Course: Leadership: Vision, Meaning and Reality (A)

Title: The Alchemist

Instructor: Prof. S. Manikutty

Academic Associate: Mr. Harshit Khameshra

Submitted by: Lakshay Singla (19334), Rao Aditya Vikram Singh (19159),

Antra Bhaskar (19413), Ravneet Kaur (19052)

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It gives us immense pleasure in expressing our gratitude to all those people who have
supported us and given their contribution in making this project.

We would like to express our gratitude to our Professor S. Manikutty, who gave us the
opportunity to work on this project. We are grateful to Professor for helping us in
undertaking this project and for being there whenever we needed his assistance. We
would also like to thank our Academic Associate Mr. Harshit for his help throughout the
course.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TOPIC PAGE

1 Motivation for selecting the book 4

2 About the Author 6

3 Plot 8

4 Characters 11

5 Themes 16

6 Symbols 18

7 Quotes 20

8 Conclusion- Leadership lesson and Combing course 25

learnings and the book
9 References 30

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 Motivation for selecting this book
The biggest motivation to take up this book came from the following quote by Paulo
Coelho.

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

Coelho, in one of his blog posts, explains this quote further. He explains the "law of
attraction," which means that bringing positive energies into the world as a human being,
will bring beneficial results to you and your life. And vice versa, of course: the negative
energy pulls the negative things.

The books also covers a lot about personal legacy. Coelho believes that Whatever your
interest is in life, whether it's playing music, writing, cooking, lighting, engineering, or
whatever you think your goal is, you should pursue it.

This really spoke to the student in us who will be going out into the corporate world in
six months’ time. This book reminds you that you can be whoever you want to be and can
accomplish whatever you want to achieve, no matter who you are and where you come
from.

This book reminds you that you can be whoever you want to be and can accomplish
whatever you want to achieve, no matter who you are and where you come from.

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Santiago, who originally belonged to a rural family and was meant to be a priest, is our
main character. He decided to be a shepherd instead, for he wished to see the world. And
this was only the start of his trip. His mind indicated several times that he should do what
appeared rational, but that one's urge to see the future and to pursue his heart changed
his life.

We are encouraged by the lead character to follow our hearts and do what we want.
You should still follow your heart and fulfil your goals, no matter how out-of-tradition
your ambitions are or how complicated your expectations are, or how high the odds of
disappointment are.

This novel illuminates the fact that tough times don't last long. Hardship is never a
waste of time; it's just a measure to see the potential in the world. You're not an
unfortunate soul to be in a tough position, but you're one step closer to your destiny.

We just loved how the main character examines and discovers such complicated
concepts from the most basic things around him.

There are instances in the book where Santiago learns from his sheep, the people around
him and even the desert. He never stopped learning and motivates us to never stop as
well. He inspires us to observe. Observe the basic stuff, and that will resolve your
life's most complicated questions.

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 About the Author- Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author. He was born in the city of Rio de Janeiro in the year
1947. He has also worked as a theatre director, actor and a lyricist before he finally turned
to literature.

At 17, Coelho 's parents sent him to a mental hospital from which he escaped three times
before being released at the age of 20. Coelho was born into a Catholic family, and the
religion and faith of his parents were strict. Coelho enrolled in a law school at the request
of his parents and discarded his ambition of being a novelist. He later dropped out and
lived life as a hippie one year later, wandering across South America, North Africa, Mexico,
and Europe, and began using drugs in the 1960s. (wikipedia, n.d.)

Upon his return to brazil, Coelho started to work as a songwriter, creating songs for Elis
Regina, Rita Lee, and Raul Seixas. Owing to the nature of some songs that he wrote for
Raul, Coelho was being connected with sorcery and occultism.

He is also charged that these songs were rip-offs of western songs not well known at the
time in Brazil. In 1974, he was arrested by the ruling military government for "subversive"
actions and tortured.

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In 1980, Coelho married Christina Oiticica, who was also a poet. They had previously lived
half a year together in Rio de Janeiro and the other half in a country house in France's
Pyrenees Mountains, but now the couple permanently live in Geneva, Switzerland.
(wikipedia, n.d.)

