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What is Your Personal Legend?

• November 18, 2018
• 2 minute read

This year we are asking people to write about their “Personal Legend.”

Each year I think everyone evaluates their life and their journey a little bit around the holidays and into the first part of the new year. What have you done, where are going and how long do you have to get there?

2018 is the 20th anniversary of Literary Traveler and this year we are evaluating where we are on that path. How can we be better and true to all things we aspire and should be? It’s an important question.

So where you are you on your path? Are you happy? Are you satisfied with what you done? Are you looking back without regrets? What is your “Personal Legend?”

It’s based on the idea in the book The Alchemist . In the book, Paulo Coelho defines the concept of your Personal Legend…

Your Personal Legend is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone when they are young knows what their personal legend is, at that point in their lives everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. 

But as time passes a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their personal legend.

To realize one’s personal legend is one’s only real obligation. When you really want something all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it. 

What is your personal Legend? And what will you make the universe conspire for you?

Please let us know either via email or social media.

Francis McGovern Founder, Literary Traveler

• My Personal Legend

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Embrace Your Personal Legend With These 12 Steps

Your Personal Legend .

What will your Personal Legend be and how do you know if you’re living it?

The term Personal Legend was coined by author Paulo Coelho and first appeared in his international best-selling novel The Alchemist , one of the top one-hundred best-selling books of all time.

Your Personal Legend refers to your story -- your life and what you do with it. What kind of stories will people tell of you when you pass? Better yet, what stories will you tell yourself of your life on your deathbed? How will you live your life?

Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience. – Paulo Coelho

On Coelho’s official blog , he detailed twelve steps from therapist Alan Cohen on the very same theme of following your Personal Legend.

To find your own Personal Legend and start living your story to its fullest, follow these twelve steps:

1. Open up to yourself

The first step is to open up to yourself to discover not only what you might love to do with your life but also what you don’t love.

Coelho says to draw two columns, a ‘T’ chart, with what you would love to do on the left and what you’re currently doing in your life without any energy or enthusiasm.

Make sure not to edit yourself here. No one else is supposed to see this so be totally and painfully honest with yourself. The more honest you are with yourself the better the rest of the steps will go.

2. Take small steps

Now that you’ve gotten an idea of what you’d love to do, take the first few, small steps towards experiencing some of those things.

This can be something as simple as buying a course on a subject you’ve been wanting to study or going somewhere to try something you’ve always wanted to do.

Notice how experiencing these things instills a sense of excitement and passion into your life and start paying attention to what brings you the greatest joy.

3. Learn to say no

On the flip side, slowly begin to say no to some of those things which you placed into the right column; the things which you’re not enthusiastic about.

Are you tired of being taken advantage of by your coworkers who ask you to pick up their slack? Would you rather spend time on a passion project or getting some exercise with friends instead of drinking every weekend?

Start to distance yourself from the things which you’re not enthusiastic about and see how that begins to change your life day-to-day.

4. Discover your talents

Along similar lines to pursuing what you love, what are you great at? What do your friends tell you you’re better than anyone else at doing?

These various talents can often serve as clues to greater overarching skills and talents you have, which you can employ to find your path.

5. Begin to choose

Now that you’ve gathered all the information you can, it’s time to choose a path and see how it makes you feel.

Don’t worry about setting up a long-term plan yet, just dive in to the thing you believe is what you’d like to pursue and see how it feels as this offers a clue as to whether it’s right for you.

6. Make that decision ‘pure’ (not polluted by financial gain)

Important enough to be its own point, you need to make the decision about what to pursue, and pursue it, without financial gain in mind.

Having money in mind when seeking your path pollutes the entire process. I let this pollute my own path of discovery years ago when I was stressed about being able to care for my son financially (along with everything else) without even noticing I was doing it, so I know how sneaky this can be.

Really work hard to make a decision that isn’t at all influenced by monetary gain, purely what instills in you a vibrant energy and enthusiasm, and you can’t go wrong.

That’s obviously easier said than done, and I wish I could say this another way, but I’d be doing you a disservice: if you don’t pursue your true passion, you’ll never be truly happy.

7. Follow your intuition

Also, don’t make this an entirely mathematical or logical process. One plus two might equal three, but what if four secretly tugs at your heart for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on?

Don’t be afraid to follow your intuition and see where it takes you on the path.

8. Don’t be afraid to change

Once you made your decision, don’t be afraid to change it if things aren’t working out. If you move forward with something, but something else begins to creep into your mind more and more, perhaps you should try that instead and see how it makes you feel.

