August 19, 2025 • 32 mins
In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho weaves a timeless tale of a shepherd named Santiago who dares to pursue his “Personal Legend.” This episode explores the book’s deeper truths about destiny, intuition, and the courage to chase your dreams.
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(00:00):
Welcome, deeply curious friends to the Deep dive today.
We're we're not just opening a book, we're really embarking on
an extraordinary expedition right into the heart of, well,
human ambition, dreams, destiny,all that good stuff.
We are. We're diving deep into Apollo
Coelho's timeless fable The Alchemist.
Exactly. And this isn't just, you know, a
(00:22):
story about a shepherd boy. It's more like a map, wouldn't
you say? A guide to unearthing your very
own personal legend. Definitely a map, and we're
going to unpack the core lessons, the big ideas woven
throughout this incredible book.Things like confronting what
Coelho calls the world's greatest lie, learning the
language without words, understanding those subtle
(00:42):
forces, you know, synchronicity,intuition that seemed to guide
us. Yeah, and our goal isn't just
to, like, recap Santiago's journey step by step.
It's more about pulling out the wisdom, the deeper meaning
embedded in his adventure, and seeing how it might, you know,
apply to your life. Right.
We want to extract that profoundwisdom.
Yeah. We're going to peel back the
layers, look at some surprising facts, maybe powerful metaphors
(01:05):
that stick with you, and yeah, maybe even a few practical
nudges that might just inspire you to dig for your own hidden
treasure. So get ready to re examine your
path a little because this deep dive is really all about
understanding what truly calls to you.
And how the universe, maybe unexpectedly, might just be
rooting for you. Your most ardent supporter,
(01:25):
even. OK, let's get started.
So our story kicks off with Santiago.
He's this young, seemingly independent shepherd in
Andalusia, Spain. Right.
And on the surface, his life looks pretty simple, almost
idyllic. Totally.
He's got a sheep, he loves to travel, he has this freedom of
the open Rd. But there's that crucial back
story, isn't there? The part that's easy to miss.
(01:45):
The seminary? Yeah.
His parents wanted him to be a priest.
He actually spent years there until he was 16, studying Latin,
Spanish, theology and he had a path laid out for him, a
respectable. One a very traditional path
which makes his choice to leave even more significant.
It really does. It sets up that classic tension
right away. External expectations versus
(02:07):
your own internal desires. He consciously chose the fields
over the Church. The book uses that lovely image
like a bird with strong wings choosing to fly instead of
nesting early. Exactly.
And his sheep, they become this metaphor for his comfort zone.
Yeah. He knows them, their habits,
their needs. He's got this routine.
It makes him happy, makes peoplearound him happy.
(02:27):
There's a real pull towards juststaying there.
Contentment. But it's predictable and even
within that contentment. There's a little restlessness, a
stirring. He's looking forward to
returning to a specific village.Why?
To see a merchant's daughter he met the year before.
And it seems so small, doesn't it, compared to finding treasure
at the pyramids? But it's this deeply felt
(02:48):
personal desire. It's a quiet pull, and it's
almost like a little foreshadowing, a hint that even
these small personal longings can be part of that bigger
tapestry guiding you. Like that tiny shift in a
compass needle you mentioned earlier.
Subtle, but it points the way. That's a perfect way to put it.
And this quiet longing, this restlessness, it leads directly
(03:09):
to the catalyst for everything, the dream.
The repeating dream, not just once, but twice.
That repetition feels important.Definitely as weight and the
imagery. A child playing with his sheep
suddenly transports him to the Egyptian pyramids and promises
hidden treasure. Wild stuff.
Most people might just brush that off, you know?
(03:29):
Weird dream. But Santiago, maybe because of
that restless spirit, that intuition we talked about, he
decides to do something about it.
He seeks out an expert. Right, this old woman in Tarifa
who interprets dreams. And the description of her place
is so vivid, isn't it? The colored beads separating the
room, the table, the Sacred Heart of Jesus image.
(03:50):
It feels. But also very grounded.
Almost commercial, even. She's not some ethereal flutie
Oracle. Not at all.
She gets right down to business.I'm going to charge you for the
consultation. Yeah, no messing around.
It's a little reminder, isn't it, that even spiritual insight,
Sometimes it comes with the cost.
You got to invest something. Sacrifice.
Yeah, she's a business woman of dreams.
(04:10):
So what's her grand interpretation?
Well, this is where it gets almost funny.
It's incredibly simple. She basically says go to the
pyramids, you'll find a treasurethat will make you rich.
That's it. And Santiago's reaction?
He's not exactly thrilled, is he?
No. He's irritated, he thinks I
didn't need to waste my time just for this.
(04:31):
It felt obvious, almost insulting.
He wanted some complex code, some deep secret, not just go to
the place in the dream. Exactly.
And isn't that so relatable? How often do we look for the
most complicated answer? We read all the books.
We go on these. Quests when maybe the simple
truth is just staring us in the face.
We almost feel cheated if it's too easy.
Yeah, like profundity has to be difficult, right?
(04:53):
Hidden. Wrapped in riddles.
So true, and the woman's offenseis brilliant.
It really is, she says. It's the simple things in life
that are the most extraordinary.Only wise men are able to
understand them. Boom.
Mic draw and she also clarifies hey I just interpret dreams, I
don't make them happen. Right, the action part.
That's all on Santiago, which raises that question for us, for
(05:15):
you listening. How often do you get a clear,
simple answer but you balk? Because it seems too simple.
Or maybe because acting on it requires too much risk, too much
effort. Are you willing to pay that
price? Time, effort, stepping out of
the comfort zone for those simple, profound truths.
That's a heavy question. We want the map, but maybe we
(05:36):
want someone else to do the digging.
Pretty much. So Santiago is initially really
disappointed. Crushed even.
He decides dramatically. I'll never again believe in
dreams. Yeah, a bit of an overreaction
in hindsight. He tries to bury it, trades his
book for a thicker 1, gets some wine.
Classic avoidance tactics. When life throws you a
curveball, yeah, you either double down on comfort or
(05:58):
pretend the game isn't happening.
And right then, as he's sort of stewing in this, he has this
really insightful thought about people.
Oh yeah, the observation about how seeing the same people every
day makes them want you to change to fit in.
And that line? Everyone seems to have a clear
idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about
his or her own. It hits hard, doesn't it?
(06:20):
That weight of societal expectation, all the unsolicited
advice. It's like everyone's a backseat
driver for your life, but they're scared to even start
their own car. That's a great way to put it.
So he's mulling this over, and then this old man just appears.
Pops up out of nowhere, strangely dressed Arab style
clothes. Starts leafing through
Santiago's new thick book. Santiago's wary at first.
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Understandably, He thinks, you know, people say strange things.
Better stick with the sheep clinging to the familiar.
And then the old man drops the bombshell says he's the king of
Salem. A place Santiago's never even
heard of. Imagine just a king hanging out
in the town square reading your book.
It instantly messes with Santiago's reality.
Absolutely. And this King Melchizedek, he
(07:04):
doesn't waste any time. He jumps right into explaining
the world's greatest lie. Which is.
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. Wow, controlled by fate.
That's such a common belief, isn't it?
You hear variations all the time.
Wasn't meant to be, just my luckwasn't in the cards.
(07:27):
It's incredibly pervasive, Yeah.And yeah, it's comforting.
It takes the responsibility off your shoulders if things go
wrong. Hey, it's fate, not my fault I
didn't try hard enough or take that risk.
But you mentioned earlier it might be deeper than just
comfort, how society might reinforce it.
