Page 5 - The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised.

“It’s this; that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us,
and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”

“My name is Melchizedek,” said the old man, “How many sheep do you have?”

“Enough,” said the boy, He could see that the old man wanted to know more about his
life.

“Well, then, we’ve got a problem. I can’t help you if you feel you’ve got enough sheep.”

“Give me one-tenth of your sheep,” said the old man, “and I’ll tell you how to find the
hidden treasure.”

But before the boy could say anything, the old man leaned over, picked up a stick, and
began to write in the sand of the plaza...There, in the sand of the plaza of that small city,
the boy read the names of his father and his mother and the name of the seminary he had
attended. He read the name of the merchant’s daughter, which he hadn’t even known, and
he read things he had never told anyone.

“I’m the king of Salem,” the old man had said.

“Why would a king be talking with a shepherd?” the boy asked, awed and embarrassed.

“For several reasons, But let’s say that the most important is that you have succeeded in
discovering your Personal Legend.”

“It’s what you have 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...”

“It’s 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.”