“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
Like Santiago, the central character in The Alchemist, I am on a journey. I relate to him in many ways. That is why, I suspect, the book was passed on to me, even if the person who gave it to me decided to do so only minutes after our chance encounter.
Was it a chance encounter? Given the quote from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho above, the universe is always conspiring in my favor, acting beyond chance encounters, coincidences, and luck. I decided to tell you my story of how the book came into my hands as an introduction to the magic of the book. It also serves as an invitation for you to discover how the universe is at work in your own life at any given moment.
“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation”
I was visiting my hometown of South Bend in the northern part of Indiana. My mother-in-law lives on her own Field of Dreams. Quite literally, she lives in an apartment overlooking a baseball diamond. My daughter and I were exercising in the clubhouse. On our way back to the apartment, I remembered what my husband told me. He said I should go to the roof top of the other building to see the view. That’s all it took… one invitation.
When we arrived, I noticed a young man sitting in a reclined seat watching the game. Eventually he turned and looked at us. I mentioned what a great view he had and, in moments, we were engaged in a conversation about life.
In a short while, I noticed his shirt. HANOVER. I was on that campus just a few weeks ago with my son during a college visit. As we talked, this young man explained how he went to school there. He was also an admissions counselor before leaving for his current job. Most of all, he had answers to my questions.
The distance from Hanover to South Bend is 245 miles. Hanover is at the bottom of the state while South Bend is in the complete opposite direction north. So interesting how the questions I had about the campus were being answered here and now and with such grace and ease.
Discovering The Alchemist…
As we continued to talk, our conversation went beyond the campus, into the vastness of the world, and landed in the mystery of the universe. When Hunter mentioned he had a book he’d like to loan me, I didn’t question it. I knew I was meant to read it. Of course, I’m talking about The Alchemist. I’d heard of it many times before. In fact, Will Smith, the Fresh Prince himself, fell in love with the book. I adored listening to him tell his own stories of alchemy, so it’s a wonder I had not yet taken the time to read The Alchemist for myself. However, it brings me back to one of the central themes I discovered while reading… anything is possible and everything happens in its own perfect time.
“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”
Before we parted, I asked Hunter if he had read, “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson. He had not. So it became my recommendation to him.
When I got back to my mother-in-law’s apartment, I excitedly sat down in a quiet corner to begin reading The Alchemist. When I opened the flap, I smiled at my extraordinary yet simple discovery. The first person to endorse the book was none other than Spencer Johnson, author of “Who Moved My Cheese?”
“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”
The Alchemist is a story of dreams, travel, love, destiny, and trust. It is a book about life. Or better yet, it is an invitation to tune into your own life and get to know your true heart.
Finally, I returned The Alchemist to Hunter in a big yellow envelope with a letter about everything I appreciated about this wonderful book and all the treasures I discovered along Santiago’s journey, so parallel to my own. In fact, his journey is representative of the journey we all make, if we choose to see it. In addition, I sent my own copy of “Who Moved My Cheese?”. It is a symbol of the literal magic that happens when we open our eyes and our hearts, and what can happen when we dare to travel beyond our comfort zone.
“Alchemy is a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.”
Something else. When Hunter gave me his own copy of The Alchemist, he could not have known that my son had it on his reading list. Remember, my son is the reason I went to the Hanover campus, the reason why Hunter and I had such an instant connection. Needless to say, the very next week, I bought a special edition copy of the book for my son’s birthday, which he now treasures.
“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”
with love for the journey,
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