Well, think about it. Social media feeds, they can
make you feel passive, just reacting, not choosing.
(07:49):
Or even something like hustle culture.
Ironically, by putting all the pressure on you, failure feels
so personal that maybe blaming fate feels safer than examining
your own choices. Interesting point.
It's like a societal coping mechanism that actually holds us
back. Exactly.
It's stifles real agency. But Santiago's life, even before
this, contradicts the lie. He chose the shepherd's life.
(08:10):
He took control. And the king sees that he
immediately knows Santiago wantsto travel, which just validates
his wisdom, makes Santiago listen.
And then the King delivers the core message, the backbone of
the whole book. When you really want something,
it's because that desire originated in the soul of the
universe. It's your mission on Earth.
The personal legend the. Personal legend.
It's about recognizing that deepinner calling, that true north.
(08:33):
And it's not about finding one specific preordained destiny.
Right, he says. Santiago's desire to travel, or
marry the merchant's daughter, or seek treasure, they're all
valid personal legends. Precisely, It's about aligning
with your authentic desire, whatever it is, like the
universe implants these seeds inUS, blueprints for our unique
path. I love that framing.
(08:55):
Be true to yourself, not someoneelse's definition of success.
But uh oh, here comes the catch.Oh yes, no free wisdom here.
The king wants a tithe 110th of Santiago's sheep.
In return for the secret to finding the treasure.
It's the first real test of commitment, isn't it?
How much do you want this? Enough to sacrifice something
tangible. It's the price tag on the
(09:16):
personal legend and this is where he gets the tools for the
journey. The Urim and Thummim.
Yeah, the king reveals this shining breastplate flash of
light and gives them these two stones, one black for yes, 1
white for no. To be used when the omens aren't
clear. It's practical but also
symbolic. Even when things are murky,
there are ways to find directionif you're paying attention.
(09:38):
Kind of metaphysical GPS, Yeah. And he introduces another huge
concept, the soul of the world. Which is explain that one again.
It's described as this positive force nourished by everything.
Happiness, but also unhappiness,envy, jealousy.
The big idea is that all things are one.
Everything's connected. Are emotions positive or
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negative? They feed into this universal
energy shaping thing. Yes, and that directly leads to
probably the most famous line from the book.
When you want something all the universe conspires in helping
you to achieve. It that's the one.
It's presented not just as wishful thinking, but as a
fundamental principle. When you align with your
personal legend, the universe literally has your back.
(10:20):
But you got to take the first step.
You got to take the first step. The universe conspires, but it
doesn't do The Walking for you. OK, but the King isn't all
mystical pronouncements. He tells that story.
The one about the Baker, Oregon.The oil drops.
The drops of oil store. Yes, crucial piece of practical
advice, he tells Santiago about a wise man sending a boy around
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a palace with a spoon holding 2 drops of oil.
Don't spill the oil. Right.
The boy focuses so hard on the spoon, he misses all the amazing
things in the palace. So the wise man sends him again,
this time telling him to look around.
He sees the wonders, but. Spills the oil.
Exactly. And the moral The secret of
happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never
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to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.
Balance, ambition and responsibility.
Don't get so lost in the big dream that you neglect the
present, the small joys, the duties right in front of you.
Santiago gets it immediately. He realizes he can't just forget
his sheep entirely while chasingtreasure.
It's about integration, not abandoning everything.
Appreciate the wildflowers on the way at the mountain, but
watch your footing. Love that.
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And the first real test of this?The first big step?
Selling the sheep. He sells 6 to the king and his
friend buys the rest, which actually fulfills his dream of
becoming a shepherd. It's a little win, win.
And the book calls this beginner's luck, or the
principle of favorability. Yeah, that idea that when you
commit, when you take that scaryfirst action towards your
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legend, the universe often givesyou a little nudge, some early
success to keep you going. Doesn't mean it'll be smooth
sailing after that though. Oh, definitely not, as Santiago
finds out almost immediately. But it's that initial boost,
that affirmation. OK, you're on the right path.
Keep going. And there's that image of the
king watching Santiago's ship sail away, the wind blowing, a
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real sense of departure, lettinggo of the familiar.
Into the vast, terrifying unknown.
And boy, does the unknown hit back hard.
He gets to Tangier in Africa. Which is only a few hours from
Spain, but feels like a different world.
And he's barely off the boat when he gets completely ripped
off. Yeah, this young guy seems
friendly, promises to be his guide to the pyramids, gains his
(12:28):
trust, asks about his money. And then, poof, gone, distracted
by a sword in the market, Santiago looks away for a second
and the guy vanishes with all his cash.
Everything. It's brutal, immediate betrayal
and Santiago just collapses. He's weeping, ashamed, feeling
God is unfair. He hits rock bottom fast.
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He even thinks I'm going to become bitter and distrustful.
Hate everyone who did find theirtreasure because I never found
mine. That's dark.
It's so human though, isn't it? That reaction to a massive set
back. Do you give up?
Do you let it make you cynical? It's the universe testing his
resolve. How badly do you really want
this? It mirrors so many real life
moments where that initial burstof enthusiasm meets harsh
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reality. Do you quit?
Or do you look for a way forwardand just then when he's at his
lowest? He finds the stones, the Urim
and Thummim still in his pouch. And the omen.
He tries to ask a question, takes one out, but as he puts it
back, both stones slip through ahole in his pouch he hadn't even
noticed and fall on the ground. Wow, clear sign.
Can't ignore that the King's words come back.
(13:31):
Learn to recognize omens and follow them.
It's that turning point, rock bottom forces you to look,
really look, for the signs you'dotherwise miss.
What do you find when everythingshatters?
Maybe the tools you forgot you had.
Like the parachute was there allalong, but you were too busy
panicking. Exactly.
So he needs food, has no money. He sees a crystal shop, offers
(13:54):
to clean the glasses for something to eat.
And the merchant agrees, saying the Quran got to feed the
hungry. But then he adds that beautiful
line. The crystal was dirty and both
you and I needed to cleanse our minds of negative thoughts and
instant connection. A shared moment of needing
purification. Lovely.
And that leads to a job. Merchants saw customers come in
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while Santiago was cleaning. A good omen, he calls it.
A little nudge from the universe.
So Santiago sells into this new routine.
Working at the crystal shop, he's careful trying to save up
for a whole year just to buy back his sheep.
He's aiming to go back to his old life, not forward to the
pyramids. Right.
He's kind of stalled. But Santiago being Santiago, he
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can't just stand there. He's got ideas.
That entrepreneurial bark suggests building a display case
outside, then selling tea in thecrystal glasses.
Brilliant. Simple but effective business
booms. They hire people, import tea,
the shop transforms. But after 11 months and nine
days, Santiago has earned enoughto buy twice the sheep he
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started with, plus a ticket home, plus an import license.
He's actually richer than before.
He learned the trade, the language of commerce, the
language without words. In a very practical sense.
He adapted. He thrived.
He could easily go home now, comfortable again.
But then we get the big contrast.
The crystal merchant himself, Ah.
Yes, the merchant's own dream joined a Mecca, but he's afraid
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to actually do it. He says.
I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to
go on living. Wow.
He prefers dreaming about Mecca 1000 times over the risk of
actually getting there and maybebeing disappointed or maybe just
having nothing left to strive for.
That's so profound and kind of sad how many people are like
that, clinging to the idea of the dream because the reality
feels too risky or final. It's safer to keep the dream
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pristine, unfulfilled, But Santiago's different, he tells
the Merchant. I'm leaving.
I'm going to the pyramids. He recommits even though he has
the money to go back, he choosesthe personal legend again.
