The Alchemist

The Alchemist is about a Spanish shepherd boy who fulfills his purpose, or his “Personal Legend” if you will. It’s basically about this kid who has a dream and consequently is forced to do the unthinkable in order to fulfill that dream.

I always tell people that I want for nothing, but that is a lie. I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a little money in the bank. I have a wonderful family and fantastic friends who love me. What more could a person ask for? In my mind, wanting anything else would be greedy.

But I do want. There are things I want to do and places I want to see and experiences I want to have. There is so much I haven’t done that I want to do, but sometimes I think I have had to tread water for a little bit, just because of the circumstances of my life.

And then sometimes I think that the treading water excuse is just me being a chicken.

I get so used to the goodness of day to day life that I forget to dream. Or it’s too scary to think about something you want and then not have it. Disappointment. Rejection. Maybe even loss. It’s easier to just sit tight and not take that leap. To not jump in feet first. To not throw myself into a cause, a relationship, a dream. To bury my wants and desires, right along with my pain. To just merely exist.

It takes less courage, fewer cajones, no chutzpah to just simply “be.” I just sit idly by watching everyone else live it up. I glean what I can from their leftover energy, but I still find myself not satisfied. Don’t you?!?

I do.

I don’t want to just merely exist. I want to LIVE. I want to take those risky leaps of faith, those head first dashes into joy, those courageous acts of kindness.

I can be bold. I can do the unthinkable. I can do more than test the water with my toe. I can jump right in and not live in fear. I can dare to dream.