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Life is a continuous journey; it’s too short to be lived without a purpose. It’s not just about finding yourself, but rather creating yourself through experience and reason. In the novel, “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Coelho, Santiago, a young shepherd, is on a quest to discover his Personal Legend, that is linked to the pyramids. Instead, he realizes that the experiences and lessons he learns in pursuit of his journey, rather than the Personal Legend as treasure itself.
One of the lessons Santiago learns early on is that fear is apart of living a meaningful life.
He is told “listen to your heart.
It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there” (132). He realizes that it is worse not to achieve his goals out of fear than to face fear. “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself” (134). He discovers that having the feeling of discomfort is part of living a life that is worth living.
The alchemist told him, “don’t give in to your fears”(146).
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“ She followed all my directions. It was really easy to contact her and respond very fast as well. ”
Because once you give in you start to doubt your ability to do anything. Fear is nothing to be afraid of, just don’t let it control your life.
Relating to the first lesson, the next one Santiago learns is that it is important not to be carried away by indecision. “When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of” (70).
Whereas not making any decision will not get him closer to achieving his goal - any step - will bring him closer to achieving his goals.
Even if this does not happen immediately. Santiago is told “there is only one way to learn… it’s through action” (129) and making a decision is the first step in whether you learn something or not. Being able to make decisions, Santiago starts searching for his Personal Legend and realizes “every search begins with beginner’s luck, and every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested” (137). Not all decisions will be comfortable and not challengeable but sometimes to get what you want you to have to work through it.
The final lesson that Santiago learns on his journey to find his Personal Legend is that ambition and dreams, even if one does not succeed, is essential. It’s the fabric of life and “it’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting” (13). Even if one fails to achieve their goals, striving for growth is what makes life worth living. Santiago realizes that “people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of” (25). Then after he realizes what gives him purpose, and it is a worthy goal in and of itself: the thought of being able to the oasis and come back to Fatima, the woman he met there. He urges himself to pursue his dreams because “when you are loved, you can do anything in creation” (152).
Looking back at the three lessons Santiago learned on his journey, made me realize that these lessons are truly valuable for everyone. In my life, which hasn’t been too long, I’ve learned how to deal with both the feeling of fear and being indecisive. I feared change and losing some of my friends due to a misunderstanding and deciding whether or not I should try and work it out or just let it go. In the end, I had faced my fears and chose to let go of those friendships so that I could live a happier life. I didn't need people in my life who thought of me a certain way - when in reality they had it all wrong. Doing this, I was able to discover more about myself than I had realized. So when it comes to seeking out a Personal Legend, I believe that it can be important for most people. Everyone can find something they enjoy about life and find themselves along the way to make life more meaningful.
Santiago`s Life`s Journey and Lessons. (2021, Dec 03). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/santiagos-lifes-journey-and-lessons-essay
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