In 1986, Coelho published the book ‘The pilgrimage’. This was a result of Coelho’s
pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostela. In the year 1987, Coelho published his book
titles ‘The Alchemist’. The book was about to be shelved because of its initial low sales.
However, as we know, the book came about to be one of the highest selling Brazilian
books.

Other titles from Coelho include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I
sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian
newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases
(1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides
to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories
for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005),
The Witch of Portobello (2006) and Winner Stands Alone (2009). (goodreads, n.d.)

Paulo Coelho travelled during the months of May-June 2006 to mark the 20th anniversary
of his 1986 pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostela. In some cities along the way, he
also held surprise book signings-announced one day in advance-to have a chance to meet
his readers. The author travelled across the globe ninety days after the pilgrimage and
took the famed Trans-Siberian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this encounter,
Paulo Coelho launched his Walking the Road-The Pilgrimage blog to share his
experiences with his followers. (goodreads, n.d.)

Coelho is very active in interacting with his readers and keeps them updated with his blog,
https://paulocoelhoblog.com/. He also connects with his readers and his audience
regularly through social media platforms like Facebook, twitter and Instagram

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 Plot
Santiago, a youthful and daring shepherd from Andalucía, is our protagonist. A recurring
dream troubles Santiago. He has that dream each time he sleeps under a sycamore tree.
The tree emerges from the remains of a church. In the dream, a child advises him to search
for treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids.

Santiago asks a gypsy woman to interpret the dream. She advises him to go to Egypt. A
weird, magical old man called Melchizedek, who appears to be Salem 's king, repeats the
advice of the gypsy and informs Santiago that the path to the pyramids is his own legend.
Santiago is convinced by Melchizedek to sell his flock and leave for Tangier. when
Santiago arrives in Tangier a robber robs him, prompting him to find employment with a
nearby crystal dealer. Santiago learns a lot from the conservative and kind merchant who
had employed him. Santiago encourages the merchant to take risks in his business. The
risks pay off and in just a year, Santiago becomes a wealthy man.

Santiago decides to use the money to follow his personal legend: to discover gold in the
pyramids. He joins a caravan going towards Egypt through the Sahara Desert and
encounters an Englishman who is preparing to become an alchemist. On the journey, he
learns a lot from the Englishman.

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For example, he discovers that the secret of alchemy is written on a stone called the
Emerald Tablet. The Master Work consists of a solid called the Philosophers Stone that
can transform into gold and a substance called the Elixir of Life that can heal all ills.
Santiago discovers that the Englishman is travelling to the Saharan oasis of Al-Fayoum
with a caravan, where a powerful, 200-year-old alchemist resides. The Englishman is going
to ask the alchemist about his trade secrets.

As it turns out, the caravan must make an extended stop in Al-Fayoum to escape
increasingly brutal tribal conflicts taking place in the desert. There, Santiago falls in love
with the oasis-dwelling girl Fatima. Santiago experiences an omen that represents an
assault on a historically neutral oasis. He warns the tribal leaders of the attack. As a result,
Al-Fayoum defends itself effectively against the invasion. The alchemist gets wind of the
vision of Santiago and welcomes Santiago on a desert journey, during which he shows
Santiago the value of listening to his heart and following his personal legend. He
persuades Santiago to abandon Fatima and the caravan for the time being and complete
his pyramid quest. He also agrees to join Santiago on the next leg of his quest.

The alchemist shares much of his wisdom about the Soul of the World when both he and
Santiago travel through the desert. They were just days away from the pyramids when
they were defeated by a tribe of Arab warriors. The alchemist hands all of Santiago 's
wealth to the tribe in return for his survival and the survival of Santiago. He informs the
soldiers that Santiago is a powerful alchemist who will turn into wind in three days.
Santiago seems alarmed because he has no idea how to transform into the wind and he
is imagining the desert for the next three days. He communicates with the wind and the
sun on the third day and coaxes them to help him create a formidable sandstorm. He
prays to the Hand That Wrote All, and he disappears at the height of the storm. He then
re-appears on the other side of the camp. (sparknotes, n.d.)

