The Alchemist

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself"

Photos:
1. Tangier
2. Egyptian pyramids
3. Alhambra, Spain

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo has been on my to-read list ever since a coworker in a call centre told me it was his favourite book. That statement really made an impression on me first of all because he was an English major (hey, don't judge telemarketers!) so he should have read plenty of books and know his stuff. Secondly, I can't decide which book has impacted so much that I would consider it to be my favourite.

Paulo Coelho writes on Personal Legends:

"It's 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 hem in their lives." 

"[T]here 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."

Its a beautiful story that proposes early on a theory for our purpose here on Earth. The protagonists travels to very exotic and at once familiar places. He goes through Andalusia and crosses over to Tangier by boat, a similar trip to the one I took a few summers ago.

I wouldn't say it's my favourite, not even near, but it's a nice story with lots to think about. A lot like Le Petit Prince.