What inspired you to read the book?
The red cover stood out as I walked by a cellmates bunk one day, I asked him if the book was any good. I was surprised to learn that The Alchemist was a book that had been read by millions of people around the world. I even heard a story that this is the book that your parents seemed to always have sitting in the bathroom to read on any given day. My mother apparently has a copy herself that she will re-read every couple of years. The non-readers of the world have all read or at least heard about this book. So to say this is a must read for anyone is an understatement. I have now personally passed the book around to at least five other individuals and encourage everyone to read it.
What you learned from reading the book?
The most important lesson the book has given me pertains to our constant focus on the future. As human beings we all want to guess what the future will hold for us, we love forecasting, horoscopes and reading fortunes. We rarely see that the secret to the future lies within the present. The actions we take today and the attention we pay to the present can actually make the future better. We need to forget about what the future will bring, and focus on what our present attitudes and actions are doing to affect our future. The book has taught me to listen to the world, the omens that life presents in the smallest things every single day. I learned that we must always work hard, put our heart into everything we do and love others, while always be determined to reach our life’s goals and true purpose.
How the book will influence your life and prepare for success upon release? The past couple of months as I started to work on a release plan. I have encountered fear in going back into the world. I think about how other people will see me. I think about what kind of job I will be able to find. I get sad to think that my children may no longer recognize me as their father. I overthink about how I can become the best member of my family and reconcile with society. This book made me reflect upon these thoughts as the boy at one point “had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief, [or] as an adventurer in quest of his treasure.” One of my mentors growing up told me once, that when making a decision we need to think about the worst possible outcome; what is the worst thing that could happen. If you understand that AND are willing to accept the worst possible outcome to any situation, then you can make a better decision. This book has brought me back to those early teachings. It has filled me with positivism and inspired me to continue on my journey. Accept that I do not have control over everything that may happen along the way, but I can choose how to see the situation that I face every day, with a positive mindset there are no obstacles that I cannot overcome.
What was the most inspiring quote?
“At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what is happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the worlds greatest lie.”