The tribesmen were impressed by the force of the storm and by the skill of Santiago. They
let him and the alchemist go free. With Santiago, the alchemist proceeds to fly to a Coptic
monastery several hours from the pyramids. There, he shows Santiago his capacity to use
the Philosopher's Stone to convert lead into gold. He gives gold to Santiago and sends
him home. continues

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Santiago searching for the treasure at the foot of the pyramids, but he is approached and
assaulted by two men. As Santiago talks of his idea of a dream to them, they decide that
he must have no money and let him live.

One of the men wishes to explain the worthlessness of visions before leaving by telling
Santiago about his own dream. It contains a treasure hidden in an old church where a
sycamore tree grows in Spain. The church is the same one that Santiago had his initial
dream in. Santiago finally realizes where his treasure is at last. He returns to Spain to find
under the tree a chest of gems and gold. He then prepares to return with it to Al-Fayoum,
where he will meet Fatima and spend his rest of the life.

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 Characters

Santiago
Santiago is a shepherd boy from the small Andalusian town and is the protagonist of the
Alchemist. He is a curious boy, who refuses to follow his father’s wishes for him to become
a priest and listens to his calling of becoming a traveler. Hence, he buys some sheep and
becomes a shepherd. He believes that shepherds learn more than the folks who prefer to
stay in the village forever. He reads a lot and exchanges one book for another.

He is a reflective person. From the start, he realizes all by himself that there is a universal
language that enables him to converse with his sheep and understand someone who does
not speak his language.

Despite his natural adventurousness, he remains calm and perseverant until he dreams
twice of the treasure in the pyramids. Another display of his curiosity arises when he goes
to the gypsy woman to find out what his dreams mean. He also asks about his dreams to
Melchizedek, who further guides him towards his treasure.

Santiago displays perseverance throughout his journey in the book. He is patient with his
sheep. He is always ready to look at the flipside of the mishappening in his life. When his
money is stolen in Arabia, he does not lose heart, but tries to make sense of things. He is
ready to compensate for the earnings lost and start together all over again. He loses his
treasures twice again throughout his journey, but he learns to adjust his life according to
that.

He also displays a great deal of hard work throughout the story. He works hard at the
merchant’s so that he could earn enough to travel back to his country. He displays a great
deal of intelligence when he is working there. He cleans the shop, so that a lot of new
customers start visiting the place. He executes the idea of displaying the crystal ware at
the bottom of the hill, so that the passersby would notice them and visit the uphill shop.
He proposes the idea of selling tea in the crystal ware so that the sales in the shop could
boost even more.

He finally starts to understand the universal language and starts noticing and hearing
nature which teacher him a lot of things. He also utilizes this quality to his advantage, by
warning the leaders at the oasis of an upcoming invasion and helps avert the brutality of

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killing of the tribesmen. In turn he earns a lot of respect and a place in the counsel of the
community.

Santiago understands the language of love. He instantly recognizes that he is in love with
Fatima. He respects her and talks to her about his feelings. He tries to understand the
meaning of love and tries to separate it from possession after knowing Fatima’s point of
view. He also explains the meaning of love to the wind and the sun, when he tries to
convert himself into the wind.

As he comes closer to his treasure, he becomes more focused on understanding the

mystical force that permeates everything, the soul of the world. He tries to understand
everything about it from the alchemist. The knowledge he gains from the desert allows
him to recognize the world as a single, unified whole.

He searches for omens after meeting the king of Salem and each person that he meets
afterwards helps him to understand omens better. His real spiritual advancement
happens, when he meets the alchemist and embarks on the journey of finding his treasure
with him. Santiago finally discovers his treasure and learns to communicate with nature
as well as the Hand that Wrote All.

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The Alchemist
The Alchemist is supposedly 200 years old and live at the Al-Fayoum oasis. He is an
extremely powerful practitioner of Alchemy and is widely respected for his practice. He
does not mingle amongst the people and even the tribal chieftains have to request and
audience to see him. His possessions include the Master Work of alchemy, which consist
of the magical stone that can turn all metal into gold also known as the Philosopher’s
Stone and the Elixir of Life, which can cure all ills.

