“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him…But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them- the path to their Personal Legends, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place. “
—Paulo Coelho
“I failed my way to success.”
— Thomas Edison
The old king told Santiago that everyone has a personal legend. It is like the Chinese saying “If I was born, then I must have a useful gift.” Everyone is here for a reason and is born to contribute something. Our personal legends could come in a form of a dream, an ambition or a goal. However, many people can’t realize their personal legends because they never tried, caused by fears.
In the book, it mentions a baker who’s dream is to travel and explore the world, but he stays in his town because he is afraid that the people would mock him, after all, bakers are more important than travelers.
When Santiago fell in love with a girl named Fatima, he was about to quit his personal legend to stay with her, to make sure she was safe. Although he did not fear failure, he feared that by leaving the person he loved, he would hurt her, and therefore debated with himself whether or not he would continue his journey.
Once Santiago worked for a crystal merchant whose dream is to visit the holy city of Mecca, but he is afraid that the city wouldn't be as he expected and he would be disappointed. He is afraid that if his dream were realized, he wouldn't have any more reason to keep on living. He also tells Santiago that he is afraid of change. He isn't sure about what was going to happen if he fulfilled his dream.
The book also touches on “beginner’s luck” which means that at the beginning, it is easier to have small successes, however, as we journey through our personal legends, the Spirit of the World will test us to see if we mastered the lessons we learned along the way. When facing these challenges, we usually back down.
Once, when there was a competition for Urban Voices, a poetry competition for elementary and middle school students and presented with the chance, I instantly saw myself sweating over my poem day and night. Daunted by this, I refused to participate, saving myself from the trouble of writing a poem, and also losing a chance at winning.
When confronted by the fact that he had to travel the desert, Santiago had second thoughts on travelling finding his personal legend. It could result in his death and he was in unfamiliar territory. On top of it all, there was talk about tribal wars in the desert. Yet he was still capable of overcoming this fear and continuing on with his personal legend.
In the story, Santiago’s sheep is a metaphor for normal people, or people who didn’t realize their personal legends. They are content with their lives, just grazing. They are satisfied with their peaceful lifestyles. They dream of having so much more, but are fine if they don’t get it.
How many times have we looked at someone who was richer, smarter or more talented that we are with envy? Yet, even experiencing these feelings, we do nothing to change that fact.
Through the journey of realizing his personal legend, Santiago was able to learn about the Soul of the World and how to overcome obstacles. Perhaps, as the story of Santiago, everyone can find and achieve their own personal legends.
"There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth… To realize one’s Personal Legend is a person’s only real obligation. All things are one. And when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true."
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