What is your Personal Legend? I’d never been asked that question or heard such a phrase until I read “The Alchemist”. Personal Legend is defined in the book as “…what you always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. 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.” The mysterious force is “…a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal Legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.” “…people are capable, at any times in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”

Kind of deep, huh? I spent the last couple of nights reading “The Alchemist”. For those of you with little ankle-biters out there and not a lot of spare time, I would suggest it. It’s a quick read and it’s super insightful. I’d consider the story more of a fable than a novel as it’s fiction, but there are definitely lessons to be learned in it. It’s a story about a boy that is educated, but leaves home to be a shepherd because he wants to see the world. During this time he learns his Personal Legend and it tells the story of his journey to seek it.

The book is essentially about finding your calling in life, how love for others can derail you if you don’t properly understand love, and fighting the fear of defeat. It’s not easy to follow your calling in life when love and fear, which I’d argue are the two strongest powers in the world, can so easily derail you.

I’d love to say that I left my small hometown in search of my Personal Legend. In truth, I never knew if I was searching for something or running away from it. I’ve had my share of trials and tribulations along the way, but I’ve learned to live with no regrets or resentment because everything I’ve done has lead me to where I are today. And, like the book, I truly believe that sometimes you’re given challenges to build yourself and make yourself stronger, even though you may not see that at the time. These last few weeks are just building blocks.