The Alchemist connects the book’s dominant metaphor of alchemy to Santiago’s journey.
He is a mentor, who does not offer any teachings to him, but acts as a guide to seek
inspiration from the right things. The alchemist’s wisdom, which connects him to the Soul
of the World, also provides him with supernatural abilities and the ability to guide
Santiago on the correct path. His method of instruction suggests that one has to learn
their lessons by themselves and a teacher/mentor can only guide their students in the
right direction. He also helps in transforming Santiago into a more confident individual,
which ultimately leads him to his goal.

The Merchant
The merchant is a middle-aged resident of Tangier. He runs his shop at the top of a hill.
He is a pitiable character in the start. He is not able to earn enough to fulfil his dream of
saving up and going to Mecca. He is helped by Santiago to expand his shop and get good
business. He also values Santiago and treats him fairly. Later we see that he is a
complacent man who is afraid to get out of his comfort zone.

He wants to dream but does not wants to fulfil his dreams. He is however a good and
kind person. He is a devout Muslim and says that he would have fed Santiago irrespective
of him cleaning the shop or not. He is comfortable with the idea of dreaming instead of
actually realizing his dreams. But he never stops Santiago from doing so and in fact
imparts his wisdom about fate to him. He is a contrasting character in the novel, brought
out to show what kind of fates to avoid while pursuing one’s life journey.

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Melchizedek
Melchizedek identifies himself as the king of Salem. He is an old man living in the town
of Tarifa. He forcibly starts talking to Santiago and gets him interested in his talks, as
though he came to guide him on purpose. His magical powers, through which he knows
everything about Santiago, helps him convince Santiago to follow his dreams in life.

He acts as a mentor for Santiago, teaching him the important concepts of Personal
Legends, Soul of the World and Beginner’s luck. He is kind and helpful to Santiago, and
gives him the two stones Urim and Thummin, which guide him through his journey and
help him understanding omens. He leaves a lasting impression on Santiago, who always
remembers the old king and seeks inspiration from his words throughout his journey.

Although he appears as flesh and blood in front of Santiago, he narrates of an incident

where he has guided a person by becoming a stone. He is the first supernatural character
that appears in the book.

The Englishman
The Englishman is a well-educated and aspiring alchemist. He has studied the science
throughout years and carries a bundle of heavy books with him to read. He is more
interested in learning from the books than from the nature. At one point of time, Santiago
notices that they both have different styles of learning, but the important thing is that
they both are on the correct path to their own destinies.

He becomes friends with Santiago due to their shared interest in learning. He teaches the
importance of book learning to Santiago. He also tells him about the knowledge focused
approach in life and shares concepts of alchemy, such as the Master work. However, he
also learns for himself the importance of experience and friendship. He starts doing things
practically on his journey and wishes he would have started earlier.

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Fatima
Fatima is a young beautiful girl who resides at the Al-Fayoum oasis. She is wise and
teaches Santiago the meaning of love, without holding on to possessions. She realizes as
the woman of the desert that men must leave their women for search of greater treasures
in the desert. She knows the importance of wait and hope in a desert woman’s life. She
convinces Santiago to leave and fulfil his destiny and is confident that he will come back
to her. She represents true love, selfless and unconditional.

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 Themes
Destiny
The Maktub or Destiny is one of the primary themes of the book. The book shows how
Santiago, through the knowledge of his dreams, sets on his journey to fulfil his destiny.
One is ordained to fulfil their personal legend.

“The closer one gets to realizing his destiny, the more that destiny becomes his true
reason for being”
The book shows the destiny of the crystal merchant, which is to visit Mecca one day. But
the merchant remains content with his life and ignores the calling of his fate. The
Englishman is on the path of fulfilment of his destiny. His destiny is to become an
alchemist and he is trying out different ways to become one. Santiago, on the other hand,
is destined to find the treasure. He meets a lot of people who help him further the path
that leads to treasure, ultimately helping him achieve his destiny. The book also tells us
about the concept of putting your heart and soul into achieving something, which is a
sure-shot path to success.

