The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a book that was required reading in Sophomore English.

It's also one of the best books I've ever read.

It's not often that I find a book that I actually enjoy enough to buy and re-read.

The Alchemist is a story about a shepherd boy who has a dream about a child telling him about a treasure at the pyramids in Egypt. A gypsy woman tells him to go to the pyramids because the treasure is real. He meets a king who tells him about his Personal Legend. Basically...this is his journey into the wilderness and finding out what his life is about. It has some seriously deep statements! Here are a few (dozen) of my favorites:

It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. (This was my quote of the day :) Page 11

It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them. Page 15

What's the world's greatest lie? It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives  become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie. Page 18

At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend. (Talking about when a person is young). Page 21

To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. Page 22

And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. (This is repeated many times throughout the course of the book) Page 22

He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of. 

People learn, early in their lives, what is their reason for being.

If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.

Sometimes it's better to leave things as they are...

...it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.

...There is a force that wants you to realize your personal legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success.

The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon. Page 32

He realized that he has to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure.

He had not a cent in his pocket, but he had faith.

Every blessing ignored becomes a curse. Page 58

Sometimes there's just no way to hold back the river. Page 59

Never stop dreaming. Follow the omens. Page 62

Making a decision was only the beginning of things.

We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand. Page 76

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. Page 85

Because, when you know that language, it's easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you, whether it's in the middle of the desert or in some great city. And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one's dreams would have no meaning. Page 93

Go and try. Page 95

The future was already written by Allah, and what he has written was always for the good of man. Page 101

The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity. Page 103

Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. Page 116

One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving. Page 122

There is only one way to learn. It's through action. Page 125

Even though I complain sometimes, it's because I'm the heart of a person, and people's hearts are that way. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don't deserve them, or that they'll be unable to achieve them. We, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren't, or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly." Page 130 (This is from the perspective of a human heart)

I know there are a lot of quotes, but I hope you enjoyed one or two of them (if you even made it this far!) This book is jam packed full of awesome quotes. It's very thought provoking and I strongly recommend it to each and every one of you! You'll love it, I promise!