The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a story about a boy named Santiago a shepherd boy from Andalusia who travels the world, searching for his treasure.

It is an uplifting, inspiring tale that reminds readers to cut through the noise of the world around them, and listen to their hearts.

These 10 quotes from The Alchemist will awaken your soul and help you follow your heart:

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

A harsh reminder that many people spend time worrying about others. But when you worry about others, you can’t focus on yourself.

Making your dream a reality takes laser focus and effort that most aren’t willing to put in. It’s easier to sit around and judge others for what they do, so most people do it. Be one of the few who focuses on their own dreams.

#2. “I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”

Stay present. The brain’s ability makes it possible to live in 1 of 3 realities- the past, present and future. Have an eye towards the future and a firm grip on the past, but stay in the present moment. Focus on what matters now.

#3. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

This might be the most famous quote from the book. But what does it mean?

Think back to the last time you went all in on a dream. Did your worldview change? Did people come out of seemingly nowhere to help you achieve your goal?

When you put the energy out to the world, the universe will respond. It will help you once you show that you are committed.

#4. “Why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked.

“Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure.”

How many stories have you heard of people chasing after “ultimate” things that turned out to not be very ultimate? The job, the girl, the title- all things that, had we listened closely, we might have heard our heart say we didn’t really need that thing.

Your heart is like a compass. It knows the direction you should move, so listen to it carefully.

#5. “You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.”

What a beautiful perspective this is. It’s easier said than done, following your heart. Even if you know you should, how often do you scoff at the things you should do?

Think of it this way. Your heart will be with you for the rest of your life. There is no separating yourself from it, so ultimately, you’ll probably end up where your heart tells you to go. Better to listen to it and cut out years of fighting an uphill battle.

#6. “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”

Fear of the work is worse than the work itself. Once you begin your journey, distractions like fear fade into the distance. Your time and energy is spent working and growing. And, you’re never alone on your journey.

#7. “People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”

You hear the stories of people starting business and chasing dreams well into the twilight years of their lives. But generally speaking, they are the exception to the rule. Most people accept life as it is at a certain point, content to live out their days being only moderately happy.

What is your dream? You’re never too old, or never unable. Set a goal and get started.

#8. “If you start by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.”

I’ve found over time that this is a key component to motivating yourself and others. You’re living in another reality promising things you don’t have. Your ego takes over, clouding the fact that you haven’t accomplished much yet.

It’s a harsh reality to wake  up and realize that you now “owe’ someone something you haven’t done yet. Promises are hard to keep, so make them only when you can fulfill them.

#9.“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”

What if the map of your life was centered around this belief? What would you send your days doing? How would it differ from what you’re doing now?

#10. “Making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”

I like to picture the path to achieving a goal or mastery as sitting on top of a skyscraper in the middle of a city. As you grow, more floors are built. You sit higher above the people and other buildings, able to see more than you could before.

Your decision to start is important, but nothing will be like it once was as you begin doing the work. Follow your heart, put in the work, and watch it change who you are as a person, forever.

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As kids, we were told that playing sports would teach us lessons about life. Though it may have been some time since you’ve played competitive sports, that remains true.

Have you ever thought about all that you’ve learned from playing sports? No matter what your current goal in life is, you can apply the lessons you acquired from the time you spent in athletics to achieving more now.

Here are 5 things learned on the field, gym, or court that can be applied directly to your life. Take a moment to think of your current goal and look at it through these 5 lessons.

• “Championships” are won early in the season, during the practices no one ever sees.

The most grueling practices of the year usually happened in the first two weeks. Most of the team wasn’t in shape. Weather conditions were either way too hot or way too cold. No one watches practice because the first game isn’t for weeks- it’s just you, your teammates and the grind.

But at the end of the season, the hard work that no one ever saw was what mattered the most. The very first reps, grueling sprints, and conversations about how the team would be successful laid the foundation for actually finding success.

The transformation takes more time and energy than you’ll ever think it should, but it never happens without laying down the foundation first. Life’s “championships”, or pinnacle moments where you finally achieve the thing you’ve been striving for, work the same way.

• Mastering the fundamentals is the key to winning.

Which area(s) of life are you trying to excel in? Do you want to improve your health, increase your wealth, or grow in some other way?

Whichever arena you’ve chosen to improve in, the fundamentals are the things we often overlook. We lose focus on the fundamentals when we seek out the “secret edge” or “ultimate program” to achieve our goals.

The truth is, if you committed to the fundamentals and executed every day, you’ll reach your goals a lot faster than you will if you regularly change your routine.

Examples: lift heavy weights. Eat clean food 90% of the time. Save 10% of every dollar you make. Tell people you love them.

John Wooden is famous for showing his athletes how to put on their socks on day 1 of practice. He believed that mastering the fundamentals was the key to success. You should, too.

• You need to trust and believe in the people around you to be successful.

It’s easy to fall into the trap where you believe that you don’t need anyone else to be successful. That’s what happens when ego takes over.

You can be driven to succeed. It’s okay to have a chip on your shoulder. But you can’t do it alone- treat your family, loved ones, and colleagues the way you’d like to be treated. Bring them up and lead them, if possible. Live and die with the “teammates” you’ve been given in life- they can be your greatest asset.

Not only will the people in their life benefit from having a teammate like you in their corner, but they will be inclined to return the favor- a win-win for all parties involved.

• Consistent effort is more important than talent.

The old adage, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” applies in more than just sports.

Where are you at with your family, job, or personal goals? Do you want to achieve more in a particular area of your life? Assess where you are at currently, even if it’s ugly. Make a game plan for how you’ll grow by 1% each day in that area. Consistency is the mother of all grand achievement. As the days go by and the small investments in yourself compound, you will eventually arrive at a moment where you realized you’ve changed completely.
It doesn’t matter how talented or capable you are right now- only how willing you are to take the steps necessary to grow.

• “Success” can’t always be measured by the numbers on the scoreboard.

There will be times in life where, no matter what you do, things won’t go your way. It’s like playing the greatest game of your life and still ending up with a loss at the end. Maybe the weather was poor or a teammate slipped up and cost you the game.

Regardless, you gave it everything you had and it still wasn’t enough.

In life and sport, there will only ever be so many variables you have control over. Obsess over your daily performance on those little things, like your attitude, work ethic, and the fundamentals of the endeavor you’d like to succeed in.

You won’t always win, but you’ll set yourself up to win far more frequently by focusing on the things you can control. While others spend precious time and energy obsessing over things they cannot change, you will be developing yourself as a human being.

Sports are a great reminder of how achieving success can be simple, but never easy. The keys to winning in sport and life are hard work, consistency, and making habitual investments in yourself and those closest to you.

There is no lesson above that can’t be implemented right away, so that’s my challenge to you. What championship moment are you chasing after? Let your experience in sport help guide you to the top of that mountain.

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