Alchemy

It was quite some time ago, when I read this book, but recently something reminded me of a quote from this book. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, is a truly inspiring book on self-development, shedding a light to whoever looking for answers to the mysteries of life we all go through. Unlike many other literatures which try to convince readers with limited, definite, and often misleading instructions of how to live a meaningful life, this fine piece rather provides puzzling situations, open to own interpretations. After reading this book, my definition of alchemy would be process of turning one's life into a golden one. Life is an adventure after all, and a short one. Gold is merely piece of a metal people commonly perceive as being precious. We often lose ourselves in true meaning of life and accept worldly things as the way they are. Being happy, becoming a better person, bonding with special counterparts, et cetera... , who should be in charge of defining answers to these if not to live someone else's life? I believe Coelho perhaps titled his book this way because he thought the book itself turns people's lives to shape into something richer and more meaningful. Here are some memorable quotes I would like to keep for myself and others:)

• I'm like everyone else—I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.
• Whoever has money is never really alone.
• When you really want something, the universe always conspires in your favor
• It is the possibility of making dreams come true that makes life interesting.