potential. You don’t learn as much from it, you don’t grow as much and your success is not the same as when you cut your own path after the easy path ends.
The Only Way To Learn Is To Do And To Make Mistakes
Theory and observation can only teach you so much. You can sit next to your parents in the car for years and yet when you have to drive it is really difficult. The chance is big that you are going to make many mistakes before you are as good as your parents are at driving.
You can study the theory and techniques of boxing for years, but when you get into that ring for the first time, you are going to make mistakes and take a lot of punches. It takes experience to become good at something. Experience is just a fancy word for having made many mistakes and having learnt from them.
Making mistakes is not a crime, it is not even a failure. It is what you need to do to get better. Ask any successful person and they will tell you they have made tens if not hundreds of mistakes when they were learning to do what they are now so good at. I have made many mistakes in my life so far, and I will continue to make many more in the future, I’m certain of it. Yet, I do not regret making these mistakes because they have made me who I am today, and they are part of the path that I have to walk.
Taking Responsibility
The most difficult part of forging your own path is the fact that you have to take responsibility. You have to take action and risk failure. You risk making mistakes, wasting time, losing money and being laughed at. To take this kind of responsibility takes serious courage and determination, but in the end, that which does not kill you only makes you stronger.
Do not view taking responsibility for your actions as a burden. Instead, see taking responsibility for your actions as taking responsibility for your own life. You are taking control of your own life so that you can head towards where you want to go and how you want to live.
Your Destiny
I cannot tell you what your destiny is, I don’t even know what my own destiny is. I do believe that when you live your life to the fullest, be the best person you can be (love generously) and work hard, that your destiny will reveal itself. My definition of destiny is that one thing that feels like you were put on this earth to do it or to complete it.
Life is full of surprises, both good and bad, that is what makes it interesting and fun! Whether you believe in destiny and fate or not, you have one life and it is yours to live and enjoy. Make the most of your life and become the best person you can be. Do not let your fear or other people’s opinions hold you back from living the way you want to live. Follow your heart and follow your dreams and do not be afraid to have to forge your own path in order to get to where you want to be.
Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Don’t just read this article if you agree with it, put it into action. Take that first step of your thousand mile journey today, and take it one step at a time.
P.S. If you have not read The Alchemist yet, I really suggest that you do because it is an amazing book.
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Hi Diggy. Just wanted to extend a warm welcome to CYT and to thank you for a great article.
I have read ‘The Alchemist’ years ago and it was one of those books that left a mark on my brain and it changed, in a small way, the way I viewed life.
I think you are spot on when you talk about taking responsibility. If we could all take responsibility in our lives we would be able to move on so much more quicker and get a lot more done in our lives. I work with clients who are addicted to alcohol and drugs and so often I hear them speak about why they drink and take drugs and all too often they blame an outside force and as soon as they take responsibility for their actions a shift begins to happen and that’s when the real work of dealing with their issues occurs.
Thanks for this thought provoking post Diggy. I hope you enjoy your stay here at CYT and I know you will be welcomed by all the readers here.
Hey Steven!
Thank you for the opportunity to guest post at CYT! I’m happy to hear that you like the article and I hope that your readers will enjoy it just as much!
All the best
Diggy
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..6,706,993,152 Reasons To Save The World and Why We Need Your Help To Do It =-.
Diggy, thanks for a great article about a topic very close to my own heart – all about following your heart (no pun intended!).
Like Steven, I read The Alchemist many years ago and it left quite a mark on me. When I first read it, the story was just like another good read, but a few years latter it really resonated with me at a deep level.
I guess I was finally ready to grasp the deeper message about following your heart. More importantly I was ready to take responsibility for my life – and you know what I did!
I could no longer blame my circumstances, my parents, ex-partners, previous work colleagues and so on. It was quite liberating actually:-)
I can highly recommend The Alchemist to everyone. According to Wiki the bok has now sold over 65 millions copies.