Your emotions can be a great guiding force through the entire process of discovering your Personal Legend, so let them guide you.

The subconscious mind needs a break to recharge and rebalance itself. Most of us don’t know how to give the mind the time and space it needs to do this and we suffer without ever knowing it.

Don’t be afraid to rest -- for thirty minutes in the middle of a workday, for a day a week, or a short trip at the end of the year (or now).

Also, make sure you’re getting enough sleep each night so your subconscious can roll around in the ideas from the previous day, it will help you think clearly and more effectively and often help you solve problems and get passed hurdles you were otherwise stumped by.

10. Be flexible

Through the entire process, be flexible.

That is, pay close attention to the presence of stress and strain that can be signs that things aren’t right and be able to make quick shifts to course correct yourself on the path.

Sometimes, things don’t work out the way you planned it. That doesn’t mean they won’t work out. You’re not settling, just allowing life to help guide you towards a better path to fulfilling your Personal Legend.

11. Read the signs

A strong theme throughout Coelho’s The Alchemist , it’s important to know how to read the signs when they arise on your journey.

Sometimes, we make plans to do something and a sign arises that tells us to change course or do something differently. You won’t always get it right, but that’s okay. Don’t ignore these signs, as they’re omens that will help you walk the path more effectively.

12. Take risks

Lastly, along the way you need to be able and willing to take a risk or two. If you ever hope to fully realize your Personal Legend, you must be willing to do whatever it takes. Sometimes, that means what you’re trying to do isn’t a guarantee. That’s just how life is.

However, this path was placed in front of you for a reason, so know that you’re capable of handling it. Believe in yourself and be willing to put yourself out there.

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Strangers Raise $85K For Homeless Elderly Kroger Cashier

As the cost of living continues to skyrocket, more and more people are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, never mind retire. Affordable housing is woefully lacking and homelessness has reached epidemic proportions.

For years, Sonja has been working as a cashier at Kroger, the largest supermarket operator in the U.S. But despite her job, she is homeless and currently sleeping on the floor in a shelter.

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Elderly Kroger Employee is Sleeping on the Floor

@charlie Link in bio to donate 🥹 We talked to miss Sonja for an hour and she said it was okay for our foundation to launch her a fundraiser. 100% of the donations go directly to her 🙏🏻❤️ #elderly #homeless #fypp #kindness

Charlie Rocket, known as @charlie on TikTok, met Sonja just a few days ago. He was shopping in a Kroger in Nashville when he noticed her working at the till.

"I saw this elderly woman working at Kroger," he captioned a now-viral video with over 4.4 million views.

"The manager told me she's living in a homeless shelter. Life shouldn't be this hard." — Charlie Rocket

He spent the next hour talking to her and getting to know her story. He shared a bit of it in a follow-up TikTok , revealing that Sonja works 4 days a week and sleeps on a small mat on the floor of a nearby women's shelter.

"Can you tell me what your dream is in life?" Charlie asks her in the video that has been viewed more than 1 million times.

Unable to hold back tears, she tells him her dream is affordable housing. Not a million dollars or luxury travel or even retirement. She merely wants a basic necessity and something that should be universally available — a roof over her head she can call home.

"My dream? I need some housing...affordable housing. I'm staying at the women's shelter."

When he asks her what she prays for she simply and heartbreakingly answers, "Strength."

Charlie Rocket Raises 7X the Original Goal

@charlie Link in bio to donate. My heart broke to pieces when she told me she was sleeping on the floor some nights at the homeless shelter 💔😔 Miss Sonja needs our help! Let’s get her into a house and retire her 🙏🏻 #elderly #fypp #viral #homeless

Appalled by her situation, Charlie immediately launched a fundraiser through his nonprofit — the Dream Machine Foundation. According to the nonprofit's website , he founded it in 2018 after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and hit "rock bottom."

He credits holding on to his dream of becoming an athlete for saving his life. Over the next 12 months, he ran 4 marathons, completed an ironman, dropped 125 pounds, and reversed his brain tumor.

"His dream saved his life, and he is now dedicating the rest of his life to making dreams come true for others in need of a miracle," the website reads.

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Six days later, it has amassed an incredible $85,000. Enough to keep Sonja in her own home for the next seven years. The fundraiser is ongoing.

