One of the books to read before you die

If you were to tell someone one of the books to read before they die, what would it be? Just from the sheer number of how many have read it, The Alchemist would surely be a popular choice. Sixty five million people have enjoyed author Paulo Coelho's story of an Andalusian shepherd on a quest to find his treasure. 

I watched an interview the other day with Paulo Coelho and it inspired me to read the book again for the first time in a decade. It's SO GOOD -- so simple, so deep, and so fulfilling -- that I'm reading the physical book and listening to the audio version simultaneously. I want a double-whammy of wisdom.

For those of you who haven't read it (and those who have), here are The Dave Notes on The Alchemist:

1. Every single human being has a personal legend.  

That means YOU have a purpose, a path that has been laid out for you, a reason why you are here. And if you stray far from that personal legend, life becomes very difficult. You won’t get the breaks. You'll always feel off. Life will be mostly annoying. Like when you're typing and you put your fingers on the wrong home keys and you type absolute gibberish. Ever done that before? So many of us are living a life of gibberish! Putting your fingers back on right home keys takes a realignment, a declaration to the universe: “I embrace my personal legend. Show me the way.”

2. If you make the choice to embrace your personal legend, the whole universe will conspire to help you.

You have a talent, a gift, a strength. If you really embrace it, you'll initiate “a process” that Paulo Coelho describes as alchemy.This is the mixture of trust, talent, and positivity that propels you past obstacles, over doubters, and right to the heart of your personal legend: the utmost fulfillment of your desire. But often times, the alchemy is not right. There's a missing ingredient. Most of us have flirted with our personal legend, dabbled in it, without quite riding the big wave into the ultimate paradise. The missing ingredient is balls-to-the-wall courage. The universe cannot help a fearful person.  Which probably explains why the tens of millions with everyday anxiety feel a major disconnect.

3. If you embrace your personal legend, and if you overcome your fear, the universe will speak to you through omens or symbols.  

Many omens are overwhelmingly obvious. Like if something just falls right into your lap, or if you run into someone on the street who tells you just what you need to hear, right when you need to hear it, or if you read something that says exactly the same thing you just heard from a friend a few hours prior. Pay close attention to these omens. Do NOT doubt them. They mean you're on the right path, headed in the right direction. The closer you get to your personal legend, the more omens you experience. But if you stray from your personal legend, the omens are few and far between. Here's the thing: you can get back on track very, very quickly. 

Paulo Coehlo writes: “When each day seems the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.” The omens are all around you. There are beautiful, wonderful, illuminated beings and moments in your day which you may or may not be paying attention to.They are trying to show you the way.Throughout The Alchemist, the message is relayed over and over again: The universe really really really wants you to fulfill your personal legend.

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(For more Dave Romanelli, go here to learn about all of his free Happier courses.)

Happier meditation expert David "Yeah Dave" Romanelli believes wellness and feeling good is much more than fancy yoga poses, green juice, and tight-fitting clothes. He co-founded One Yoga, one of the first yoga studios to mix music, technology, and fashion with ancient wellness practices, and created Yoga + Chocolate, Yoga + Wine, and Yoga for Foodies. Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment (Broadway Books) reached #1 on the Amazon Self-Help Bestseller List, and his new book, Happy Is The New Healthy, was just published. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Food + Wine, Newsweek, and The New York Times, and is a contributor to Health Magazine, Yoga Journal, and other publications.