Hey Arvind!
Yeah I bought it because Will Smith recommended it in a video so that immediately convinced me. I really enjoyed it and it is so well written with such a deep meaning to life.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the post!
Cheers!
I love Paulo Coelho – all of his books. Destiny or I think another way to call it – life purpose. Something our soul came here to accomplish. And I loved how you put it Diggy – we should first of all realize that we are unique. We should allow oursleves to be who we are.
Great post!
.-= Lana – Daring Clarity´s last blog ..Clarity Manifesto Launch =-.
Hey Lana!
I haven’t read any of his other books. Thanks for the suggestion!
Glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks for commenting!
I agree, that “Every single person in this world needs to walk their own path.” It’s perfectly ok to copy the habits or practices of successful people, for example, but it’s also important to remember to do that in the context of your own life, not to copy someone else’s life. Accepting that brings freedom, to borrow others’ tools but to build your own house. Thanks for a lovely post!
Topi
.-= Topi´s last blog ..10 moments to savour during the day =-.
Hey Topi!
Yeah, it is such a simple lesson yet many people do not understand that they need to live their own lives. Even if you have role-models and mentors, strive to learn from them and be as good as they are, but do not try to live their lives.
Thanks for the kind words!
It really is one of the most amazing stories told and everywhere I go people still talk about this amazing little book. It will leave it’s mark for generations to come!
.-= Amit Sodha – The Power Of Choice´s last blog ..Video – Are You Still Doing Things To Make People ‘Like’ You? =-.
Hey Amit!
I totally agree with you, it’s definitely among the top 10 best books I’ve ever read!
I’ve been meaning to read this book for YEARS and I keep forgetting about it. Thanks for the great reminder, Diggy — and the great post!
Heya Dani!
Nice to see you here! You still haven’t read it? Go get it, now!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Diggy,
I read “The Alchemist” around two years ago after a friend of mine recommended the book to me. And I completely agree that it is a must read.
The main point I took from the book was that you should follow your heart and trust your instincts even though where your inner guidance takes you might not seem to make much sense at the time. Santiago’s journey only made sense at the end of the book.
You can’t always see the big picture in the moment, but if you follow your heart and trust your instincts things will likely make sense when you look back on what happened months and years later.
.-= Greg Blencoe´s last blog ..Relationships as mirrors =-.
Heya Greg!
Yeah I also got that from the book. Follow your heart
I think that it is a good suggestion for how to live your life, being true to yourself!
I really enjoyed the book too, it’s so well written!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Diggy,
I agree. The Alchemist is one of those little books that was wonderfully surprising because of how powerful the metaphors are. Taking complete responsibility for our lives is essential to our evolution. It is important to remember to take complete responsibility for all the things we do WELL too. Most people spend so much time beating themselves up for what they did wrong they set themselves up for failure.
Blessings,
rob
Hey Rob!
Cheers
Diggy,
Thanks for the great article. I’d really like to read that book now.:-)
Also, there is typo in “cute the bushes, …”.
Hey Harry!
Thanks for pointing that out and for leaving a comment:) Glad to hear that you enjoyed the article!
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
I’m so glad that other people are being exposed to Coehlo’s wonderful books, including The Alchemist. It’s a fantastic parable about life and our destiny and good for you for finally reading it!
Btw, in case you didn’t know he is on Twitter and provides frequent thought-provoking inspirational tweets.
Thanks for sharing,
Karen
.-= Karen´s last blog ..How To Use 10-10-10 To Get Unstuck =-.
Hey Karen!
I never knew he was on Twitter! I’ll look him up
It’s always nice to get some extra motivation and inspiration! Thanks for stopping by.
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
Diggy,
This book has been on my list of books to consider reading. But I definitely think I will now. Regarding your own path, it’s only when you start to follow the path that you believe in and you truly feel is right that you make the kind of progress in your life and career that allows you to reach your full potential.
