Alchemist Essay

'Compare and contrast the process Santiago completes to achieve is personal legend to a goal you have achieved or are attempting"

Santiago's journey is comparable to the long-term goals I am attempting. His journey is a more physical representation of the steps of my goals. He starts out as a shepherd that travels from town to city. This would be similar to education and prerequisites for my first job. He then finds a job at the crystal merchant where he earns some money and experience. This can relate to my first job, whether it's part-time or full-time. Furthermore he works his way towards his personal legend through trial and error, and eventually reaches his personal legend. As I would work toward my dream job of becoming an astronaut, I would defiantly not get there without going through hardships and obstacles.

Santiago's dream to travel only begins with his work as a shepherd. He has only been travelling between towns and cities selling wool and sheep. As for myself, I haven't even started my dream job yet. Training and my education are the only prerequisites to me becoming an astronaut. Training isn't the same thing as actually experiencing something in real life situation. To some extent, we are both realizing our dream jobs on a smaller scale. This process takes a huge amount of time regardless of the situation. Whether its 5 years of school, or 5 years of travelling between towns, there are prerequisites to achieving our dream job. Santiago builds a steady business relationship with merchants in towns, meeting new people and learning from them. In school, I make many friends, and most of my school life would be learning from experiences I have in my education. Once Santiago finds out about his personal legend he begins to think; should he continue travelling as a shepherd, or start travelling to Egypt to realize his personal legend. This may happen to me also; will I be happy with being an astronaut my whole life, or should I get a career change.

Before Santiago started working for the crystal merchant, a young man he met at the café stole what money Santiago had. Regardless of that, Santiago kept on going. Even though this isn't his first job, it can relate to my own first job. I have yet to apply for anytime soon, but I already know that there is a high change of me getting rejected from my first job application. I may not get it from the second or the third try. Santiago was confused if he should follow his personal legend or not. The crystal merchant made him realize that his personal legend was further than he had thought it was. Santiago wanted to go back to the steady life he had as a shepherd, and continue travelling from town to town. However, he decided to go through with his personal legend after he left the crystal merchant's shop. Becoming an astronaut for NASA is a difficult process, it will take

...