(by guest blogger, Ramya Raju)
O Alquimista, the original Portuguese version of the now popular book, brought
its share of despair to its creator, Paulo Coelho. Though published, and sold
in some measure, the publisher had told Coelho that it was never really going
to be big. A disappointed Coelho had left the city and gone away for a while,
before he decided that he believed in the book and had to make it happen!
He was back with a bang, and was working hard - knocking doors to make
the magic happen. This, in a sense, can be called his Personal Legend, also the
core theme of the book.
The Personal Legend is an interesting idea. Each individual has a
different legend – a unique goal to achieve, a unique desire to fulfill. You
have to believe in your personal legend and work to make it happen. And when
you do that, magically, things begin to happen and they move you forward on
your path. According to the author, the universe conspires to make it happen
for you.
I personally, have one deep reservation about the personal legend
theory. What if your desire or goal is to destroy the world? Will the stars
favour you even then? What if your desire clashes with the desires of others?
What will happen? Whom will the universe favour? For whom will the universe
conspire to make it happen? And finally, is there nothing bigger than a
personal desire or goal? The book does not answer these questions.