Homelessness is a Growing Problem

Philanthropist Charlie Rocket raises more than $85,000 for elderly Kroger cashier experiencing homelessness.

https://www.dreammachineusa.org/fundraiser-for-sonja/

Sonja is just one of thousands of Kroger employees across the country who have had trouble feeding themselves or paying for housing. The Economic Roundtable (a nonprofit research group) surveyed 10,000 unionized workers in the U.S. and found that 1 in 7 Kroger workers faced homelessness in 2022.

In response, Kroger developed an improvement plan which included increasing wages and steps to improve tuition assistance and retirement benefits. But the reality is that it's still not enough to combat our grueling economic conditions.

And it isn't just Kroger. Other large companies, including Walmart and Fred Meyer, have been criticized for failing to provide adequate wages and benefits to their employees, leading to similar issues of food insecurity and homelessness among their workforce.

While there's clearly a need for systemic change, it's not going to change overnight. Meanwhile, community support and advocacy remain crucial in providing immediate relief and long-term solutions for those in need like Sonja.

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Mom Finds Treatment For Daughter Suffering From Epilepsy

Epilepsy affects an estimated 1.2% of people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And yet, despite how common it is, the origin is often shrouded in mystery.

In fact, in about half of the people with epilepsy, the condition has no identifiable cause, including for Savannah Salazar.

That is until her mother refused to give up and finally found the answers the doctors couldn't.

A Grim Diagnosis

Savannah Salazar before suffering 40K+ epileptic seizures

Facebook.com/tracy.d.salazar.1

Savannah was two years old when she woke up her parents choking. It was the first of more than 40,000 seizures that she would experience over the next sixteen years. Doctors diagnosed her with epilepsy. Yet, despite treatment, her condition worsened.

By the time she was three, she was having multiple types of seizures and had to wear a helmet. By age four, she began to have clusters of seizures that would last for hours unless emergency rescue medications were used. By five, she was seizing dozens of times a day and was also diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), "a severe epilepsy syndrome with a horrific prognosis."

All of the seizures came with a devastating cost.

She stopped developing mentally, trapped in the brain of a toddler. She couldn't read or write or use the bathroom. Every night her mom checked on her to make sure she was still breathing, terrified that SUDEP, (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) – would one day take her life.

A Mother's Quest For Answers

For years, Tracy Dixon-Salazar and her husband questioned why this was happening to their daughter . How could she go from a healthy, happy two-year-old to having 300 intense seizures a month? Frustratingly, her doctors didn't have any answers.

So, Tracy took matters into her own hands.

“This disease, it comes into your life. It’s uninvited. It’s unannounced and it takes over every aspect of your daily life,” she shared with Today .

“And who is more motivated to understand it than the people who are directly impacted? And plus it’s attacking the thing that is most precious to you — it’s your kid.”

She started reading everything she could get her hands on about epilepsy. However, the research papers were difficult to understand, often far beyond a layman's comprehension. So, she enrolled in college. She took English classes hoping to help her better understand the scientific literature she was reading.

It didn't. She turned to sciences.

“I just wanted to understand what was going on with my child. I didn’t go into this thinking I was ever going to help her."

Tracy attended classes while her children were at school and stayed up late to study — for 12 years.

"Somehow, 12 years later, and after many grueling years, I graduated with my PhD in Neurobiology."

The True Power of a Mother's Love

Young girl with her parents.

Today, Dr. Tracy Dixon-Salazar is a neuroscientist, geneticist, and patient advocate. She also single-handedly changed her daughter's life.

After years of rigorous study and research into the genetics of epilepsy, Tracy made a groundbreaking discovery.

“Savannah didn’t have an inherited epilepsy,” Tracy explained. “I sequenced her. I did all this analysis, and I was able to show she’s got calcium channel mutations."

By studying Savannah's genome, Tracy discovered that she had certain genetic mutations in numerous calcium channel genes. Believing this could be the driver of her daughter's epilepsy, she decided to start treating the now 18-year-old with calcium blockers.

Miraculously it worked! Within two weeks, Savannah's seizures dropped by 95% and her episodes of non-stop seizures stopped completely.

Eleven years later, she's living a completely different life and thriving.

“She just exploded in her personality and her talking and her walking and her potty training and oh my gosh she is just so sassy."

She's "obsessed with boys" and listens to singer-songwriters on social media. And while the brain damage was too severe to be completely reversed and she will likely never live independently, she's reaching milestones her parents — and doctors — never dreamed possible.

As for Tracy, she's dedicated her career to helping other families dealing with epilepsy, currently serving as the executive director of the LGS Foundation. Her dream is to eventually find a cure.

