Alchemist essay

Another big part of reaching a Personal Legend is learning how to deal with fear and the possibility of failing. Many people stop chasing their dreams because they are afraid of getting hurt or looking like a failure. The Alchemist helps Santiago realize that staying still is actually more dangerous than taking a risk. He tells him, “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself” (134). This means that worrying about what might go wrong actually causes more pain than the actual problem does. Society today is often obsessed with being perfect, but Coelho argues that you have to be okay with making mistakes to get anywhere. Santiago learns that even if he hits a dead end, its just part of his education. The book says, “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure” (146). This connects to human beings everywhere because we all face moments where we want to give up. By pushing past that fear, we prove that our dream is more important than our comfort. This shows that the journey isn’t just about luck; its about having the “grit” to keep going when things get scary.