alchemist essay outline

The Alchemist Essay

Many people go throughout their lives feeling unfilled and lost. This may be due to the fact that they never discovered their personal legend. Your personal legend "is your mission on earth" (22) and too many people turn away from their true purpose. Paulo Choelo teaches us in "The Alchemist" that turning away from your fate will have repercussions. In the story we meet people who have and haven't achieved their personal legend, the ones who have are undeniably more at peace, it proves that no matter how much you have to go through to get there, finding your personal legend is worth it. Ignoring your personal legend is selfish. When you ignore it the soul of the world suffers along with you. You cannot disregard your personal legend if you hope to have a fulfilling life.

People who achieve their personal legend are happier. The book shows us some examples of these people like the candy merchant. He is a man who has discovered his true calling he "Had a smile about his face: he was happy, aware of what his life was about, ready to begins a day’s work" (43). The boy tells us about the feeling you get when you finally achieve your personal legend at the end of the book. He realized that everything in his life was leading up to this moment and felt that" Life really is generous to those who purse their destiny”(176)

 People who do not achieve their personal legend are unfulfilled. Not all people decide to follow their personal legends. Some people put their dreams aside, like the crystal merchant. He "Awoke with the day, and felt the same anxiety that he felt every morning." (44). He is not content with his life and always wondering if he made the right choice for himself. He feels it is too late to change anything and is trapped. In the intro P.C. describes what happens to those of us who ignore our personal legends. it will "Eat away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves for the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives" vii. People who turn away from their personal legends have many reasons, for the people they love, for money, because they do not think they are worth it.

Finding your personal legend is worth hardships. even after all the strife you go through, in the long run you will be much happier." once we have overcome the defeats-and we always do- we are filled with a greater sense of euphoria and confidence." (vii). The alchemist’s warns Santiago about the dangers of choosing the easy path for his life, staying in the oasis with Fatima and not going to the pyramids. He tells him that "You’ll spend the rest of your days knowing that you didn't pursue your destiny and that now it’s too late. (126) When life gives you a gift like true happiness you cannot turn your back on it without consequences." Every blessing ignored becomes a curse". (58) The soul of the world wants you to achieve your personal legend, and if you turn your back on the life it has planned out for you, it will punish you.

Finding your personal legend benefits the whole world-everything is connected. When someone ignores their personal legend, and makes themselves discontent, everything around them suffers. “The soul of the world is nourished by peoples happiness, also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy. "(22) That means when you are ignoring your fate you are affecting everything, including your loved ones. The soul of the world is benefited by people realizing their personal legend. “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.” (158)

Throughout this book P.C. tries again and again to show us that finding your personal legend takes priority over anything else you can do in your life. If you have not found your personal legend by the end of your life, you have failed your life's true calling. You will have gone through your entire life without ever finding true peace and you will have negatively affected everything around you.