I read a great quote once that said “Destiny is a matter of choice not chance.” I believe we have a choice in everything that we do. Mistakes have to be made in order to make progress. It’s when we let our mistakes destroy us or get the best of us that no progress is made.
.-= Srinivas Rao´s last blog ..Joe Wilcox On The iPhone 4G Leak at Gizmodo – A Technology Journalist Reviews Both Sides of the Story =-.
Hey Srinivas!
Nice to see you here buddy! You have not read it yet? You really really should, I think you will enjoy it enormously and can relate to it!
“Mistakes have to be made in order to make progress”
Very wise words, I totally agree with you!
Have an awesome day!
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
Hi Diggy.
You sure got some cool messages from The Alchemist. To make mistakes is to learn, and the people that make mistakes should really not care much about them. When you do, someone else can point out the error, or you figure it out somehow, and there is a learning process, and then it is passed. They are only as important as we label them.
Your point about driving in a car with someone for many years and still not knowing how to do it yourself is a fitting one. There are many things we see happen right next to us, but until we process doing them on our own, we miss an important step that can’t be emulated elsewhere.
.-= Armen Shirvanian´s last blog ..Your Comfort Zone Is Your Unproductive Zone =-.
Hey Armen!
Nice to see you here too! Happy to hear that you liked the article!
Have you read The Alchemist yet?
Cheers
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
Sounds like a really great book.
Loved reading your recap of it. And, I especially like what you wrote about the dream being right in front of us,yet having to walk the path first.
We so quickly forget about the journey and just want to launch into the dream. Yet, it’s the journey that cultivates the dream… grooms it and teaches us how to allow it to emerge and grow much like a child.
.-= Susan Liddy´s last blog ..SURVEY! What do you have to smile about today? =-.
Heya Susan!
Yeah it really really is! You should totally get a copy of it!
Thanks for your kind words!
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
Diggy,
Your post is awesome!
Back in high school I gave a commencement speech and entitled it: A Different Drummer based on Thoreau. It was completely about forging your own unique path.
It is remarkable how unique (and yet interconnected) we really are. And we get to walk on this planet and have a life. These “facts” that appear so mundane, are actually miraculous!
I especially feel saddened by adults who are too afraid of what others think (be it family, community) to fully live THEIR life.
On the other hand, I am inspired that most people form their own perspective regardless of what their parents and community’s beliefs are. ()I think it’s great if you embrace all the beliefs you grew up with if you have openly questioned them and you embrace them because they fit for you.
I enjoyed The Alchemist myself.
Thank you for a great post on a core topic for a happy, fulfilled, and most of all genuine life.
Lauren
Hey Lauren!
Thanks for the kind comment
Sometimes I think we are all unique, but sometimes I feel we are all rather similar. There is so much that we all still need to learn about each other and about ourselves. So many things are possible and we have a long way to go before reaching our full potential!
The journey is what makes it fun
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
This is another excellent post that talks about the Alchemist. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m now seriously planning to do it over the weekend.
I also agree that experience and making mistakes are two key points all of us must have. When we are young, it is normal for us to be afraid of commiting mistakes, so we think our heads off about our decisions. But eventually we’ll realize that no matter how many mistakes we make, we can always start anew.
.-= Julius´s last blog ..Why Is Braille on Drive-Through ATMs? =-.
Hey Julius!
Happy to hear I inspired you to read the best book in the world
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
I really loved the Alchemist. I’m sure I saw somewhere recently that Will Smith is a fan too. It’s such a beautiful story. Great post too!
Interesting post. Personally I see destiny as something you enjoy doing and are naturally good at. I love helping people and I feel I’m naturally good at it, therefore I believe that’s my destiny.
Hey Craig!
I like that you like to help people. It’s a great goal and purpose to have in this world! Let’s all make a difference!!