And the merchant gives him his blessing, saying You brought a
new feeling into my crystal shop.
Santiago Courage actually helpedthe merchant too.
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Now he has enough money for Mecca.
A ripple effect. One person's courage inspiring
another. So Santiago's back on track,
journeying towards the pyramids.But he's learned that lesson
about the drops of oil. He's integrating responsibility
and dreams now. OK, so from the hustle and
bustle and the near miss of staying put, he moves into the
desert, joins a caravan. Buys a camel, travels with this
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Englishman who's also on a questlooking for an alchemist.
And the desert itself becomes a character, a teacher.
The silence is huge. Immense forces you inward,
strips away the noise. Even the guides barely speak.
It demands respect, and in that silence, he connects with the
camel driver. Who has this amazing philosophy?
Live in the present. If you can concentrate always on
(16:48):
the present, you'll be a happy man.
Life is a grand festival no matter what.
Even after losing everything, hetells that story about his
orchard being destroyed by a flood.
Right, a huge loss, but he learned people need not fear the
unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and
want. It didn't break him, it made him
adaptable. That's powerful, not fearing the
(17:09):
unknown. And the Camel driver also says
that line, Our life stories and the history of the world were
written by the same hand. Yeah, the sense of
interconnectedness. Again, it clicks with Santiago's
growing intuition, those huncheshis mother talked about.
He starts to understand intuition as this sudden
immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.
(17:30):
Where the histories of all people are connected and we are
able to know everything because it's all written there, tapping
into that universal database like you said.
The soul of the world again, butdeeper now, more personal.
And the Englishman, the bookish seeker, he explains it too, how
everything on the face of the earth had a soul.
Minerals, plants, animals, even thoughts.
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He says even the crystal glasseswere collaborating in Santiago's
success back there. It's this idea of a living
universe actively participating.Not just random chance, but
purpose connection. Like that invisible web you
mentioned vibrating. So after this long desert trek,
they finally reached the Oasis Al Fayoum.
It looks like stars on the desert itself, the date palms a
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sanctuary. And it's here, in this place of
refuge, that he meets Fatima. Ah.
Fatima love at first sight. Instant connection, wordless,
and Santiago immediately recognizes it as an omen, a sign
he's in the right place at the right time.
The. Language of the world isn't just
omens anymore, it's this deep human connection.
Exactly, the book says. When two such people encounter
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each other, the past and the future become unimportant.
There is only that moment. It's love written by the hand
that wrote all. It gives the personal legend
meaning. And Fatima isn't like a
temptation pulling him away fromhis quest.
She's incredibly strong. She really is.
She tells him to go continue to the pyramids.
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Her love is like the desert, unchanging even as the Dean
shift, she says. I am a part of your dream, a
part of your personal legend. That's amazing support.
True love isn't possessive, it supports the others growth,
their highest calling, even if it means separation for a while.
It's a very mature understandingof love.
And right on cue, The Alchemist himself shows up.
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Finally, the man the Englishman was looking for.
Yep, and he immediately tests Santiago's courage, says courage
is the quality most essential tounderstanding the language of
the world. Because Santiago is tempted now,
isn't he? He's found love.
He has some wealth from the crystal shop.
The Oasis is comfortable, another potential starting
point. A very appealing comfort zone.
(19:38):
But The Alchemist pushes him. He must continue.
You've got to find the treasure so that everything you have
learned along the way can make sense.
The journey isn't complete untilyou reach the goal and integrate
the lessons. You can't just stop halfway up
the mountain. It's like gathering all the
ingredients for a cake but neverbaking it.
It's not a cake yet. Good analogy.
And The Alchemist even offers him wine, which is forbidden
(20:01):
there. Right with that lesson, yeah,
It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil.
It's what comes out of their mouths.
That is true. Purity is internal about intent,
not just following external rules.
Living authentically, not just observing dogma.
It's a vital push. The Alchemist forces Santiago to
see that settling, even for something good like love and
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comfort, isn't fulfilling the personal legend.
The process is paramount. OK, so the journey continues,
but now it leads to the ultimatetest, the big one transforming
into the wind. How does that even start?
It starts with another vision. Tantiago sees 2 Hawks fighting
in the sky above the Oasis. And he doesn't just see birds,
he has this sudden insight and interpretation.
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It's an omen of an army attacking the Oasis.
He feels like he plunged into the soul of the world.
Direct download from the universe.
It's his intuition firing on allcylinders, and the Camel driver
validates this. Saying anything can reveal the
history of all things can be a way into the soul of the world.
It's about seeing the connectionin everything.
And the seer he consults, he doesn't just predict things, no.
(21:05):
He emphasizes the present. The future is God's, but the
secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the
present, you can improve upon it.
What comes later will also be better.
Live consciously, moment by moment.
Your power is now. Focus on the brushstroke.
Such a great message, So urged by The Alchemist, Santiago takes
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this terrifying vision to the tribal chiefs.
He's scared. The laugh or kill him.
But their tradition allows for believing messages of the
desert. It's a huge leap of faith for
him, but his courage actually saves the Oasis from the attack.
But then comes the real test, the impossible one.
The chiefs are impressed, but maybe skeptical, or maybe just
(21:47):
testing him further. They demand he transform himself
into the wind within three days.Or.
They'll kill him. Seriously, that's high stakes.
The highest is the Ultimate Crucible, and The Alchemist just
throws that line out again. There was only one thing that
makes a dream impossible to achieve.
The fear failure. The situation is that fear
personified for the deadline. And Santiago was terrified.
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He has no idea how to turn into the wind.
Who would? Right, and The Alchemist
response is brutal honesty. Then you'll die in the midst of
trying to realize your personal legend.
That's a lot better than dying like millions of other people
who never even knew what their personal legends were.
Tough love doesn't even begin tocover it.
But he adds that bit about the threat of death making people
(22:30):
more. Aware it's the ultimate
motivator, pushing Santiago to connect with his deepest power,
to transcend what he thinks are his limits.
So how does he do it? He starts talking the things.
He does. Facing death.
He doesn't just give up, he engages with creation itself.
He speaks to the desert, then the wind, then the sun, asking
for help. What does he say to the desert?
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He tells it about his love for Fatima, how he sees her in the
sands. The desert understands love in
its own way. The Falcon in the game, the
cycle of life and sustenance. A vast, impersonal love.
And Santiago defines love in this incredible way.
Yeah, his definition has evolvedso much.
It's what makes the game become the Falcon.
The Falcon become man and man the desert.
(23:13):
It's what turns lead into gold. Love is this transformative
alchemical force. Wow, the desert agrees to help,
tells him to ask the wind. The Wind Boasts, knows
everything, carried Fatima's voice, but ultimately admits its
limits, points him to the sun upin the heavens.
And the sun knows the soul of the world sees everything from
afar. But Santiago argues boldly that
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the sun doesn't really know love, not in the human,
transformative way. It's too distant.
This is where he really steps into his power, isn't it?
He explores his understanding oflove to the sun.
He does. Love is the force that
transforms and improves the soulof the world, because when we
love, we always strive to becomebetter than we are.
He connects it to creation itself.
It's cosmic love, alchemical love, the engine of evolution.
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The magic is love expressed through striving.
Exactly. And in that climactic moment,
the sandstone, the seaman kicks up, blocking the sun.
Santiago turns inward, connects directly with the hand that
wrote all. No words, just pure communion.
And he does it. He becomes the wind.
He becomes the wind. He's transported across the
camp. He proves his connection is
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oneness with the soul of the world.
He's literally transcended the physical.