There's a lot to be said about the power of a mother's love. It is a FORCE that defies logic and reason. And despite the odds stacked against it, somehow it has the power to achieve the impossible.

It's thanks to her mother's love that Savannah's life has been transformed. But not just her life, the lives of countless others as well.

Copyright © 2024 Goalcast

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“The Alchemist” Personal Legend

This essay will focus on the concept of the personal legend as presented in “The Alchemist.” It will explore the novel’s message about pursuing one’s destiny and the obstacles encountered along the way. The piece will discuss the philosophical and inspirational aspects of the personal legend concept. At PapersOwl, you’ll also come across free essay samples that pertain to Personal.

How it works

In The Alchemist, Coelho talks about the importance of the “Personal Legend”, that is, the path that each person should take to achieve the greatest happiness. In the book, a young shepherd boy, named Santiago is sent on a journey to find his own Personal Legend. On his journey he deals with frustration, devastation, hope, love, confusion, learning all along the way. From the people he meets to the scenarios he must adapt to, the boy persists on his journey in the faith that he will eventually discover his Personal Legend.

In the book, there is a sense of adventure and life references. Santiago, the protagonist of the story, learns to open, listen, and communicate with his heart. He learns to go against others, man vs. man, man vs. nature, and for him and the alchemist man vs. society. For Santiago’s journey, he needed motivation, inspiration, and communication.

As a competitive athlete, you are expected to do a lot. My parents make me do extra training outside of AAU, school ball, and practice. Most times the only things I feel like going to are games. You have to really love something for you to put that much effort into it. Motivation is always a key factor. Without my parents’ love and support, I would not love the game of basketball as much as I do now.

In this novel, motivation drives Santiago. Fatima keeps him going on his journey because she understands that she is a desert woman and allows Santiago to pursue his personal legend even though they love each other. As a sign of this, Santiago says, ‘I’m going away and I want you to know that I’m coming back.’ When Santiago met her he found out the language of the world was love. He is driven by his love of Fatima. Motivation helps him find out his true personal legend.

My brother, Cliff is a freshman at Langston University on a full basketball scholarship. He went to St John’s for high school and broke all kinds of records as a freshman and throughout his high school career. He is the person I look up to most as a basketball player. He is my inspiration and he is why I love the game of basketball as I do. Cliff faced many hardships at St John’s, but that did not deter him from his goal of graduating and earning a full athletic scholarship to college. He graduated with honors and is now enrolled as a college athlete. This is one of many reasons he inspires me. He is my inspiration.

Inspiration was a key factor for Santiago. He was inspired by the alchemist to keep pursuing his personal legend. The alchemist understands the desert and people and helps Santiago understand nature and people. For instance, when the alchemist saw Santiago reading the falcon’s flight he had to understand who he was. He said,” I had to test your courage.” In that sense, he had to understand him. The alchemist knows how to understand and get to know people. Therefore, the alchemist mentions and adds a sense of inspiration to Santiago.

Around June of this summer during AAU basketball season, I was playing in a tournament with my team. We played Texas Elite in pool play. We all played together well as a team and communicated well and we won as a result. In the championship game, we ended up playing Texas Elite again. We started the game off well shots were falling consistently, everyone was working well together, and most importantly communicating. The score went back and forth the whole first half about 10 lead changes. After halftime, everything went downhill. Ad decisions were made, nobody was communicating which resulted in multiple turnovers that could’ve been avoided and we lost the game all because of lack of communication.

Communication was essential for Santiago, and it started with patience. Early in the novel, Santiago was challenged to walk around with oil on a spoon. He was to see all the features of the store. The first time, he kept the oil but didn’t look around. The second time was the complete opposite. This lesson taught him patience, which he needed to communicate with the sun, wind, and desert, and by doing this, he wasn’t killed. “It’s going to take a while.” Those were the words that came out of Santiago’s mouth. Those words signaled confidence and patience. Therefore, communication and patience were essential and allowed him to turn himself into the wind which would save his life.

Looking back on his travels provided these life lessons for me: treasure the little things and be a risk-taker because in both situations there is a lesson to be learned. After reading this book, I have learned the little things that normally bother me will mean absolutely nothing in the future. Now, I choose to focus on my many blessings. In this generation, everyone seems to be focused on materialistic things when life means so much more and offers more. It is easy to get caught up in what you do not have because someone else has it. Everyone is so worried about what other people are doing or what other people are wearing. But, this mentality can cause a person to lose sight of the small things: like waking up this morning, being blessed with good health, having food and shelter, and support from family. Every day is a new chance to change. Life is what you make it. Today is not yesterday and yesterday does not have to be your tomorrow. By focusing on what I have rather what I don’t will make me a happier person and a better person. I want to be able to see things and be thankful for things that could be easily overlooked, and it is these littlest of things that are going to enhance my life for the better.

