Yesterday I decided to re-read the book that I always respond with whenever anyone asks me what my favorite book is: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Re-reading this splendid little novel is something I’ve been meaning to do ever since I first read it back in the summer of 2006. Yet something always got in the way of me doing so, usually my own ability to procrastinate or some silly fear that the second reading could not possibly compare with how sublime I felt reading it the first time.
Silly indeed.
I re-started it yesterday and got about halfway through, and I plan to finish the second reading tonight when I get home from work. I do not want to delve too deeply into my feelings about the second reading until I finish it so as to provide a complete review rather than a partial; but I do want to note two interesting exchanges I had on Facebook today, both of which are indicative of the mystical quality this book seems to possess.
Last night when I began reading the book again, I posted this picture on Facebook with the accompanying caption:
I decided to start re-reading my favorite book today. With age 30 quickly approaching,
a refresher on Personal Legends and reading omens seemed in order.
Immediately, the picture began being liked by some of the people I’m blessed to be friends with on Facebook. This was not really surprising, as The Alchemist is the most translated book ever for a living author. I had a feeling a lot of people would like the picture and be excited about sharing their love for this book, and that is exactly what happened.
I was not really expected what happened today, however.
First, a dear friend of mine from college shared her love for the book and commented about how she should give it another read since moving and making “significant changes” in her life. I emailed her, curious about what “significant changes” she meant, and received a beautifully candid and joyful message in response that regaled me with exactly what these changes had been and why they had made such a positive impact in her life.
It was inspiring.
It was a testament to both the nature of this book and the connective power of social media that such an exchange could even take place. I’m glad it did. Hearing about my friend’s desire to improve her life, and her ability to muster the courage it took to do so, made me more confident in my own ability to do the same. It is both humbling and encouraging to see someone who has taken steps that you too aspire to take, and I’m so glad that re-reading this book and posting that picture led to this exchange with my friend.
The second exchange that occurred speaks even more to the mystical nature of The Alchemist, and before I describe it for you let me just say that this is far from the first time that I’ve had such an exchange with someone.
In this case, the exchange also occurred with a friend, though one I’ve never met. This is a friend who has an uncanny knack for finding quotes and sayings and nuggets of wisdom that always seem to be spot-on in providing joy and hope and optimism. Here is what she commented on my picture of the book:
I was in a book store in Belarus. Couldn’t find anything to read for the longest time. Out of frustration I told myself, I’ll just close my eyes and point and whatever’s there I will read, leave it up to destiny, it was The Alchemist…. That experience changed me
I’m not lying when I say I got chills when I read that. Here was my response:
Are you kidding? I was leaving Miami for good after living there for three years, heading back to Dallas to re-start my life, and needed something to read on the plane. So I was wandering into a bookstore while looking down at my phone and when I looked up, BAM, The Alchemist was the first book I saw. I’d never heard of it and had never heard of Coelho. Needless to say, I finished it on the plane and, yes, it changed me too.
I’m beginning to think The Alchemist has a way of choosing its readers as much as its readers choose it.
And her response back:
It must be so. It’s a gift. It’s what you do with it too. We live in a magic world.
Yes, yes we do. We do indeed live in a magic world.
I read her note and smiled, and it is actually what got me to finally stop thinking about getting Primility going and actually got me doing. I’ve had this site sitting here for months and months and have thought about it for endless hours, yet it has just one post.
It’s what you do with it.
As the boy learns from the king early in The Alchemist, when you are in pursuit of your Personal Legend the universe conspires to help you achieve it, oftentimes leaving omens for you to read so long as you are open to the Language of the World. (I’m paraphrasing, of course.)
Today, I received two omens, as described above, and I was actually open to seeing them, and listening to them, and being compelled to inspiration and action by them. Call me crazy, but I do not think it is a coincidence that they came the day after I decided to re-read The Alchemist.
I can’t wait to finish it tonight.
About Jerod Morris