Unbelievable. And after that, The Alchemist
gives him one more lesson A. Crucial one, when you possess
great treasures within you and try to tell others of them,
seldom are you believed. That hits home when you've had a
profound experience, something beyond the ordinary.
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People who haven't walked that path, they might just doubt you,
dismiss it. Your treasure is yours, your
understanding is yours. You live it.
You don't necessarily need to convince everyone else.
It's validation and a warning all in one.
He's passed the test. He holds that inner wisdom now
more valuable than gold. Definitely.
So they finally write on for another month and reach the
(25:01):
pyramids. The goal?
Majestic Solem, this is it. The destination of the.
Dream and the omens are still there.
A Scarabeetle, symbol of God in Egypt appears right where his
tears fall. Another sign he has to dig here.
And that line from the crystal merchant comes back to him.
Anyone could build a pyramid in his backyard.
He gets it now, doesn't he? Both literally and
(25:23):
metaphorically. The treasure isn't just the
place, it's accessible wherever you truly are once you've made
the journey. So he digs all night, hands
bleeding, exhausted, finds nothing.
Nothing. And just as he's about to give
up, these figures emerge from the dunes, refugees from the
tribal wars. And they attack him after
(25:45):
everything. They find the goal The Alchemist
gave him, beat him up, demand more.
It's the third major loss. Just like The Alchemist hinted
with that proverb, everything that happens twice will surely
happen 1/3 time. Brutal and in desperation, he
just blurts out a story. Screams it out, Tells him about
his recurring dream, the treasure of the pyramids.
(26:05):
Total vulnerability. And the leader's reaction is the
biggest twist of all. The absolute kicker?
The leader mocks him, laughs andthen says you shouldn't be so
stupid. I had a recurring dream too.
Don't tell me. He dreamed of a treasure buried
in Spain under a Sycamore tree in the ruins of an old church
where shepherds and their sheep slept.
No, the exact place Santiago started where he had the 1st.
(26:28):
Dream the exact spot. Unbelievable, right?
The treasure wasn't at the pyramids, it was back home all
along. So the whole journey, Egypt, the
desert, The Alchemist, it was all necessary to lead him back,
but transformed so he could finally see the treasure that
was right under his nose. Precisely, he had to make the
journey to gain the wisdom and perspective to recognize the
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treasures true location revealedthrough the mouth of his
attacker of all people. Wow, that brings the alchemist's
earlier actions into focus to giving him the gold.
Knowing he'd likely lose it again.
And that message The Alchemist sends him later via the wind.
If I had told you, you wouldn't have seen the pyramids.
They're beautiful, aren't they? The journey was the treasure,
(27:10):
the transformation, the learning, the love, the courage.
That was the real gold. The physical gold was just the
bonus prize. So Santiago goes back to the
ruined church. The Sycamore tree he digs hit
something solid. A chest filled with old Spanish
gold coins, jewels, masks, the spoils of a conquest.
(27:32):
It was there all along. Amazing.
He puts the Urim and Thummim in the chest, a reminder of the
king. And thanks, life really is
generous to those who pursue their personal legend.
He even remembers the gypsy woman, his promise to give her
110th. Those gypsies are really smart,
he thinks. Maybe their nomadic life gives
them a different perspective. In the final beautiful moment,
(27:52):
the wind comes back. Levanter the wind from Africa,
bringing the scent of Fatima's perfume and the touch of a kiss.
Full circle and his response. I'm coming, Fatima.
The journey ends, but the legendcontinues.
It's not an ending, it's a new beginning, enriched by
everything he went through. What a story.
And Coelho offers a kind of companion guide, too, right?
(28:15):
Warrior of the Light. Yes, Warrior of the Light,
Emmanuel. It's not a novel, more like a
collection of short parables andreflections designed to help you
embody these principles day-to-day.
And you mentioned one story fromit about drowned temple bells.
It's a great one. A woman tells a boy about a
temple that sank into the sea near their village, challenging
him to hear its bells ringing beneath the waves.
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So he tries, but he just hears the usual ocean sounds,
seagulls, waves, wind. Exactly.
He gets distracted, loses interest in other things, people
even make fun of him. It's that metaphor for getting
lost in the noise when you're trying to hear something subtle,
something deeper. So relatable in modern life.
The constant, the notifications,the information overload, it
drowns out the inner voice. Totally.
(28:57):
But the boy keeps at it. He learns to listen past the
noise, becomes oblivious to the surface sounds.
He learns to just be with nature, to contemplate.
It's quiet inside. Precisely.
And then one day, just sitting there happily listening to
everything, to see the goals, the wind, kids playing, suddenly
he hears it. The bells.
The first bell, and then anotherand another, until all the bells
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were ringing. He didn't strain for one sound.
He opened himself to the totality and the subtle sound
emerged from within it. It's about mindfulness,
presence. The key trait for a warrior of
the light I guess. How does the book define that?
The woman says a warrior of the light is someone capable of
understanding the miracle of life, of fighting to the last
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for something he believes in, and of hearing the bells that
the waves set ringing on the seabed.
Wow, deep presence, courage in your convictions, and attunement
to those subtle universal whispers.
Finding the miracle in the ordinary.
And crucially, Coelho says everyone is capable of these
things, and though no one thinksof himself as a warrior of the
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light, we all are. It's not for a special fear,
it's an inherent potential in all of us waiting to be
awakened. Exactly.
And Koala's own life story is kind of the ultimate proof of
concept, isn't it? His personal legend was being a
writer. Absolutely.
And he faced huge setbacks. His first publisher dropped, The
Alchemist initially sold terribly in Brazil, like barely
(30:25):
any copies. He tried other careers that
failed. But he kept going.
He always knew that my personal legend was to write.
He persisted, published his first book relatively late at
38, and then eventually became one of the most widely read
authors on the planet. He lived his own story, faced
the rejection, the despair, keptthe faith.
The universe eventually conspired.
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He wasn't just writing about theWarrior of the Light.
He was one. His life embodies the journey.
So, recapping this incredible journey we've taken through The
Alchemist, we've hit on the power of dreams, the absolute
necessity of confronting fear, the wisdom, and listening to
omens both big and small. The transformative power of
love. Not just romantic love, but that
(31:07):
deeper alchemical love for the world and for betterment.
And of course, the guiding star,the personal legend.
We saw how resilience, just getting back up after being
knocked down, plus intuition andthat faith and the universe
conspiring can see you through incredible challenges.
And that the true treasure so often isn't the endpoint you
(31:27):
imagine. It's the wisdom you gain, the
person you become along the way,the connections you make.
And sometimes, yeah, the actual treasure was waiting right back
where you started, but you needed the whole detour to even
be able to see it. So the invitation to you
listening is to reflect on your own personal legend.
What are your pyramids? What's that deep calling?
What are those little omens, those nudges, those repeating
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thoughts or coincidences you might be dismissing in your data
daily life? Are you maybe playing it safe
like the Crystal Merchant, content to just dream about
Mecca because the journey feels too daunting, the potential
disappointment too scary? Or Are you ready to take a step,
Ready to embrace the journey, bumps, betrayals, wind
transformations and all? Because that deepest treasure,
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that profound wisdom, it's forged on the path.
So in the quiet moments, are youreally listening?
Are you hearing your own temple bells?
More is the noise of the world, the fear of failure, drowning
out that simple, profound call of your own heart.
Something to think about. Definitely.
Until next time, keep exploring,keep listening, and keep
pursuing your own incredible personal legend.
Welcome, deeply curious friends to the Deep dive today.
