J.P. Hicks
Waking Times

“Wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.” — Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist

We are all in search of a treasure. Maybe life may not seem as exciting as following clues on a map where “X” marks the spot of hidden riches, but it really isn’t much different. Nor should it be.

Do you believe you are here for a purpose?  Are you following your destiny?

Sadly, most people do not believe they have a destiny to fulfill, but everybody is born with a personal treasure map.

Some people get up every day full of passion to explore the world in pursuit of their treasure and they usually find it. But this treasure is not always defined as physical riches; the true treasure is happiness.

Yet somehow the laws of the universe are such that when one finds happiness in their endeavors, the universe will reward them with ample physical sustenance. “It’s true: life really is generous to those who pursue their Personal Legend,” Coelho wrote in The Alchemist.

In other words, personal riches is not the goal of the quest, rather it is a byproduct of living out your destiny.

Have you ever met someone who is genuinely passionate about what they do? They’re probably some of the most confident and happy people you know. They’re also likely to be the wealthiest people you know.

You may think of these people as extraordinary, and you may even be jealous of them. However, they are just normal people following the path that makes them happy. And the only reason you would feel envy is because you’re not doing what you love.

What is keeping you from listening to your heart and doing what you love?

A great majority of people never find their treasure mainly because they don’t listen to their hearts. Instead they are guided by false fears that their mind tricks them to believe are real. These fears are what trap us into a life not of our choosing. A life that usually leads to misery.

Ask yourself, how would I spend my days if I already had all the money I ever needed?  Or, what would be your dream occupation? This is your Personal Legend where you will find your treasure.

You may not know the answer right away and that’s okay. Your heart will provide clues for you during your journey. The key is listening to your heart and having the courage to follow the clues.

But what about the real world: I have bills to pay and food needs to be bought, you may ask. No one ever said life is without its challenges and, although those bills are real, fear of them is an illusion.

Another story in The Alchemist illustrates this point:

A boy sought out the wisest man in the world to learn the secret of happiness. He arrived at the grand estate of the wise man to find that he was very busy giving advice to others. The wise man gave the boy a teaspoon with two drops of oil and told him to explore the palace and return in four hours, but that he mustn’t drop any of the oil from the spoon. So the boy, terrified to disappoint the wise man, went about the property only concentrating on keeping the oil on the spoon.

When the boy returned proud to have the oil in the spoon, the wise man asked him what he had seen and thought of the marvels of his property. The boy couldn’t recall a thing because he was so focused on not dropping the oil.  So the wise man sent him away again requesting a full report on what he enjoys about the property.

The boy couldn’t believe all of the majestic things that he previously missed because he was concentrating so hard on the oil in the spoon. When he returned to the wise man he gave a detailed report of the things he loved most about his journey through the amazing property. Only, in his enthusiasm for discovery, he realized that his spoon was completely empty of oil.

The wise man said, “The secret of happiness is to see all of the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”

In other words, follow your dreams and enjoy the marvels of the world to the fullest, but simultaneously maintain your focus on reality and you shall find happiness and your treasure as well.

Now go out and listen to your heart. Your treasure awaits you.

About the Author

J.P. Hicks is an info-activist, entrepreneur, pro blogger, editor of Blog Tips and author of a book about blogging. Follow @ Twitter, or like on Facebook and get the FREE ebook SEO For Bloggers.

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

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