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How to Embrace and Follow Your Personal Legend

Last Updated: March 29, 2019

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 12 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 85,915 times.

In Paulo Coelho's novel, The Alchemist , the main character, Santiago, learns through a series of intricately planned lessons to 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.

• When Santiago meets the old King of Salem, Melchizedek, he teaches the boy for the first time what a Personal Legend is. He says that a Personal Legend is "what you have always wanted to accomplish" (21).

• The language of the world will attempt to reveal your personal legend to you in many different ways, whether it be through omens, mentors or signs. Whichever way you come to know your personal legend it is 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 favour" (36). It is easiest for people to realize their legend when they are young because "at that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their life. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend" (21). This is why Santiago is the ideal candidate, because he has not become jaded over time. That being said, you are able to pursue your Personal Legend at ANY time in your life!

• Create for yourself a goal in which you will be able to realize when you have completed your Legend. Without a clear, explicit goal, or Personal Legend, it is impossible to ever achieve it. The King said that "you must always know what it is that you want" (56). Santiago's goal was to find the treasure awaiting him in Egypt.

• Coelho uses Santiago's sheep to illustrate a life of someone who has ignored the call to their Personal Legend. They live a mundane life, where "all they think about is food and water" (11). 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," (11) 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.

• The gypsy tells Santiago that "It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them" (15).

•  Sometime during your quest, you will feel as if the universe is not conspiring to help you achieve your Legend. At this point, the King will "always appear in one form or another. Sometimes [he] appears in the form of a solution, or a good idea. At other times, at a crucial moment, [he] makes it easier for things to happen" (23). He goes on to say that often times he does other little things, but people rarely notice them. Santiago experiences this when he first arrives in Tangiers and is robbed. He thinks to himself that he's "too insignificant to conquer the world" (39), and is really down on himself, but that is when he remembers the stones the King gave him. This omen tells him to continue on his journey! Remember the old proverb, "It is said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn"

• Santiago realizes after hearing about the baker's ignorance to his Personal Legend that "there [is] nothing to hold him back except himself" (28). The main reason why the average person, including the baker and the crystal merchant, will fail to seek out their Personal Legend is safety. People are more concerned with making a name for themselves and being comfortable that they choose to settle for an average life. When Santiago meets the camel driver, he reveals to Santiago that people "are always afraid of losing what [they] have, whether it's [their] life, or possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when [they] understand that [their] life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand" (76). By trusting in fate, you are able to free yourself from these fears. The alchemist teaches Santiago this as well when he says " Don't give into your fears... If you do, you won't be able to follow your heart... There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure" (141). Without fearing failure, you are free to pursue any path you like.

• The importance of this step cannot be stressed enough! Omens help guide Santiago in his quest and the King reiterates this lesson over again before he leaves, so that Santiago will not forget it, saying, "Don't forget the language of omens" (30). The crystal merchant asks Santiago at one point, "Why ask more out of life?" and Santiago replies, "Because we have to respond to omens" (52). It's clear that the merchant has not responded to the omens, and that is why he has a hard time understanding Santiago's constant quest for greatness.

• Like the old saying "You cannot change the direction of the wind, you can only adjust your sails," Santiago realizes that when he thinks positively about his situation he is much closer to his legend. After receiving the omen from the King in Tangiers, he thought to himself that "this wasn't a strange place, it was a new one" (41). Also, when facing the vast desert Santiago has to cross to reach Egypt, he recalls "[he's] learned things from the sheep, and [he's] learned things from crystal... [He] can learn something from the desert, too" (73). Even though Santiago is not thrilled with the long walk ahead of him, he knows that if he looks positively towards his obstacle, he'll be able to learn valuable lessons from it.

• "I can always go back to being a shepherd, the boy thought... But maybe I'll never have another chance to get to the Pyramids in Egypt.... The hills of Andalusia were only two hours away, but there was an entire desert between him and the Pyramids. Yet the boy felt that there was another way to regard his situation: he was actually two hours closer to his treasure" (64). 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" (85). 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" (103). Seize the day, and don't be distracted by the past, or future.

