Leading a Satisfying Life
By Kamryn Burton, Wisteria Magazine (@kamryn.burton)
In December, my AP Literature class read Paulo Coelho’s critically acclaimed The Alchemist. When my peers and I read between the lines, we found unexpectedly deep insights into life and purpose. Our conversations prompted me to evaluate my life and uncover the secret to attaining true happiness.
In The Alchemist, everyone has a Personal Legend – essentially their biggest aspiration – and receives omens to realize and achieve their goal. But how they react to this Personal Legend varies from character to character. One, a shepherd boy, follows his dream of finding the treasure at the pyramids and unlocks the key to a satisfying life. Another, a crystal merchant, ignores his heart's longing to pilgrimage to Mecca and dooms himself to eternal regret.
I believe The Alchemist is a direct analogy for life. There are two types of people in the world: shepherd boys and crystal merchants. You can either accept the call to adventure or refuse – take a chance or grapple with the open-ended possibilities of what could have been.
For instance, there is a TikTok trend where creators compare their current occupations, which they are 99% sure about pursuing, and their dream jobs, which account for the remaining 1% of uncertainty. The videos under the trend share a pattern – though creators ponder and enjoy less conventional fields like the arts, they pursue more respected and traditional fields like medicine and finance. What separates these people from those who do what they love? It is far easier to learn to play by the rules of the game than to rewrite them, so is the struggle worth the reward? How can you prevent your dreams from falling victim to doubts, other obligations, societal expectations, environmental pressures, and material desires?
All these questions swarmed my thoughts while reading The Alchemist, especially as a high-school senior looking toward college, the workforce, and beyond. My heart has been set on becoming a doctor for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I begged for every toy doctor kit in the store and danced around the house in my white lab coat. I decided my fate early on and never questioned it until I grew older. COVID robbed me of the chance to shadow doctors, so I was unsure if I wanted to pursue medicine. I no longer had a clear view of my once-certain future. And despite my doubts, I felt pressured to mindlessly follow the plan I made at 5 years old.
Doctors make good money and demand respect within and outside their field. I couldn't stand to disappoint my family by not following through on my years-long promises. But did I have a genuine passion for my future endeavors? Was I blindly doing something for high regard, social acceptance, and a good salary? The answers to these queries were right under my nose.
In middle school, I spent my Friday nights watching medical documentaries. Sometimes, the only thing keeping me going on bad days at school was looking forward to biology class. I still wanted to be a doctor, but external factors clouded my passion. My drained zeal and confidence would have continued if I failed to realize the importance of following my heart. I wouldn’t have been genuinely happy if I pursued medicine for other people or ulterior motives; I have to want it and love it for myself.
In The Alchemist, the shepherd boy, Santiago, is overwhelmed with joy and accomplishment upon reaching the Pyramids. In this catharsis, he reminisces on his gained experiences and considers if he would be satisfied with how he lived if he were to die today. Santiago ultimately finds that completing his Personal Legend is fulfilling enough to feel at peace with death. Though he is young and would have spent little time on Earth, he has spent that time wisely, honoring his wildest dreams. As it turns out, following his heart was all Santiago needed to reach contentment with his life.
On the other hand, the crystal merchant’s Personal Legend fades into a distant fantasy due to paralyzing disappointment and fear of failure. He chooses to suppress and ignore his Personal Legend, perhaps to ease the misery of knowing he won’t ever pursue it. However, this neglect does not make his desire dissipate. It only exacerbates the issue as he constantly contemplates the hajj and grieves the opportunity he will never take. The crystal merchant even admits that the thought of his Personal Legend is his only motivation to live through the struggles and monotony of his unsatisfying life.
Thus, the only way to attain authentic happiness is by doing what you wholeheartedly love. Otherwise, you’ll suffer watching others do the things you wish you dared to do, grow bitter, and overthink the hypotheticals. So chase after your Personal Legend, even if the journey takes you down the road less traveled. Taking risks is scary, but it's nearly impossible to reach your goals while staying within your comfort zone. Eventually, you have to take the first step because if not now, when? After all, if you can’t confidently say you worked toward achieving your dreams at the end of the day, did you truly live?
