The Alchemist Summary and Review (Plus PDF)

The book says, “If you believe in your dream and you learn from the failures then no one can stop you from reaching your destination”. The author also puts weight on focusing more on the process rather than thinking about results all the time.

The Alchemist is a novel but it’s a self-help novel that will help you to find your destiny with a beautiful story.

This is a story-driven book, so I won’t spoil anything but I will share some of the learning that played a huge role in my life and I’m sure it will do the same for you.

The Alchemist Summary

The story is about the journey of Santiago, a shepherd boy who once had a dream that a treasure was hidden in the Egyptian pyramids. 

During his journey, he faces lots of problems from self-doubts, going back to normal life, regrets about going after his dreams, and much more.

Santiago’s journey is filled with lots of ups and downs but in the end, he focuses more on the process rather than on the end results.

This is the story, now I won’t say a single word about what happens during his journey otherwise, you will lose interest in reading the book.

Instant, let’s talk about the key takeaway from the book.

I’m keeping my promise, this is the mini-ebook of Secrets of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. So download right now and read wherever you want for free. Happy Reading.

Choose Your Dreams

There are many people who want to go after their dreams but they’re afraid of losing, they have doubts, they fear, they procrastinate, and even afraid of failure.

The end result is, they’re living their life as it is without chasing their dreams.

Here, what the author says is, 

If you have a dream and you believe in that dream with 100% honesty then you should go after it and make that dream a reality.

Yes, you will face lots of problems and you will feel like quitting but once you reach the destination everything will feel as you imagined.

So follow your heart and be prepared for failure.

Don’t be afraid of failure, learn from it and try not to repeat the same when you try again.

Once you start the journey, everything will fall into place. The only thing you have to do is, take one step which is hard but if you manage to do it then you and your life will change forever.

Process of Journey

I’m a big fan of MS Dhoni who is the former captain of the Indian Cricket team. His philosophy is “focus on the process, and the result is a by-product.”

This is what Paulo Coelho says as well, 

When you focus on the result rather than the process, you will procrastinate, you will lose faith, you will have self-doubts, you will question your decisions, and most importantly, you will find ways to quit.

Once you focus on the process, you will start living in the present movement and when you do this, you will take a baby step and solve the problems which are there rather than creating imaginary problems.

So if you have a road map for your dream then write down what needs to be done to reach that goal and follow those steps.

When you focus on results, your mind will procrastinate because your mind doesn’t like it when the destination is too far, the brain just wants to solve small problems that lead to bigger opportunities.

This is the reason why people don’t like to do exercise, they rather love to scroll on social, drink coffee, or play video games because they give the instant dopamine kick.

So when you focus on the process, you will stay in that movement without getting distracted by unnecessary problems.

Present is NOW

The Present doesn’t look as fancy as thinking about the past and future but when you stay in the present, you will be a problem-free person.

Overthinking happens because you’re thinking too much about what if that happens but if you stay in the present moment then you will be more aware of the reality.

Stay where you are right now, the past is gone and you can’t do anything about it except to learn from the mistakes that you have made, whereas the future is yet to come, so there is nothing you can do about it.

So the reality is, that the past is here with you, so try to stay in this movement.

Choice We All Have

Everyone has a choice, no one is forcing you to do anything. Whatever you’re doing is because you approved it whether you did consciously or subconsciously.

• Doing exercise is a choice, 
• Going after a dream is a choice, 
• Quitting is a choice, 
• Drinking coffee is a choice, 
• Using a smartphone is a choice, 
• Scrolling on social media is a choice, 
• Spending money on unnecessary things is a choice, and  
• Wasting time is a choice

So what the author trying to say is, 

“You have a choice, so make the right choice that aligns well with your dreams.”

Unlock the Fear

The comfort zone is a really bad thing, just like how Santiago broke his comfort zone and went to fulfill his dream. You should too come out of your comfort zone and see that life is more than a small box.

I know, trying something that is out of zone is not easy but you have to start at some point, so why not just start right now?

No one will do anything to you except for yourself.

So go out and chase your dreams. 

The Alchemist Lessons

• Don’t pick your goals because someone says, this is perfect for you. Choose your goals as per your rules, this way, you will enjoy the journey.
• Failure is not a bad thing at all, learn from it and try again and again till you find success.
• Always live in the present movement. Past is gone and the future is yet to come, what you have right now is present. So accept that and live in it.
• Everyone including You has a choice about everything, so choose those choices that fit well with your dream.
• Don’t fear when you enter the war, if you believe in yourself then nothing will be able to stop you till you conquer the world.
• Procrastination is a waste of time, don’t get trapped in that loop. Be aware of yourself and the situation you’re in.
• You don’t always have to rely on your mind and the calculation, sometimes, it’s better if you go by your guts.

The Alchemist Quotes

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

“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 its dreams.”

“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

“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.”

The Alchemist Review

The Alchemist is a simple book that teaches you how you can find your purpose in life with the help of a story. Now, lots of people are not big fans of this book while there are many who loved the way Paulo Coelho narrated the story.

So if you’re a new reader then you should definitely read this book, there is no question about it.

Now, those who have read tons of self-help books should also read this book because you will get to learn the art of storytelling in a simple way.

It’s one of those books which everyone should read at least for one time.

So go read it.

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