• Santiago begins to understand that "intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life... where we are able to know everything" (74). Our heart knows how to interpret the omens, and therefore knows the right decision when our conscious mind is not able to decide on its own. Santiago later realizes that he "and his heart had become friends, and neither now was capable of betraying each other" (134). When you really get to know your heart, you are able to listen to the soul of the world. The Alchemist tells Santiago, "You already know what you need to know. I am only going to point you in the direction of your treasure" (115). This quote illustrates how the power to find your Personal Legend within you, otherwise it wouldn't be your Legend! Your mentors will only give you the nudge in the right direction that you may need from time to time.Trust that you and your heart can always make the right decision.

• 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 savour the time it takes you to get there!

Community Q&A

• Don't lose the Oil in the Spoon, while enjoying the Marvels of the Castle Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• It is not necessary to follow these steps in exact order, each of us should find their Personal Legend in their own way. This is simply an outline that worked for Santiago.  Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Focus on the journey, not the destination! Don't forget to stop and smell the roses! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• "Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure" Thanks Helpful 32 Not Helpful 3
• If you are able to effectively turn yourself into the wind, be very careful and do not damage anything.  Thanks Helpful 23 Not Helpful 9
• Be careful what you wish for. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist . New York: HarperCollins, 1993.

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The Alchemist

Paulo coelho, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

The most prominent theme in The Alchemist is the idea that each person has a “Personal Legend”—a type of ideal fate or destiny—and that each person can chose whether or not to pursue that legend. At the beginning of the novel, the protagonist Santiago is launched on a quest for his treasure—his Personal Legend—through his encounter with Melchizedek , a wise old man. Melchizedek is a Biblical figure, but in the context of the novel, he says that he appears at critical moments when a person might be giving up on pursuing his or her Personal Legend. Melchizedek explains to Santiago that all people know their Personal Legend in their youth, but they forget this Legend as they age because they are blinded and blocked by fear, anxiety, and other worldly concerns. Sometimes even good things, such as love, get in the way of a person pursuing a Personal Legend, as almost happens to Santiago when he considers staying permanently with Fatima in the desert oasis .

The novel strongly suggests that although the choice to pursue the Legend is entirely up to the individual, the outcome is always better when the Legend is achieved. Yet as Santiago realizes near the end of the novel, this life improvement comes not so much from the simple achievement of the Legend, but instead from the purpose and engagement that pursuit of the Legend gives to one’s everyday life. As it turns out, Santiago was physically close to his treasure from the start, but his journey to reach the treasure was lengthy in both time and distance. Without the journey, however, Santiago would not have learned all that he did, met the people he met, or fallen in love. Santiago also realizes that to die while in pursuit of one’s Personal Legend alleviates the horror of death. There is “rightness” to being on the course to one’s Legend, even though the journey is not easy. The book argues that choosing to pursue one’s Personal Legend is the most important choice each human gets to make.

The Pursuit of Your Personal Legend ThemeTracker

The Pursuit of Your Personal Legend Quotes in The Alchemist

“You came so that you could learn about your dreams,” said the old woman.

“And dreams are the language of God. When he speaks in our language, I

can interpret what he has said. But if he speaks in the language of the soul,

it is only you who can understand.”

“It's a book that says the same thing almost all the other books in the world say,” continued the old man. “It describes people’s inability to choose their own destinies. And it ends up saying that everyone believes the world's greatest lie.” “What's the world's greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised. “It’s this: that 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.”

“Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend.”

“To realize one’s destiny is a person's only real obligation.”

Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, the boy thought. He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have.

“In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the omens. God has prepared a path for everyone to follow. You just have to read the omens that he left for you.”

He didn’t consider mending the hole—the stones could fall through any time they wanted. He had learned that there were certain things one shouldn't ask about, so as not to flee from one's own destiny. “I promised that I would make my own decisions,” he said to himself.

“Well, why don’t you go to Mecca now?” asked the boy. “Because it’s the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive. That’s what helps me face these days that are all the same, these mute crystals on the shelves, and lunch and dinner at that same horrible café. I’m afraid that if my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living.”

“You have been a real blessing to me. Today, I understand something I didn’t see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don’t want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I’m going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don’t want to do so.”

“The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves.”

“I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things. I learned that many alchemists realized their destinies, and wound up discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher's Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But, above all, I learned that these things are all so simple that they could be written on the surface of an emerald.”

At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke—the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen—the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life. The omen he had sought to find with his sheep and in his books, in the crystals and in the silence of the desert.

