If you haven't read The Alchemist, you need to. This beautifully crafted story explores themes of self-actualization and intuition through the frame of a shepherd boy's journey.

Paulo Coelho's plot follows a boy, Santiago, through an incredible journey. He begins in an abandoned church in Spain with only a book and some sheep to his name. By the end, Santiago has met interesting people, learned invaluable lessons and (most importantly) found his personal legend. For a more in-depth overview of the plot, you can read a summary here.

One day, during my junior year of high school, my aunt texted me to meet at a coffee shop halfway between our houses. I felt so mature (wow-coffee? With a real adult?) and so excited she wanted to spend time one-on-one. My life changed course in that coffee shop. My aunt gave me a copy of The Alchemist, and I know my uncle has also given people this wonderful novel.

The novel talks of Personal Legends, the Soul of the Universe and intuition. This might sound "New Age-y" and, you know what, to each their own. But I hope in writing this piece to impact someone's life as my aunt and uncle, my godfather, impacted mine. Since I can't share the entire experience of reading the novel in one article, I'm going to share my favorite quotes. If you never read the book, hopefully, these quotes can spark you to think about the nature of life.

“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it.”

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”

“Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.”

“Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”

“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

Out of context, they might sound like a self-help book, but really these bits of wisdom make innate sense. They are not "feel-good." While, yes, it's empowering to know you can alter the course of your life and impact history, that might terrify you. It puts all responsibility for your life on your shoulders. The key is to work past that fear and channel it into strength to live a mindful life you create all on your own.

Life has a funny way of playing out like a puzzle. Events you’d never imagine are related ultimately create the bigger picture of your life. The universe spins last week’s tragedy into this week’s opportunity. It shows you a secret path hidden in the mundane day, it shows you yesterday’s dream might not what fulfills you today.

Names aside, if you listen to the signs your subconscious, your intuition, the Holy Spirit or the Universe you will see change. Santiago enjoyed his life as a shepherd, he was fine. But he wasn't living. He found love, treasure and wisdom beyond compare when he stepped out of his comfort zone and thrived. Yes, there were hardships. He was robbed multiple times, beaten up and caught up in a war. But he persevered.

Following the Soul of the Universe in order to find your personal legend can be anything from taking a mindful walk to work in the morning to fighting against the ivory trade. Just remember, your life is your own and you always have the power to create your own reality.