3 Things On Pursuing Your Dreams From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

It was last 2014 when I stumbled unto Paulo Coelho's international bestselling book - The Alchemist, just right before I graduated from college. This book was highly recommended by my brother since he knew how anxious I am about my future and on pursuing my dream. I never lived my present life before, I was always thinking about the future. Always afraid about the future and even more afraid on taking risks on pursuing my dream.

The book is more of a "self-help" rather than a literature book. It's main theme is about finding one's destiny. The whole story revolves around a boy named Santiago, a shepherd who decided to abandon everything to pursue a dream. Santiago encountered many setbacks and temptations during his journey yet he remained focused on his dream.

According to Wikipedia,

Coelho wrote The Alchemist in only two weeks in 1987. He explained he was able to write at this pace because the story was "already written in [his] soul."

A deep connection exist between the plot of The Alchemist and the author's own experiences. Same case with Santiago, Coelho lived as a songwriter when he decided to give up everything to pursue his writing career. He took the leap of faith to pursue his dream. Despite the numerous setbacks - yet, just like Santiago, Coelho remained focused on his dream, eventually achieving literary success beyond his expectation.

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His book has inspired millions of people around the world to follow their dreams and I am one of them.

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Here are the top 3 lessons that I always keep in mind :

1. Live one day at a time

“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man.”

I was once this anxious kid, or even until now. I always think about the mess I've made in the past and how it would affect my future. I have this mind set to always think of the worst case scenario. I was burying myself with my own thoughts full of what ifs.

I never lived. I was simply following my plan, and everything I thought would lead me to the ideal life I have in mind. I didn't gave in to opportunities in front of me , to new paths.

During my college years, there was a semester where I failed with my Calculus subject, had an INC grade in Physics and withdrew my engineering drawing subject. At that time of my life, I thought I was failing. Falling into a dark pit. I even thought of ending everything because I thought that I would never have a good career out of it. I was ashamed of myself, I was disgusted with myself. I was lost. Thanks to the people who pulled me up, and brought me back to Earth. I call them my friends. They helped me understand that everything has a purpose, that I can always change my future. Failing grades doesn't mean you're no good already. Maybe you're not just into it. Maybe you're just in the wrong path.

And so, I decided to enrol into a different department and started over again. I started to live my life one day at a time. Overthinking about that future only holds you back from truly living.

I learned that there’s no point dwelling in the past and letting it define you, nor getting lost and anxious thinking and overanalyzing the future.

In reality, if you think about it, the present is an overflowing basket of possibilities. How you act in the present will direct you to your own future. It's a gift. Now it's up to you if you live or just let it pass by.

2. Make the decision

“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he has never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”

"Stick with what you have and live with it." has been rule in life. In everything I do, I always stick with what's planned ahead. In my career, I have been working in a Filipino IT company for almost five years but in my mind I have this dream on working in the land of the rising sun - Japan.

With my current employment status, I'd say that I'm in my safe haven. I started working right away after graduating from college. I started as a newbie programmer, a very low key programmer and so I worked hard and piled my way up. I was happy back then. I am happy with the compensation and the benefits but the more involved and higher up I got, the worse my experience was. Along with the higher compensation (although relatively low compared to other IT companies), the responsibility gets bigger. The wider the scope , the more people I engage with. I started to get tired with the routine. I woke up to the reality that I'm not happy, that I am just comfortable and used to what I have.

Despite having invites and offers from other companies, I didn't took action. I was just there, letting every opportunity pass by. Why? Because I was afraid. Afraid of getting rejected, afraid of loosing everything I have, afraid of being a failure, afraid of taking risk.

Then I realized, sitting in the fenced area will get you nowhere. And so, what would happen to my dreams? Is it just going to a dream forever? I started taking actions. I started studying Nihongo again as a stepping stone on achieving my dream job. I worked hard and looked for possible employers. I finally decided for myself to let go of what I have now and gamble with the unknowns. Eventually, actions will flow out from having confidence in your decision. Whatever happens with your decision, so be it.

3. Make your dream an obsession

“I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

As they say, "If there's a will, there's a way", that's definitely true. Everything in this world is impossible if you don't have the will to achieve it. There's really no way to achieve it. But then, if youthink about it every little thing leads to bigger things. The way to achieve your big dreams is to start small.

In my case, my dream job was just a dream before. A thing for the lucky ones, a thing for the smarter ones. I started loosing interest with my dream as I get comfortable with my current job. But then, something happen that ignited the desire inside me to fulfil my dream. I used to see it as a thing for the smarter ones, the lucky ones but hey, I could be that smarter one. I could be that lucky one. I started gathering details about my dream job, from searching the internet with the employment opportunities, contacting with people from Japan and studying their language. I became obsessed with it. I am all over my dream job. I started communicating with Japanese people just to practice the language, attending classes and even studying after work.

Then one day, I got this call from an unknown number. Whoaah! It's a job interview! Finally, after being obsessed about it. I finally have the chance to fulfil my dream. A chance to live in my dreams.

And so I believe, that in everything that you want, if you just pour down efforts and sacrifices - the world and whole universe will help you have it.

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