“And I am a part of your dream, a part of your destiny, as you call it. That’s why I want you to continue toward your goal. If you have to wait until the war is over, then wait. But if you have to go before then, go on in pursuit of your dream. The dunes are changed by the wind, but the desert never changes. That’s the way it will be with our love for each other…Maktub,” she said. “If I am really a part of your dream, you'll come back one day.”

“You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love… the love that speaks the Language of the World.”

“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.” The man was speaking the language of alchemy. But the boy knew that he was referring to Fatima.

“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. We, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren’t, or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly.”

“My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,” the boy told the alchemist one

night as they looked up at the moonless sky.

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.”

“You’re not going to die. You’ll live, and you’ll learn that a man shouldn’t be so stupid. Two years ago, right here on this spot, I had a recurrent dream, too. I dreamed that I should travel to the fields of Spain and look for a ruined church where shepherds and their sheep slept. In my dream, there was a sycamore growing out of the ruins of the sacristy, and I was told that, if I dug at the roots of the sycamore, I would find a hidden treasure. But I’m not so stupid as to cross an entire desert just because of a recurrent dream.”

He thought of the many roads he had traveled, and of the strange way God had chosen to show him his treasure. If he hadn’t believed in the significance of recurrent dreams, he would not have met the Gypsy woman, the king, the thief, or…“Well, it’s a long list. But the path was written in the omens, and there was no way I could go wrong,” he said to himself.

The wind began to blow again. It was the levanter, the wind that came from Africa. It didn’t bring with it the smell of the desert, nor the threat of Moorish invasion. Instead, it brought the scent of a perfume he knew well, and the touch of a kiss—a kiss that came from far away, slowly, slowly, until it rested on his lips. The boy smiled. It was the first time she had done that. “I’m coming, Fatima,” he said.

Personal Legend Theme in The Alchemist Essay Sample

The Alchemist, written by author Paulo Coelho is a fascinating and very interesting book. It is a simple novel that contains many plot twists, major turning points and has the power to keep the reader’s attention. A major topic in the book is Personal Legends. A Personal Legend is expressing what your life is about and the ways through which a person might consider his or her life to be meaningful. Due to popular belief, Santiago goes on his quest to find his Personal Legend. He learns the true meaning of a Personal Legend and deals with the consequences and struggle one has to face while searching for it. 

Firstly, figuring out what your Personal Legend is, is very hard to come by. The reason Santiago knows of Personal Legends is through his encounter and conversation with Melchizedek, a wise old man, and a biblical figure. He explains how people know their legends when they are young, but as they age you forget about them because you are then blinded and shocked by fear, anxiety, and other personal and worldly concerns.  Moreover, he notes how good things can also be a barrier, for example, love, which has almost happened to Santiago when he considers staying with Fatima permanently in the Desert Oasis. 

"One's Personal Legend is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible." (23) 

Furthermore, this quote explains that your own Personal Legend is what you’ve always wanted to accomplish. For example, Santiago is set on thinking that his only accomplishment in life is to travel to the Egyptian Pyramids and find his treasure.

“I had a recurrent dream, too. In my dream, there was a sycamore growing out of the ruins of the sacristy and I was told that, if I dug at the roots of the sycamore, I would find a hidden treasure. But I'm not so stupid as to cross an entire desert just because of a recurrent dream”. (163)

Without the journey, Santiago would not have met new people along the way and made connections, deep connections, or even fall in love. After finding the gold, not in Egypt but in Spain where he lived before, he heads back home and gives what he promised to the gypsy who asked for ten percent of the treasure after reading his dream.

Secondly, a Personal Legend is where a person can truly feel as though their life is now fulfilling and complete. For Santiago, it was the adventure that takes him from being a Shepherd boy to an Alchemist near the end of the book. A Personal Legend shows how interconnected we all are. There is an example of a group of men who beat Santiago and made jokes about him when he did not find the treasure.

“The boy stood up shakily and looked once more at the Pyramids. They seemed to laugh at him, and he laughed back” (143)

 Despite their aggression towards one another, they all had something in common. They shared the same dream but did not realize that the goal was not to find the treasure, but take the journey to at least try. With a lack of knowledge, they chose to ignore the Personal Legend with loss and confusion on how to pursue the dream.

“ The Soul of the World is nourished by people's happiness. And also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy. To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. All things are one.” (30)

The quote states how “The Soul of the World” is an “interconnectedness between living and nonliving things that all have a spiritual connection,” (31)  that is fed by the happiness of others. Without it, there would be no spiritual connection between any living or non-living things. 