"When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that
person to realize his dream"

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Dreams
Dreams are an important theme in the book, as they lead the protagonist to their destiny.
It is through a dream that Santiago realizes that his destiny is bound to the Egyptian
Pyramids that he saw in his dreams. The gypsy woman and Melchizedek ask him to seek
the treasure and believe in the power of his dreams. Dreams are also used as a metaphor
for the goal that one sets up in their life to achieve. At the end of the book, it is the dream
of a robber, which is starkly opposite to that of the shepherd that makes him realize where
his true treasure lies.

Love
Santiago knows the power of love. He realizes this power throughout his journey and
understands the meaning of love subsequently. Fatima teaches him that the true meaning
of love is selfless, the one that occurs without any possession. True love requires patience
and perseverance and relies on hope and will. It means to let go and encourage the other
partner to fulfill their dreams. Santiago understands this meaning and teaches the
meaning of love to the desert, the wind and the sun.

The Unity of Nature

The spiritual unity that binds the soul of the world, is a central theme in the book. It shows
the unity between the desert and the winds and the sun. It is when Santiago learns, to
understand nature, that most miracles in his life happen. The unity in nature is also linked
to the science of alchemy. There is a parallel between the alchemist purifying metal into
gold and Santiago changing himself into someone capable of achieving his personal
legend. It is the nature that plays a major part in him achieving his personal legend.

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 Symbols
Santiago’s sheep
The sheep of Santiago symbolize the type of life lived by those who are oblivious
to their personal legends. Santiago loves his sheep, but due to their animal needs for
mere food and drink, he often shows thinly veiled disdain for them. He claims that not
all the beautiful lands he finds during his journeys are enjoyed by his sheep. He also
imagines, in a frightening image, that his sheep are so blindly optimistic that he could
slaughter them one by one without them realizing. These sheep, like the baker and the
crystal seller, symbolize the protagonists in the book who do not follow their personal
legends. These characters are content with their material needs and social approval.
They thus neglect the opportunity to understand many facets of development. Because
of their narrow experiences, they appear to miss out on a lot of possibilities.

Desert
With its harsh circumstances and territorial conflicts, the desert symbolizes the
severe challenges that await those in search of their personal legacy.

But throughout his path to the pyramids, it also acts as an important instructor for
Santiago. As the alchemist puts it, tests are an inherent part of all Personal Legends since
they are important to establish spiritual development. Santiago measures the isolation,
emptiness, and monotony of the desert rather than the fire of the desert. However, even
the desert, while being desolate, retains life and the Soul of the Earth. In what appears to
be a wilderness, Santiago starts to understand his world, and to see the signs of life.
Eventually, in a single grain of sand, he learns to understand all of life.

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Alchemy
In Alchemy, a base metal is transformed into a more precious metal like gold. In the
book, Alchemy serves as the primary symbol and represents the quest of Santiago to
attain his Personal Legend. The emblem also assigns its title to the book. The method of
turning base metal into gold is represented by the Alchemist as equal to the base metal
discovering its Personal Legend. In the language of the novel, to reach a higher
evolutionary condition, the metal must rid itself of all impurities. Similarly , in order to
understand his own personal legend and reach a higher state, Santiago must rid himself
of impurities, such as his desire for recognition from his parents, his desire to live as a
wealthy shepherd, and also his desire to live with Fatima. The manner in which an
individual practice the art of alchemy resembles the way in which an individual
completes his own legend.

In the book, all the secrets of alchemy exist on the tiny Emerald Tablet and these secrets
cannot be articulated in terms. Similarly, no written directions will steer a person to his
Personal Legend. The person must obey his own intuition and the omens that the Soul of
the World offers. Rather than the Englishman, the alchemist prefers Santiago as his
student largely because Santiago does not rely on books and justification to explain the
universe. Santiago eventually comes into communion with all of nature, including the
wind and the light, by listening to the Spirit of the World, and he achieves a higher level
of being.

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 Quotes

“…whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something,
it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on
earth."

This argument, which Melchizedek told Santiago at their first encounter, forms the base
of The Alchemist 's theory. Melchizedek basically states that dreams are not foolish or vain
impulses that can be disregarded. Contrary to that, they act as the primary medium by
which individuals can get in contact with the mysterious power that binds everything in
the world. He convinces Santiago that a calling is really his nagging wish to see the
pyramids, and he sends Santiago on his path of spiritual exploration.