We're we're not just opening a book, we're really embarking on
an extraordinary expedition right into the heart of, well,
human ambition, dreams, destiny,all that good stuff.
We are. We're diving deep into Apollo
Coelho's timeless fable The Alchemist.
Exactly. And this isn't just, you know, a
(00:22):
story about a shepherd boy. It's more like a map, wouldn't
you say? A guide to unearthing your very
own personal legend. Definitely a map, and we're
going to unpack the core lessons, the big ideas woven
throughout this incredible book.Things like confronting what
Coelho calls the world's greatest lie, learning the
language without words, understanding those subtle
(00:42):
forces, you know, synchronicity,intuition that seemed to guide
us. Yeah, and our goal isn't just
to, like, recap Santiago's journey step by step.
It's more about pulling out the wisdom, the deeper meaning
embedded in his adventure, and seeing how it might, you know,
apply to your life. Right.
We want to extract that profoundwisdom.
Yeah. We're going to peel back the
layers, look at some surprising facts, maybe powerful metaphors
(01:05):
that stick with you, and yeah, maybe even a few practical
nudges that might just inspire you to dig for your own hidden
treasure. So get ready to re examine your
path a little because this deep dive is really all about
understanding what truly calls to you.
And how the universe, maybe unexpectedly, might just be
rooting for you. Your most ardent supporter,
(01:25):
even. OK, let's get started.
So our story kicks off with Santiago.
He's this young, seemingly independent shepherd in
Andalusia, Spain. Right.
And on the surface, his life looks pretty simple, almost
idyllic. Totally.
He's got a sheep, he loves to travel, he has this freedom of
the open Rd. But there's that crucial back
story, isn't there? The part that's easy to miss.
(01:45):
The seminary? Yeah.
His parents wanted him to be a priest.
He actually spent years there until he was 16, studying Latin,
Spanish, theology and he had a path laid out for him, a
respectable. One a very traditional path
which makes his choice to leave even more significant.
It really does. It sets up that classic tension
right away. External expectations versus
(02:07):
your own internal desires. He consciously chose the fields
over the Church. The book uses that lovely image
like a bird with strong wings choosing to fly instead of
nesting early. Exactly.
And his sheep, they become this metaphor for his comfort zone.
Yeah. He knows them, their habits,
their needs. He's got this routine.
It makes him happy, makes peoplearound him happy.
(02:27):
There's a real pull towards juststaying there.
Contentment. But it's predictable and even
within that contentment. There's a little restlessness, a
stirring. He's looking forward to
returning to a specific village.Why?
To see a merchant's daughter he met the year before.
And it seems so small, doesn't it, compared to finding treasure
at the pyramids? But it's this deeply felt
(02:48):
personal desire. It's a quiet pull, and it's
almost like a little foreshadowing, a hint that even
these small personal longings can be part of that bigger
tapestry guiding you. Like that tiny shift in a
compass needle you mentioned earlier.
Subtle, but it points the way. That's a perfect way to put it.
And this quiet longing, this restlessness, it leads directly
(03:09):
to the catalyst for everything, the dream.
The repeating dream, not just once, but twice.
That repetition feels important.Definitely as weight and the
imagery. A child playing with his sheep
suddenly transports him to the Egyptian pyramids and promises
hidden treasure. Wild stuff.
Most people might just brush that off, you know?
(03:29):
Weird dream. But Santiago, maybe because of
that restless spirit, that intuition we talked about, he
decides to do something about it.
He seeks out an expert. Right, this old woman in Tarifa
who interprets dreams. And the description of her place
is so vivid, isn't it? The colored beads separating the
room, the table, the Sacred Heart of Jesus image.
(03:50):
It feels. But also very grounded.
Almost commercial, even. She's not some ethereal flutie
Oracle. Not at all.
She gets right down to business.I'm going to charge you for the
consultation. Yeah, no messing around.
It's a little reminder, isn't it, that even spiritual insight,
Sometimes it comes with the cost.
You got to invest something. Sacrifice.
Yeah, she's a business woman of dreams.
(04:10):
So what's her grand interpretation?
Well, this is where it gets almost funny.
It's incredibly simple. She basically says go to the
pyramids, you'll find a treasurethat will make you rich.
That's it. And Santiago's reaction?
He's not exactly thrilled, is he?
No. He's irritated, he thinks I
didn't need to waste my time just for this.
(04:31):
It felt obvious, almost insulting.
He wanted some complex code, some deep secret, not just go to
the place in the dream. Exactly.
And isn't that so relatable? How often do we look for the
most complicated answer? We read all the books.
We go on these. Quests when maybe the simple
truth is just staring us in the face.
We almost feel cheated if it's too easy.
Yeah, like profundity has to be difficult, right?
(04:53):
Hidden. Wrapped in riddles.
So true, and the woman's offenseis brilliant.
It really is, she says. It's the simple things in life
that are the most extraordinary.Only wise men are able to
understand them. Boom.
Mic draw and she also clarifies hey I just interpret dreams, I
don't make them happen. Right, the action part.
That's all on Santiago, which raises that question for us, for
(05:15):
you listening. How often do you get a clear,
simple answer but you balk? Because it seems too simple.
Or maybe because acting on it requires too much risk, too much
effort. Are you willing to pay that
price? Time, effort, stepping out of
the comfort zone for those simple, profound truths.
That's a heavy question. We want the map, but maybe we
(05:36):
want someone else to do the digging.
Pretty much. So Santiago is initially really
disappointed. Crushed even.
He decides dramatically. I'll never again believe in
dreams. Yeah, a bit of an overreaction
in hindsight. He tries to bury it, trades his
book for a thicker 1, gets some wine.
Classic avoidance tactics. When life throws you a
curveball, yeah, you either double down on comfort or
(05:58):
pretend the game isn't happening.
And right then, as he's sort of stewing in this, he has this
really insightful thought about people.
Oh yeah, the observation about how seeing the same people every
day makes them want you to change to fit in.
And that line? Everyone seems to have a clear
idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about
his or her own. It hits hard, doesn't it?
(06:20):
That weight of societal expectation, all the unsolicited
advice. It's like everyone's a backseat
driver for your life, but they're scared to even start
their own car. That's a great way to put it.
So he's mulling this over, and then this old man just appears.
Pops up out of nowhere, strangely dressed Arab style
clothes. Starts leafing through
Santiago's new thick book. Santiago's wary at first.
(06:43):
Understandably, He thinks, you know, people say strange things.
Better stick with the sheep clinging to the familiar.
And then the old man drops the bombshell says he's the king of
Salem. A place Santiago's never even
heard of. Imagine just a king hanging out
in the town square reading your book.
It instantly messes with Santiago's reality.
Absolutely. And this King Melchizedek, he
(07:04):
doesn't waste any time. He jumps right into explaining
the world's greatest lie. Which is.
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. Wow, controlled by fate.
That's such a common belief, isn't it?
You hear variations all the time.
Wasn't meant to be, just my luckwasn't in the cards.
(07:27):
It's incredibly pervasive, Yeah.And yeah, it's comforting.
It takes the responsibility off your shoulders if things go
wrong. Hey, it's fate, not my fault I
didn't try hard enough or take that risk.
But you mentioned earlier it might be deeper than just
comfort, how society might reinforce it.
Well, think about it. Social media feeds, they can
make you feel passive, just reacting, not choosing.
(07:49):
Or even something like hustle culture.
Ironically, by putting all the pressure on you, failure feels
so personal that maybe blaming fate feels safer than examining
your own choices. Interesting point.
It's like a societal coping mechanism that actually holds us
back. Exactly.
