I have been so blessed to have come across so many wonderful books this Summer, and my luck has continued into the Fall as I just finished another wonderful book that I had to share with you. If you have not read The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlho, I highly recommend it.

More than 65 million copies of this book have been sold in 150 countries, and it has been translated into 60 languages. Why? Because the message of this story is universal - it is about the journey we each take in this lifetime...seeking our "personal legend." You may call it your purpose, or your passion...this fable touches each of us because Coelho understands that we all share the same desire to discover our personal calling.

As much as I loved Santiago's (the main character) story, actually my favorite part of the book is the author's introduction where he shares his thoughts about personal calling, which he defines as "...it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth. When we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend." He also shares his theory of the four obstacles to actually finding the courage to confront our own dreams:

1. We are told from childhood that everything we want to do is impossible...and eventually our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it is always there.

2. Love: we know what we want to do but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dreams.

3. Fear of defeat, fear of failure. Coelho has a wonderful explanation for the benefits of failing: "...once we overcome the defeats - and we always do - we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life. Each day, each hour, is part of the good fight."

4. Fear of realizing our dream for which we fought for all our lives...that the possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. "But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here."

Happy Reading! Andrea :-)