The Alchemist offers a type of spirituality that fundamentally varies from conventional
religions that espouse self-denial by associating apparently greedy human desires with
the soul of the world. Santiago must concentrate on his own personal dreams instead of
exercising sympathy by connecting with and supporting others.

The idea of the soul of the cosmos, to which characters later refer in the novel as the Soul
of the Earth, is also presented in this quotation. Later in the novel, this entity becomes
highly relevant, since it is the spirit with whom Santiago must interact in order to
transform into the wind.

The quote alludes to the idea that the object of a person in life is to satisfy one 's wishes,
a philosophy that is often important in the context of the Personal Legend. While this
quote does not refer these theories by name, it lays the groundwork for the later
interpretation of them by Santiago and the reader.

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“…every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don't want anything else in life. But you
are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons that I have never known. Now that
I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I'm going to
feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things, I should be able
to accomplish, and I don't want to do so.”

As Santiago prepares to depart Tangier after an incredibly fruitful year working at the
crystal store, the crystal merchant says these words to Santiago. In the Alchemist, the
crystal merchant shares a regret popular to many ancillary characters, such as the baker
and the father of Santiago.

He realizes that he has not done what he can in life and, as a result, feels sad. The crystal
merchant acts as a message to Santiago that their untapped ability still haunts those who
neglect their Personal Legends in favor of settling into material comforts.

Throughout the novel, this notion reappears, and the complacency embodied by the
crystal merchant serves as a near constant danger for Santiago. After leaving Tangier
Santiago almost goes back to Spain, and he hesitates to leave the Al-Fayoum oasis for
the pyramids because he still has Fatima and some riches there.

Santiago 's guiding characters, most especially the alchemist, continually caution him
against settling for what he has. For example, the alchemist explains how the life of
Santiago would unfold if he lived in the oasis rather than living out his personal
mythology.

For some time, Santiago and Fatima would be content, but Santiago would eventually
begin to regret not finding his personal legend, while Fatima would believe that she had
forced Santiago to give up his aspirations.

Santiago would gradually no longer be able to decipher omens, and he would finally lose
contact with the world's spirit. The lesson in the quote and this corresponding example
ultimately states that only by following his or her own legend can a person feel completely
fulfilled.

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“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions or our
property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the
history of the world were written by the same hand.”
Here, during the ride to Al-Fayoum, the camel driver tackles apprehension as he tells
Santiago his life story. Fear serves as the greatest barrier to achieving one's own personal
legend. On his journey, Santiago encounters several challenges, but he regularly feels
compelled to abandon his search as he fears losing everything he has won already.

Santiago, for instance, initially baulks at giving up his sheep flock to Melchizedek. Santiago
worries losing the money he won with the crystal merchant in Tangier. Santiago, in the
oasis, worries losing Fatima. Finally, Santiago worries he will never be able to turn into the
wind after being caught. The irony of this terror derives from the fact that each time he
abandons his terror and gives up his former possessions, Santiago receives ever greater
rewards.

This quote also raises the idea that if he knows that he plays a role in something greater
than his own life, a person should have no need to fear something. The camel driver tells
Santiago these lines from his experience, having lost all his belongings when his orchard
farm was devastated by a storm.

However, he admits that the same hand that writes the life story of a human also writes
the history of the world. In other words, in the wider world around him, the life of each
human plays a role, and the camel driver implies that that role is determined by God. This
understanding does not deter a person from experiencing losses, but he has no cause to
dread any loss if the person understands that his tragedy serves a greater purpose.

As he encounters struggles later in the novel, this perspective becomes important to

Santiago, particularly as he learns to stop fearing disappointment and to believe in the
omens he sees.

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 “The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the
metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the
vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to
a purification of themselves.”

When Santiago reads a book on alchemy, the Englishman relates this history to Santiago.
The quotation summarizes the primary perspective that links the art of converting metals
into alchemy by following their personal legends with the concept of human beings
achieving spiritual perfection. Much like lead is refined by alchemists, extracting its
impurities to make it into gold, a person can purify himself by concentrating solely on
living out his personal legend.

