You’re seven years old. You’re in your living room glued to the television as your favourite character twirls to the end of their song, words of triumph filling the air around you. You jump with joy, realizing that yes, after a journey charged by evil witches and talking animals, their dream has finally come true. You rejoice at their happiness, promising yourself that one-day, your dreams will unfold into a reality as well. Fast-forwarding to early adulthood, that once, child-like charm and optimism is on the verge of fading. The future seems like a dark abyss where opportunities are lost and the road to achieving your life goals seems to be lengthening every step of the way. The child who was once invigorated by the idea of the future and the dreams it holds has become a truly skilled pessimist. Little do they know, their dreams are within their grasp; all that is needed is patience. Luckily, treasures like Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist provide us with food for thought, reminding us that every road has its bumps. Here are a few of Coelho’s pearls of wisdom, inspiring us to take the steps any true dream catcher would take.
Make decisions
“Making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
By making a decision, we are accepting whatever may come our way, be it failures or achievements. Making a decision relies on determining the steps needed to reach your goal and evaluating the value each option holds. Sometimes, our human instinct and emotion can skew our decision, for we become so overwhelmed with the fear of failing that we are no longer able to reason. But, that’s okay. A bad decision and resulting failure should never be rejected. Rather, as Coelho points out, any decision made should be viewed as a learning opportunity, a blessing in disguise, and something that will aide in making decisions the next time around. By keeping this in mind, the steps to accomplishing your dream will drastically shrink in size.
Be daring
“When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.”
An artificial boundary, our comfort zone binds us to the things that provide us with a sense of security. Unfortunately, sticking to our comfort zone can hinder us from meeting our full potential and unlocking opportunities that lie on the other side. Why do we stay in our comfort zone? The same reason we fail to make decisions: fear. We fear the unknown; the idea of uncertainty has the power to stiffen us. Even when we feel we are ready to take a leap of faith, our courage fails, and the anxiety sets in. The secret to achieving your goals: don’t be prisoner to your fears. In fact, a little stress and anxiety is healthy, it sparks you to perform optimally. With every step outside of our comfort zone, we are expanding our safety net and trampling on obstacles we once feared. Just remember; never settle for the mediocre, your dream is a comfort zone away.
Silence your fears
“If a person is living out their personal legend, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
Our fear of failure and the feelings of disappointment that accompany it inhibit us from pursuing our dreams. This is the distinguishing characteristic between true dream seekers and the average human being. Those who seek their dream are accepting of defeat because they understand that something truly worth fighting for unforgivingly leaves its scars. The journey itself, laden with defeats, is what gives significance to the goal once it is attained. One cannot merely expect a flourishing crop without having labored through the seasons. Ultimately, the journey, failures and all, is as valuable as the dream that waits at the end.
At times, the ambiguity of the future can be frightening, causing us to wonder whether or not dreams truly do come true or if they’re merely the outcome of every childhood film. Even after we’ve made decisions, taken leaps of faith, and trampled on our fears, will our aspirations be fulfilled? The answer is: passion. As Coelho simply puts it: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
By Zahraa Saab
Please note that opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.