It's stifles real agency. But Santiago's life, even before
this, contradicts the lie. He chose the shepherd's life.
(08:10):
He took control. And the king sees that he
immediately knows Santiago wantsto travel, which just validates
his wisdom, makes Santiago listen.
And then the King delivers the core message, the backbone of
the whole book. When you really want something,
it's because that desire originated in the soul of the
universe. It's your mission on Earth.
The personal legend the. Personal legend.
It's about recognizing that deepinner calling, that true north.
(08:33):
And it's not about finding one specific preordained destiny.
Right, he says. Santiago's desire to travel, or
marry the merchant's daughter, or seek treasure, they're all
valid personal legends. Precisely, It's about aligning
with your authentic desire, whatever it is, like the
universe implants these seeds inUS, blueprints for our unique
path. I love that framing.
(08:55):
Be true to yourself, not someoneelse's definition of success.
But uh oh, here comes the catch.Oh yes, no free wisdom here.
The king wants a tithe 110th of Santiago's sheep.
In return for the secret to finding the treasure.
It's the first real test of commitment, isn't it?
How much do you want this? Enough to sacrifice something
tangible. It's the price tag on the
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personal legend and this is where he gets the tools for the
journey. The Urim and Thummim.
Yeah, the king reveals this shining breastplate flash of
light and gives them these two stones, one black for yes, 1
white for no. To be used when the omens aren't
clear. It's practical but also
symbolic. Even when things are murky,
there are ways to find directionif you're paying attention.
(09:38):
Kind of metaphysical GPS, Yeah. And he introduces another huge
concept, the soul of the world. Which is explain that one again.
It's described as this positive force nourished by everything.
Happiness, but also unhappiness,envy, jealousy.
The big idea is that all things are one.
Everything's connected. Are emotions positive or
(09:59):
negative? They feed into this universal
energy shaping thing. Yes, and that directly leads to
probably the most famous line from the book.
When you want something all the universe conspires in helping
you to achieve. It that's the one.
It's presented not just as wishful thinking, but as a
fundamental principle. When you align with your
personal legend, the universe literally has your back.
(10:20):
But you got to take the first step.
You got to take the first step. The universe conspires, but it
doesn't do The Walking for you. OK, but the King isn't all
mystical pronouncements. He tells that story.
The one about the Baker, Oregon.The oil drops.
The drops of oil store. Yes, crucial piece of practical
advice, he tells Santiago about a wise man sending a boy around
(10:41):
a palace with a spoon holding 2 drops of oil.
Don't spill the oil. Right.
The boy focuses so hard on the spoon, he misses all the amazing
things in the palace. So the wise man sends him again,
this time telling him to look around.
He sees the wonders, but. Spills the oil.
Exactly. And the moral The secret of
happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never
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to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.
Balance, ambition and responsibility.
Don't get so lost in the big dream that you neglect the
present, the small joys, the duties right in front of you.
Santiago gets it immediately. He realizes he can't just forget
his sheep entirely while chasingtreasure.
It's about integration, not abandoning everything.
Appreciate the wildflowers on the way at the mountain, but
watch your footing. Love that.
(11:24):
And the first real test of this?The first big step?
Selling the sheep. He sells 6 to the king and his
friend buys the rest, which actually fulfills his dream of
becoming a shepherd. It's a little win, win.
And the book calls this beginner's luck, or the
principle of favorability. Yeah, that idea that when you
commit, when you take that scaryfirst action towards your
(11:46):
legend, the universe often givesyou a little nudge, some early
success to keep you going. Doesn't mean it'll be smooth
sailing after that though. Oh, definitely not, as Santiago
finds out almost immediately. But it's that initial boost,
that affirmation. OK, you're on the right path.
Keep going. And there's that image of the
king watching Santiago's ship sail away, the wind blowing, a
(12:07):
real sense of departure, lettinggo of the familiar.
Into the vast, terrifying unknown.
And boy, does the unknown hit back hard.
He gets to Tangier in Africa. Which is only a few hours from
Spain, but feels like a different world.
And he's barely off the boat when he gets completely ripped
off. Yeah, this young guy seems
friendly, promises to be his guide to the pyramids, gains his
(12:28):
trust, asks about his money. And then, poof, gone, distracted
by a sword in the market, Santiago looks away for a second
and the guy vanishes with all his cash.
Everything. It's brutal, immediate betrayal
and Santiago just collapses. He's weeping, ashamed, feeling
God is unfair. He hits rock bottom fast.
(12:49):
He even thinks I'm going to become bitter and distrustful.
Hate everyone who did find theirtreasure because I never found
mine. That's dark.
It's so human though, isn't it? That reaction to a massive set
back. Do you give up?
Do you let it make you cynical? It's the universe testing his
resolve. How badly do you really want
this? It mirrors so many real life
moments where that initial burstof enthusiasm meets harsh
(13:10):
reality. Do you quit?
Or do you look for a way forwardand just then when he's at his
lowest? He finds the stones, the Urim
and Thummim still in his pouch. And the omen.
He tries to ask a question, takes one out, but as he puts it
back, both stones slip through ahole in his pouch he hadn't even
noticed and fall on the ground. Wow, clear sign.
Can't ignore that the King's words come back.
(13:31):
Learn to recognize omens and follow them.
It's that turning point, rock bottom forces you to look,
really look, for the signs you'dotherwise miss.
What do you find when everythingshatters?
Maybe the tools you forgot you had.
Like the parachute was there allalong, but you were too busy
panicking. Exactly.
So he needs food, has no money. He sees a crystal shop, offers
(13:54):
to clean the glasses for something to eat.
And the merchant agrees, saying the Quran got to feed the
hungry. But then he adds that beautiful
line. The crystal was dirty and both
you and I needed to cleanse our minds of negative thoughts and
instant connection. A shared moment of needing
purification. Lovely.
And that leads to a job. Merchants saw customers come in
(14:15):
while Santiago was cleaning. A good omen, he calls it.
A little nudge from the universe.
So Santiago sells into this new routine.
Working at the crystal shop, he's careful trying to save up
for a whole year just to buy back his sheep.
He's aiming to go back to his old life, not forward to the
pyramids. Right.
He's kind of stalled. But Santiago being Santiago, he
(14:36):
can't just stand there. He's got ideas.
That entrepreneurial bark suggests building a display case
outside, then selling tea in thecrystal glasses.
Brilliant. Simple but effective business
booms. They hire people, import tea,
the shop transforms. But after 11 months and nine
days, Santiago has earned enoughto buy twice the sheep he
(14:57):
started with, plus a ticket home, plus an import license.
He's actually richer than before.
He learned the trade, the language of commerce, the
language without words. In a very practical sense.
He adapted. He thrived.
He could easily go home now, comfortable again.
But then we get the big contrast.
The crystal merchant himself, Ah.
Yes, the merchant's own dream joined a Mecca, but he's afraid
(15:20):
to actually do it. He says.
I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to
go on living. Wow.
He prefers dreaming about Mecca 1000 times over the risk of
actually getting there and maybebeing disappointed or maybe just
having nothing left to strive for.
That's so profound and kind of sad how many people are like
that, clinging to the idea of the dream because the reality
feels too risky or final. It's safer to keep the dream
(15:43):
pristine, unfulfilled, But Santiago's different, he tells
the Merchant. I'm leaving.
I'm going to the pyramids. He recommits even though he has
the money to go back, he choosesthe personal legend again.
And the merchant gives him his blessing, saying You brought a
new feeling into my crystal shop.
Santiago Courage actually helpedthe merchant too.
(16:03):
Now he has enough money for Mecca.
