by Rhoshniyan Sudario

Chasing dreams. Believing in destiny. Listening to your heart. All these in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This book is filled with wisdom, magic, and lessons about life such as embracing the present, never giving up, and letting go of the fear of failure.

Many of us think our dreams can be found in someone or something but the truth is, they’re already within us. We just have to look deep in ourselves and listen to what our hearts want. Sometimes, we ignore what it says because of what others tell us but when we try to listen to it, it has a lot of wise things to say and it guides us to where we need to be.

“Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”

I don’t know how many times I’ve read this book because it’s so good. Every time I finish it, I always find something new about myself or pick up a new lesson. It always feels like I’m reading it for the first time and that’s really amazing. This book reminds me of how powerful my dreams are, especially when I see them come true one by one.

My dream only became clear to me last year and once it did, I haven’t turned back since. One thing has always been constant throughout my life and that is that I want to help people. I thought that becoming a doctor was the best way to do it but it wasn’t what I wanted. While convincing myself that it was right for me, I made sure everything that I was doing was going to lead to that. I set my mind on it but my heart disagreed and it kept telling me that “No, this isn’t for you, there’s a better path that you could take, something that would make you happy.” I ignored it for years until it backfired very badly. It was like the universe told me to stop running after something I didn’t want. It gave a huge sign that I should stop and listen, even for just a moment. And I did.

After that, the universe gave me more signs to realize what I should really be going for. So I started selling cookies to some students in my previous school. It was actually my mom’s idea because the cookies I made for my family tasted good so I wanted to give selling them a try. Surprisingly, a lot of people loved it. Having fun while making the cookies and seeing other people feel happy from eating what I made made me realize that this was what I wanted to do. 

During the pandemic, I became vegan (but that’s a story for another time) and while trying out new recipes, my parents suggested that I should try selling vegan baked goods because they were delicious. I was skeptical in the beginning but thankfully, they convinced me to just go for it even though I didn’t have a plan. Many orders later, I became more serious in pursuing this dream of bringing love, joy, and comfort to others through my passion. I continue to work hard while also taking care of myself. I’ve finally come to my senses and with the help of the universe, I get to dream bigger because anything is possible. I learned that I  just have to really believe in and be patient with myself, and notice the signs, such as this book, around me that would lead me to where I need to be. 

The Alchemist never fails to bring me joy, and it never fails to remind me to continue pursuing my dreams in life. I know  there are a lot of risks and challenges in pursuing my dream but I don’t fear failure because my love and desire for that dream are more powerful than anything. This is only the beginning, and I still have a lot of things to learn and experience, but as time goes by, my life will just get more exciting and interesting. Now that I’ve realized my dream, it’s time for me to help others realize theirs.

As you read this book and follow the long journey of the shepherd boy, I hope that you would also realize your dream in life and pursue it too. I also hope that you would take the lessons you learned from this book and apply them to your life. Remember, it’s never too early or late to pursue our dreams. 

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

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

☁️