The Alchemist

1
The Alchemist

• Introduction

2
Consider the Following

• Fully describe a goal or dream that you are
  working toward.
• What is the purpose of this goal?
• What will it help you achieve after attaining it?
• What strengths do you possess that will help you
  along the way?

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A Dream Deferredby Langston Hughes

• What happens to a dream deferred?
• Does it dry up
• like a raisin in the sun?
• Or fester like a sore
• And then run?
• Does it stink like rotten meat?
• Or crust and sugar over
• like a syrupy sweet?
• Maybe it just sags
• like a heavy load.
• Or does it explode?

4
Paulo Coelho

• Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1947
• Always wanted to be a writer
• Worked at various professions

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Paulo Coelho

• "I always knew, he says, "that my Personal
  Legend, to use a term from alchemy, was to
  write.
• He was 38 when he published his first book.

6
Paulo Coelho

• Dropped out of law school in 1970
• Traveled through much of South America, North
  Africa, Mexico, and Europe.
• Successful career as popular songwriter.

7
Paulo Coelho

• 1974 imprisoned short time by the military
  dictatorship then ruling in Brazil.
• 1980 walked the 500-plus mile Road of Santiago de
  Compostela in northwestern Spain.

8
Paulo Coelho

• Coehlo achieved a self-awareness and spiritual
  awakening that he later described in The
  Pilgrimage.

9
Fable

• Short narrative makes a moral point
• Traditionally by means of animal characters who
  act like human beings
• Legend about supernatural or mythical characters
  or events

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Allegory

• A representation of an abstract or spiritual
  meaning through concrete or material forms

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What is ALCHEMY?
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Alchemists have 2 main goals

• Medieval scientists practiced alchemy, hoping to
  produce gold from less valuable metals. (Turn
  metal into gold)
• Alchemists also desired to develop potions, known
  as elixirs, to ensure good health and extend life
  spans. (The Philosophers Stone and/or The Elixir
  of Life)

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Where did alchemy come from?

• Founded in Egypt, alchemy was practiced
  throughout the Mediterranean regions and as far
  away as China
• They believed that all objects consist of water,
  air, fire and earth
• Early alchemy was controversial and was opposed
  by many rulers and religions

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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• Personal Legend Your Destiny
• There are 4 obstacles to overcome before you can
  achieve your Personal Legend
• People tell you that your dream is IMPOSSIBLE to
  achieve
• LOVE
• FEAR OF DEFEAT
• FEAR OF REALIZING THE DREAM

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The Alchemist

• Personal Legend Destiny
• Our job is to pursue our personal legend despite
  the many distractions placed in our path

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Lessons of The Alchemist

• Trust your heart
• Read the seemingly inconspicuous signs
• Understand that as you look to fulfill a dream,
  it looks to find you, if you let it
• Sometimes you can find extraordinary in the
  ordinary.

17
Henry David Thoreau

• What a man thinks of himself, that is which
  determines, or rather indicates, his fate.
• Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!
  Live the life youve imagined.

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The Story of Narcissus

• Once upon a time, there was a boy called
  Narcissus. He was the son of a god and he was
  very, very handsome. Many women fell in love with
  him, but he turned them away. One of the women
  who loved Narcissus was a nymph called Echo. Echo
  could not speak properly - she could only repeat
  what was said to her, so she couldn't tell
  Narcissus that she loved him. One day, when
  Narcissus was walking in the woods with some
  friends, he became separated from them. He called
  out "Is anyone here?" Echo replied "Here, Here".
  Echo stepped forward with open arms, wanting to
  cuddle him. But Narcissus refused to accept
  Echo's love. Echo was so upset that she left and
  hid in a cave, until nothing was left of her,
  except her voice.

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Story continued

• The Maiden, a goddess, found out about this, and
  she was very angry. She made Narcissus fall in
  love with himself. When Narcissus looked at his
  reflection in a pond one day, he fell in love. He
  stayed on that spot forever, until he died one
  day. Where he died a flower grew, and that flower
  is called a Narcissus.