A ripple effect. One person's courage inspiring
another. So Santiago's back on track,
journeying towards the pyramids.But he's learned that lesson
about the drops of oil. He's integrating responsibility
and dreams now. OK, so from the hustle and
bustle and the near miss of staying put, he moves into the
desert, joins a caravan. Buys a camel, travels with this
(16:26):
Englishman who's also on a questlooking for an alchemist.
And the desert itself becomes a character, a teacher.
The silence is huge. Immense forces you inward,
strips away the noise. Even the guides barely speak.
It demands respect, and in that silence, he connects with the
camel driver. Who has this amazing philosophy?
Live in the present. If you can concentrate always on
(16:48):
the present, you'll be a happy man.
Life is a grand festival no matter what.
Even after losing everything, hetells that story about his
orchard being destroyed by a flood.
Right, a huge loss, but he learned people need not fear the
unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and
want. It didn't break him, it made him
adaptable. That's powerful, not fearing the
(17:09):
unknown. And the Camel driver also says
that line, Our life stories and the history of the world were
written by the same hand. Yeah, the sense of
interconnectedness. Again, it clicks with Santiago's
growing intuition, those huncheshis mother talked about.
He starts to understand intuition as this sudden
immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.
(17:30):
Where the histories of all people are connected and we are
able to know everything because it's all written there, tapping
into that universal database like you said.
The soul of the world again, butdeeper now, more personal.
And the Englishman, the bookish seeker, he explains it too, how
everything on the face of the earth had a soul.
Minerals, plants, animals, even thoughts.
(17:53):
He says even the crystal glasseswere collaborating in Santiago's
success back there. It's this idea of a living
universe actively participating.Not just random chance, but
purpose connection. Like that invisible web you
mentioned vibrating. So after this long desert trek,
they finally reached the Oasis Al Fayoum.
It looks like stars on the desert itself, the date palms a
(18:15):
sanctuary. And it's here, in this place of
refuge, that he meets Fatima. Ah.
Fatima love at first sight. Instant connection, wordless,
and Santiago immediately recognizes it as an omen, a sign
he's in the right place at the right time.
The. Language of the world isn't just
omens anymore, it's this deep human connection.
Exactly, the book says. When two such people encounter
(18:36):
each other, the past and the future become unimportant.
There is only that moment. It's love written by the hand
that wrote all. It gives the personal legend
meaning. And Fatima isn't like a
temptation pulling him away fromhis quest.
She's incredibly strong. She really is.
She tells him to go continue to the pyramids.
(18:56):
Her love is like the desert, unchanging even as the Dean
shift, she says. I am a part of your dream, a
part of your personal legend. That's amazing support.
True love isn't possessive, it supports the others growth,
their highest calling, even if it means separation for a while.
It's a very mature understandingof love.
And right on cue, The Alchemist himself shows up.
(19:17):
Finally, the man the Englishman was looking for.
Yep, and he immediately tests Santiago's courage, says courage
is the quality most essential tounderstanding the language of
the world. Because Santiago is tempted now,
isn't he? He's found love.
He has some wealth from the crystal shop.
The Oasis is comfortable, another potential starting
point. A very appealing comfort zone.
(19:38):
But The Alchemist pushes him. He must continue.
You've got to find the treasure so that everything you have
learned along the way can make sense.
The journey isn't complete untilyou reach the goal and integrate
the lessons. You can't just stop halfway up
the mountain. It's like gathering all the
ingredients for a cake but neverbaking it.
It's not a cake yet. Good analogy.
And The Alchemist even offers him wine, which is forbidden
(20:01):
there. Right with that lesson, yeah,
It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil.
It's what comes out of their mouths.
That is true. Purity is internal about intent,
not just following external rules.
Living authentically, not just observing dogma.
It's a vital push. The Alchemist forces Santiago to
see that settling, even for something good like love and
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comfort, isn't fulfilling the personal legend.
The process is paramount. OK, so the journey continues,
but now it leads to the ultimatetest, the big one transforming
into the wind. How does that even start?
It starts with another vision. Tantiago sees 2 Hawks fighting
in the sky above the Oasis. And he doesn't just see birds,
he has this sudden insight and interpretation.
(20:43):
It's an omen of an army attacking the Oasis.
He feels like he plunged into the soul of the world.
Direct download from the universe.
It's his intuition firing on allcylinders, and the Camel driver
validates this. Saying anything can reveal the
history of all things can be a way into the soul of the world.
It's about seeing the connectionin everything.
And the seer he consults, he doesn't just predict things, no.
(21:05):
He emphasizes the present. The future is God's, but the
secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the
present, you can improve upon it.
What comes later will also be better.
Live consciously, moment by moment.
Your power is now. Focus on the brushstroke.
Such a great message, So urged by The Alchemist, Santiago takes
(21:27):
this terrifying vision to the tribal chiefs.
He's scared. The laugh or kill him.
But their tradition allows for believing messages of the
desert. It's a huge leap of faith for
him, but his courage actually saves the Oasis from the attack.
But then comes the real test, the impossible one.
The chiefs are impressed, but maybe skeptical, or maybe just
(21:47):
testing him further. They demand he transform himself
into the wind within three days.Or.
They'll kill him. Seriously, that's high stakes.
The highest is the Ultimate Crucible, and The Alchemist just
throws that line out again. There was only one thing that
makes a dream impossible to achieve.
The fear failure. The situation is that fear
personified for the deadline. And Santiago was terrified.
(22:09):
He has no idea how to turn into the wind.
Who would? Right, and The Alchemist
response is brutal honesty. Then you'll die in the midst of
trying to realize your personal legend.
That's a lot better than dying like millions of other people
who never even knew what their personal legends were.
Tough love doesn't even begin tocover it.
But he adds that bit about the threat of death making people
(22:30):
more. Aware it's the ultimate
motivator, pushing Santiago to connect with his deepest power,
to transcend what he thinks are his limits.
So how does he do it? He starts talking the things.
He does. Facing death.
He doesn't just give up, he engages with creation itself.
He speaks to the desert, then the wind, then the sun, asking
for help. What does he say to the desert?
(22:51):
He tells it about his love for Fatima, how he sees her in the
sands. The desert understands love in
its own way. The Falcon in the game, the
cycle of life and sustenance. A vast, impersonal love.
And Santiago defines love in this incredible way.
Yeah, his definition has evolvedso much.
It's what makes the game become the Falcon.
The Falcon become man and man the desert.
(23:13):
It's what turns lead into gold. Love is this transformative
alchemical force. Wow, the desert agrees to help,
tells him to ask the wind. The Wind Boasts, knows
everything, carried Fatima's voice, but ultimately admits its
limits, points him to the sun upin the heavens.
And the sun knows the soul of the world sees everything from
afar. But Santiago argues boldly that
(23:35):
the sun doesn't really know love, not in the human,
transformative way. It's too distant.
This is where he really steps into his power, isn't it?
He explores his understanding oflove to the sun.
He does. Love is the force that
transforms and improves the soulof the world, because when we
love, we always strive to becomebetter than we are.
He connects it to creation itself.
It's cosmic love, alchemical love, the engine of evolution.
(23:59):
The magic is love expressed through striving.
Exactly. And in that climactic moment,
the sandstone, the seaman kicks up, blocking the sun.
Santiago turns inward, connects directly with the hand that
wrote all. No words, just pure communion.
And he does it. He becomes the wind.
He becomes the wind. He's transported across the
camp. He proves his connection is
(24:20):
oneness with the soul of the world.
He's literally transcended the physical.