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
Thanks Diggy – I’ve been on the fence for a long time trying to decide which path to choose… I’m going to go buy and read The Alchemist (hopefully on Kindle), climb off this fence and forge ahead on my own unique path. My heart, my head and my gut all say it’s time… Yours and a few other key blog posts I read this morning have conspired to INSPIRE me to start taking real action again. Thank you.
.-= Maggie Mae´s last blog ..Pay Attention — There ARE Angels Amongst Us! =-.
Hey Maggie!
Happy to hear I inspired you to get The Alchemist. I’m sure that you will enjoy it and very possible learn a few things from it!
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
Diggy -
Thanks for sharing your analysis of The Alchemist. I like the simple summary format. I believe that we all have our destiny or calling, however taking responsibility for it and taking action can be the challenge. The world throws out so many distractions from the path that can lure us into inaction or unauthentic behaviours. This is a timely reminder to be courageous and walk the path.
Phil
.-= Phil – Less Ordinary Living´s last blog ..How to be an Everyday Superhero =-.
Hey Phil!!
You’re totally welcome! I’m glad that you enjoyed it!
Have an awesome day!
.-= Diggy´s last blog ..Social Networking Revealed – The Secrets They Never Taught You At School =-.
A great article! Very nice words. Especially I like the thing about mistakes. I know it from my own experience. If we don’t try, we won’t learn anything.
Besides, I’d really like to read this book.
.-= Roman Soluk´s last blog ..Music and its impact on our life =-.
Thanks SOOO much Diggy and Steven for this.
The Alchemist is one of my favorite books that gave me more “A-Ha” moments than any other. Diggy — you have commented on most of them here!!! I’m 100% believer in taking responsibility for our lives… even when it may seem painful. In realizing what you might have done differently you are growing and evolving – something to be grateful for. There are no mistakes – just learning experiences and I LOVE that I keep on learning! 
Thanks again for a wonderful post!
Love,
Jenny
.-= Jenny Mannion´s last blog ..Inspirational Lilou Mace Interviews the Evolutionary Dr. Eric Pearl About Healing =-.
Great post! The Alchemist is my favorite book. I have all the best quotes from that book on my blog. Thanks for sharing.
Peace
Jonathan
.-= Jonathan | EnlightenYourDay´s last blog ..Daily Necessities Web 2.0 – Blogosphere Links =-.
Steve this was one of the first positivity/spiritual books I read and remains a secret classic. Even today people seek alchemy in shiny things like money, possessions and properties a-plenty when true alchemy is an inside job. Unfolding the gold that we all have inside. Our destiny is simply that to me. And like Santiago, the shepherd boy, where we are is where we are meant to be to see that gold in others.
Be yourself, it’s what we al need.
John
.-= John Sherry´s last blog ..5 Secrets of Politics Revealed =-.
I have yet to pick up this book yet but I have seen so many people recommending this book. I got to pick it up soon.
Cheers,
Vincent
.-= Vincent´s last blog ..Poll: Do You Have A Blog? =-.
Dear Steven,
Was so happy to come and read your blog! The Alchemist is my favorite book too! It excites me to see how people’s lives are affected. The magic is certainly true and I love to read the story again and again. Thank you, best wishes! Love and Blessings, Jane xo
.-= Jane Stewart´s last blog ..I Love Trees! =-.
Now I’m dying to get hold of this book! Paulo Coelho: I had never heard of him until I read this post, but I will have to look him up. Brian Tracy tells of a journey he took when he was just out of high school across an African desert. While he did not fight Arabian knights, he used the story of his obstacles and journey to relate it to the journey of success. I’m looking forward to reading this book for myself. The ending sounds interesting!
.-= Steve-Personal Success Factors´s last blog ..Who Else Wants the Secret of Self-Confidence? =-.
I am reminded of a saying of an old friend: “It’s not a character defect to be human.” Mistakes are part of our human condition.
wow!im wanting to become an alchemist myself!by the way you did great!
I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?