Later on, they help Santiago’s own Journey in finding his treasure. A Personal Legend isn't just a fiction tale to tell little kids,  it is meant to be completed to bring fulfillment and to make someone feel worth something.  

“You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love... the love that speaks the Language of the World.” (108)

For much of the story, Santiago’s desire was to be with Fatima, however, according to the alchemist, if Santiago somehow did not follow his Personal Legend, his relationship with Fatima would worsen as she would believe that he gave up his desire for her, and he would regret his decision. His Personal Legend would not allow this until his Alchemy training was complete, only then was he allowed truly to enjoy his life with his beloved in a fulfilling manner. 

Lastly, a Personal Legend is a spiritual summoning that ignites a profound interest and willingness to live a life with a feeling of purpose for something bigger than oneself. Not knowing what path to take would only cause confusion and misery to a person’s life. The journey to find a Personal Legend is difficult and would take people years to find something true about themselves. It is understandable that there would be challenges while on this journey. For Santiago, there were many obstacles, for example, the Arab men who were mentioned before,

“The boy told himself that, on the way toward realizing his own Personal Legend, he had learned all he needed to know, and had experienced everything he might have dreamed of.” (141)

Santiago had to face an issue when digging for the treasure. The reason for Santiago’s brutal beating was that some of the thieves see Santiago digging in the sand and assume that he might be hiding something, especially since he was not from Egypt. They automatically assume that he was burying more gold in the sad and they force Santiago to not stop digging until the next morning. There was no treasure there, and so the men beat him up terribly. Santigo was determined and soon realized how much effort he had put into traveling all the way from his hometown to Egypt. But he had no regrets since all he ever wanted was to travel.

“But ever since he had been a child, he had wanted to know the world, and this was much more important to him than knowing God and learning about man's sins.” (19)

 Deep down inside Santiago knew that his purpose was to travel despite him being only eighteen. At the beginning of the book he knew he wanted to tell his parents of his desire of traveling, his parents wished for him to become a priest and so his father tries to talk him out of that life but later accepted his son’s desire to travel and allowed it because of how much he loved him. 

“I found these one day in the fields. I wanted them to be a part of your inheritance. But use them to buy your flock. Take to the fields, and someday you’ll learn that our countryside is the best” (20)

He soon later become a shepherd but lost the connection of his Personal Legend to stay and help his family who was not the richest among the Andalusian field where they live.

“And he gave the boy his blessing. The boy could see in his father’s gaze a desire to be able, himself, to travel the world—a desire that was still alive, despite his father’s having had to bury it, over dozens of years, under the burden of struggling for water to drink, food to eat, and the same place to sleep every night of his life.” (20)

This is another example of a consequence when finding a Personal Legend, he had lost the desire. In addition,  more challenges had come upon him when he thought he found the treasure. Until Santiago did not find the treasure near the pyramids, he later realized that this Personal Legend was the traveling and connections he made in pursuit of finding the treasure. Deep down inside Santiago knows that his purpose in life was to travel.

In reality, my Personal Legend is being successful. To achieve my Personal Legend, I have been going on that journey for a while now which is school. Without school, I would not have an education, without an education, I would not know anything. There’s definitely a struggle when knowing that your grades and the person you are now, as a teenager can impact the way your life will go on. In the book,  Santiago’s parents were set on him becoming a priest, my parents have given me the option to become anything that I want and for that, I am very fortunate. Ever since I was young I had always thought that success was my number one priority in life. With or without success, I believe that now either way I could still be happy. Santiago stopped for a moment and really had to think about continuing to find his treasure instead of staying with Fatima, who he loved and would be happy with. I am now slowly starting now to believe that if you are happy then why bother going on another journey to find another Personal Legend and ruin the happiness that you already have. 

In conclusion, a Personal Legend is explained in The Alchemist as “one's spiritual awakening” (146)  Throughout the story, Santiago struggles with finding his Personal Legend, he did not know its purpose and went through a challenging time while discovering his true meaning in life. Everybody has a Personal Legend, but not everyone is able and willing to fulfill their destiny for a number of reasons. Achieving one's Personal Legend takes patience, humility, and, most importantly, knowledge. Simply defined, it is the act of accomplishing one's goals. Personal Legends are accomplished by going on an educated path and fully comprehending one's own significance in connection to the universe.

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Personal Legend In The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

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