Unbelievable. And after that, The Alchemist
gives him one more lesson A. Crucial one, when you possess
great treasures within you and try to tell others of them,
seldom are you believed. That hits home when you've had a
profound experience, something beyond the ordinary.
(24:41):
People who haven't walked that path, they might just doubt you,
dismiss it. Your treasure is yours, your
understanding is yours. You live it.
You don't necessarily need to convince everyone else.
It's validation and a warning all in one.
He's passed the test. He holds that inner wisdom now
more valuable than gold. Definitely.
So they finally write on for another month and reach the
(25:01):
pyramids. The goal?
Majestic Solem, this is it. The destination of the.
Dream and the omens are still there.
A Scarabeetle, symbol of God in Egypt appears right where his
tears fall. Another sign he has to dig here.
And that line from the crystal merchant comes back to him.
Anyone could build a pyramid in his backyard.
He gets it now, doesn't he? Both literally and
(25:23):
metaphorically. The treasure isn't just the
place, it's accessible wherever you truly are once you've made
the journey. So he digs all night, hands
bleeding, exhausted, finds nothing.
Nothing. And just as he's about to give
up, these figures emerge from the dunes, refugees from the
tribal wars. And they attack him after
(25:45):
everything. They find the goal The Alchemist
gave him, beat him up, demand more.
It's the third major loss. Just like The Alchemist hinted
with that proverb, everything that happens twice will surely
happen 1/3 time. Brutal and in desperation, he
just blurts out a story. Screams it out, Tells him about
his recurring dream, the treasure of the pyramids.
(26:05):
Total vulnerability. And the leader's reaction is the
biggest twist of all. The absolute kicker?
The leader mocks him, laughs andthen says you shouldn't be so
stupid. I had a recurring dream too.
Don't tell me. He dreamed of a treasure buried
in Spain under a Sycamore tree in the ruins of an old church
where shepherds and their sheep slept.
No, the exact place Santiago started where he had the 1st.
(26:28):
Dream the exact spot. Unbelievable, right?
The treasure wasn't at the pyramids, it was back home all
along. So the whole journey, Egypt, the
desert, The Alchemist, it was all necessary to lead him back,
but transformed so he could finally see the treasure that
was right under his nose. Precisely, he had to make the
journey to gain the wisdom and perspective to recognize the
(26:50):
treasures true location revealedthrough the mouth of his
attacker of all people. Wow, that brings the alchemist's
earlier actions into focus to giving him the gold.
Knowing he'd likely lose it again.
And that message The Alchemist sends him later via the wind.
If I had told you, you wouldn't have seen the pyramids.
They're beautiful, aren't they? The journey was the treasure,
(27:10):
the transformation, the learning, the love, the courage.
That was the real gold. The physical gold was just the
bonus prize. So Santiago goes back to the
ruined church. The Sycamore tree he digs hit
something solid. A chest filled with old Spanish
gold coins, jewels, masks, the spoils of a conquest.
(27:32):
It was there all along. Amazing.
He puts the Urim and Thummim in the chest, a reminder of the
king. And thanks, life really is
generous to those who pursue their personal legend.
He even remembers the gypsy woman, his promise to give her
110th. Those gypsies are really smart,
he thinks. Maybe their nomadic life gives
them a different perspective. In the final beautiful moment,
(27:52):
the wind comes back. Levanter the wind from Africa,
bringing the scent of Fatima's perfume and the touch of a kiss.
Full circle and his response. I'm coming, Fatima.
The journey ends, but the legendcontinues.
It's not an ending, it's a new beginning, enriched by
everything he went through. What a story.
And Coelho offers a kind of companion guide, too, right?
(28:15):
Warrior of the Light. Yes, Warrior of the Light,
Emmanuel. It's not a novel, more like a
collection of short parables andreflections designed to help you
embody these principles day-to-day.
And you mentioned one story fromit about drowned temple bells.
It's a great one. A woman tells a boy about a
temple that sank into the sea near their village, challenging
him to hear its bells ringing beneath the waves.
(28:35):
So he tries, but he just hears the usual ocean sounds,
seagulls, waves, wind. Exactly.
He gets distracted, loses interest in other things, people
even make fun of him. It's that metaphor for getting
lost in the noise when you're trying to hear something subtle,
something deeper. So relatable in modern life.
The constant, the notifications,the information overload, it
drowns out the inner voice. Totally.
(28:57):
But the boy keeps at it. He learns to listen past the
noise, becomes oblivious to the surface sounds.
He learns to just be with nature, to contemplate.
It's quiet inside. Precisely.
And then one day, just sitting there happily listening to
everything, to see the goals, the wind, kids playing, suddenly
he hears it. The bells.
The first bell, and then anotherand another, until all the bells
(29:21):
were ringing. He didn't strain for one sound.
He opened himself to the totality and the subtle sound
emerged from within it. It's about mindfulness,
presence. The key trait for a warrior of
the light I guess. How does the book define that?
The woman says a warrior of the light is someone capable of
understanding the miracle of life, of fighting to the last
(29:43):
for something he believes in, and of hearing the bells that
the waves set ringing on the seabed.
Wow, deep presence, courage in your convictions, and attunement
to those subtle universal whispers.
Finding the miracle in the ordinary.
And crucially, Coelho says everyone is capable of these
things, and though no one thinksof himself as a warrior of the
(30:04):
light, we all are. It's not for a special fear,
it's an inherent potential in all of us waiting to be
awakened. Exactly.
And Koala's own life story is kind of the ultimate proof of
concept, isn't it? His personal legend was being a
writer. Absolutely.
And he faced huge setbacks. His first publisher dropped, The
Alchemist initially sold terribly in Brazil, like barely
(30:25):
any copies. He tried other careers that
failed. But he kept going.
He always knew that my personal legend was to write.
He persisted, published his first book relatively late at
38, and then eventually became one of the most widely read
authors on the planet. He lived his own story, faced
the rejection, the despair, keptthe faith.
The universe eventually conspired.
(30:46):
He wasn't just writing about theWarrior of the Light.
He was one. His life embodies the journey.
So, recapping this incredible journey we've taken through The
Alchemist, we've hit on the power of dreams, the absolute
necessity of confronting fear, the wisdom, and listening to
omens both big and small. The transformative power of
love. Not just romantic love, but that
(31:07):
deeper alchemical love for the world and for betterment.
And of course, the guiding star,the personal legend.
We saw how resilience, just getting back up after being
knocked down, plus intuition andthat faith and the universe
conspiring can see you through incredible challenges.
And that the true treasure so often isn't the endpoint you
(31:27):
imagine. It's the wisdom you gain, the
person you become along the way,the connections you make.
And sometimes, yeah, the actual treasure was waiting right back
where you started, but you needed the whole detour to even
be able to see it. So the invitation to you
listening is to reflect on your own personal legend.
What are your pyramids? What's that deep calling?
What are those little omens, those nudges, those repeating
(31:47):
thoughts or coincidences you might be dismissing in your data
daily life? Are you maybe playing it safe
like the Crystal Merchant, content to just dream about
Mecca because the journey feels too daunting, the potential
disappointment too scary? Or Are you ready to take a step,
Ready to embrace the journey, bumps, betrayals, wind
transformations and all? Because that deepest treasure,
(32:08):
that profound wisdom, it's forged on the path.
So in the quiet moments, are youreally listening?
Are you hearing your own temple bells?
More is the noise of the world, the fear of failure, drowning
out that simple, profound call of your own heart.
Something to think about. Definitely.
Until next time, keep exploring,keep listening, and keep
pursuing your own incredible personal legend.
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