As the lead is transformed, this process strips the human of impurities, converting him.
Similarly, the Englishman's alchemists did not purify themselves because they wished to
make gold, but because they were so focused on their personal legends that they got rid
of all other worries, as the Englishman puts it, "the vanities of the earth."

Santiago's guides, including Melchizedek and the alchemist himself, emphasize to

Santiago that he must indeed leave all other issues aside. For example, the alchemist urges
Santiago to leave the oasis, even though Santiago wants to remain with Fatima.

But sacrificing these other issues serves as the equivalent of extracting impurities from
lead, and Santiago can change himself only by remaining solely dedicated to carrying out
his personal legend. This notion suggests that all other interests should play a secondary
role in chasing one 's personal legend, even that of romantic love.

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 “What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World
tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil,
but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve
learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which, as we say in
the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared
on the horizon.’
“Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search end with the victor’s
being severely tested.”

At the conclusion of the book, the alchemist speaks these last words to Santiago before
the two part ways. In brief, the alchemist explains to Santiago that he had to face so many
trials if, as the alchemist and others have said, the world just wishes his personal legend
to be fulfilled. For starters, Santiago may have begun his journey with "beginner's luck,"
but only to a small degree as he was instantly robbed and left penniless in Tangier. But
he encountered increasingly more challenging obstacles as his search went on. Santiago
appears as though he needs to trick the elements into supporting him when he must
transform himself into the storm. But these challenges served their own purpose, as
explained by the alchemist: to help Santiago master the lessons he had already learnt.

The assertion of the alchemist suggests that the essential part of following one 's personal
legend is not only to accomplish the ultimate aim, whether it is to convert lead into gold
or to discover a treasure close to the pyramids, but also to learn by experience. The
alchemist describes this notion to Santiago earlier in the novel, using alchemy as an
example. He argues that the alchemists were so focused on gold and lost the emphasis
on living out their personal legends. They lost the potential to practice alchemy as a result.
Meanwhile, Santiago eventually travels to the pyramids through Spain, into Africa, and
through the Sahara, only to discover that under a tree lies the riches he finds in the region
where he started his quest. Without this journey and the insight, he acquired by playing
out his Personal Mythology, his transformation may not have happened. He learned to
interpret omens along the way, to engage with the elements, and even to transform
himself into the wind.

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 Conclusion: Leadership lessons and combing course learnings
and the book
There are several instances in the novel from where we could derive parallels from the
learnings we had in our course. We explored several invaluable leadership themes during
the sessions, which, while reading this book, also seemed relevant. Whether it is the
adventurous but fantasy-filled journey of Don Quixote or the learnings that Siddhartha
gained from the ferrymen, showing the importance of a mentor, several other themes
have been mentioned in the book implicitly.

Just like Don Quixote was fixated upon his fantasy, Santiago had several recurring dreams
about the treasure. This made him feel that he was not an ordinary shepherd. Don Quixote
had his fantasy quest and Santiago was in search of his “Personal Legend”. If we compare
both Don Quixote and Santiago, their passion and their belief in their dreams
differentiated them from others. This is one of the traits that a leader displays- following
his passion and belief in his dreams. There will always be people who may demotivate
you, stating that the dream is impossible. But a true leader never loses sight of the goal
and should be entirely sure about their goals so that they can convey and inspire others.

There was one famous quote in the book regarding the universe conspiring in helping
you to achieve your goals. This could translate to taking a step and working towards
your goal with utmost sincerity resulting in everything falling into place. Even
though there would be some setbacks in the journey, just like Santiago and Don Quixote
had, it would ultimately result in success.

Thus, it is necessary to be like an explorer to whom the consequences are not entirely
important rather than the experiential journey, which changes the perspective and moulds
one is of importance. A leader must differentiate himself from the crowd and challenge
the status quo rather than giving into the societal norms.

