In Search of Joy: The Wisdom of the Alchemist
Appreciating life's beauty while doing what needs to be done
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The Article in Three Sentences
Embark on a journey as a young boy seeks the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world in a castle high atop a mountain. Through a simple task involving a spoon and drops of oil, he learns a profound lesson about happiness. This tale is a captivating reminder that the key to happiness lies in savoring life's wonders while tending to our daily tasks.
Dear friends,
Imagine setting out on an adventure to uncover the secret of happiness. That's exactly what a young boy did in Paul Coelho’s famous book, “The Alchemist.” In this story, the boy's journey teaches us an important lesson about finding happiness in our own lives.
His journey led him to a wise man living atop a mountain in a grand castle. Yet, the boy's encounter wasn’t what he expected. Instead of serene solitude, he found a bustling scene filled with people talking, music playing, and delicious food on the table, not unlike our modern lives. There he learned a timeless lesson that still resonates today.
A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.
Rather than finding a saintly man though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.
The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.
“Meanwhile I want to ask you to do something,” said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.”
The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.
“Well,” asked the wise man, “did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”
The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
“Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,” said the wise man. “You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house.”
Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?” asked the wise man.
Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,” said the wisest of wise men. “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”
The following well-known video vividly illustrates the truth of this story. “Intense focusing on a task can make people effectively blind to stimuli that normally attract attention. The most dramatic demonstration I was offered was by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons in “The Invisible Gorilla,” writes Daniel Kahneman.
This lesson is relevant to us all. Often, we become so absorbed in our routines that we overlook the beauty of life – the laughter of friends, the colors of nature, and the joy in everyday moments. But, like the boy's second exploration of the castle, we can find happiness by appreciating the life around us and doing what needs to be done.
Think about your own life. How often do you pause to enjoy the little things? The warmth of the sun on your skin, the sound of laughter, or the scent of fresh flowers? These are the wonders that enrich our days. Yet, we also have tasks to accomplish – chores, schoolwork, and responsibilities.
What if we stopped celebrating being busy as a measurement of importance? What if instead we celebrated how much time we had spent listening, pondering, meditating, and enjoying time with the most important people in our lives?”— Greg McKeown
The secret of happiness is to appreciate the world's marvels while fulfilling our responsibilities. So, as you go about your adventures, remember the drops of oil on the spoon while delighting in life’s daily spectacles. In doing so, you will experience the joy of living fully.
Attend to life’s oil and marvels,
Ryan
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