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Just like Siddhartha, Santiago was also born as an ordinary person. But as Siddhartha
listened to his true calling and was willing to give up his all to pursue his true desire,
Santiago also listened to his inner calling and had a belief in his dream. But both required
guiding force to reach their goals and become what they ultimately were. For Siddhartha,
it was the ferryman who taught Siddhartha about the ultimate way to enlightenment.
Similarly, the Alchemist was the guiding force for Santiago. When the Alchemist comes
to know about Santiago’s vision, he invites Santiago on a trip along with him into the
desert. During the journey, he teaches Santiago about the importance of pursuing his own
goal and listening to his heart. When we work under a good mentor and leader, he/she
ignites the belief and the process that with the passage of time, the followers/mentees
can also get converted to gold.

The book also presents a case that even when there is no mentor or leader to guide
us, one can gradually transform into an alchemist. Hence, a leader, in addition to
converting himself to gold, also helps his team unleash their potential, come out of their
comfort zone, and finally transform them into gold. This is only achievable if one knows
his true calling or, as mentioned in the book, has his own “Personal Legend”. Our sessions
also mentioned that each person has an inner leader who needs to be discovered. A leader
or a mentor can act as a catalyst in finding that.

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In addition to the above themes, the other themes that we felt were relevant were- The
path taken to be more important than the end goal, being emotional, trusting
yourself and importance of perseverance. Once you have identified your own “Personal
Legend”, it is also necessary to work hard towards achieving that goal. Just like Santiago
eventually undergoes his transformation, but with a lot of patience and work, it is also
essential for the leaders to work hard towards their goals.
In Santiago’s journey, he came to the realization that the things he learnt during the
journey were more valuable than the treasure. As a leader, there comes the point in
time when one ultimately realizes that more than the outcome, the thing that
matters is how it was achieved, and the lessons learnt. Realizing the dream and goal
is critical, but the learnings during the journey are essential than achieving the goal itself.
According to us, another leadership lesson that was taught in this book is to trust yourself.
Santiago interprets “good omens” himself and trusts himself to identify them. A leader
should trust his instincts and should be confident in the decision he takes.

Emotions also play a significant role in making decisions and are a legitimate reason
to make any decision. A leader is supposed to be emotional, who does not back out in
displaying emotions. But the leaders also need to recognize their biases, which influences
a decision. An effective leader understands situations where they are biased and resolves

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that feelings before deciding. Leaders are also humans, and it is entirely rational to display
emotions; it also helps the followers to know that the leader cares for them and is humane
in making decisions.

In the book, Santiago meets an Englishman who, during their journey through the oasis,
only reads. Even though the Englishman follows the same process as Santiago, but he did
not learn anything and felt frustrated that his life’s work was summed in a single
statement. The Englishman missed that the optimal way to learn is to soak the experience
that life provides. He never implemented anything he read, which caused him to omit
everything around him. Learning, in addition to reading, requires doing. A leader should
put into action what they have learned from the experiences and link them to new ones.

One of the most common characteristics that the leaders display is that of
persevering through challenges in the path and be adaptive and flexible in their
approach under dire circumstances. In the book, Santiago was beaten and robbed. His
path to Egypt was not easy or linear. He had several challenges in his path; it changed and
paused several times. He had stops in his journey when he spent a year in a single place
and some months in another. He had initially thought that the journey would be linear
and short, which was far away from what it turned out to be. In their pursuits, leaders are
often faced with unforeseen hindrances which require them to adapt and be flexible to
get out of that situation. Effective leaders find ways to gather inner strength to tackle or
solve tough unexpected challenges. The harder the journey, the stronger the leader
becomes, and its more satisfying to achieve the goal.

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REFERENCES
• cliffsnotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from cliffsnotes: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/the-
alchemist/character-list

• elitedaily.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from elitedaily.com:

https://www.elitedaily.com/life/motivation/every-20-something-read-alchemist/705954

• goodreads. (n.d.). Retrieved from goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/566.Paulo_Coelho

• quirkywrites.blogspot. (n.d.). Retrieved from quirkywrites.blogspot.:

https://quirkywrites.blogspot.com/5-reasons-why-you-should-read-alchemist

• sparknotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from sparknotes: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-alchemist/

• wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Coelho

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