Things have been a whirlwind recently - and I haven’t carved enough time to sit, think, and write. Deep thought is hard to fall into when there is so much to do in New York. It’s not hard to lose sight of your goals, or whatever “plan” you had laid out, which inspired the below.
Here is a quick excerpt from a note I sent my book club earlier this week - something I have running with a few of my friends. This has been lightly edited. If you want in - DM me!
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I'm slowly working through "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. I don't say this lightly when I say this book is magic. Lots of subtle life lessons that make you pause and think. Without going too deep, here is one:
Personal Legend
The boy, main character, had decided early on that it was his goal in life to travel. He didn't to be defined by an "occupation" per se. He wanted to travel, talk to strangers, experience, etc. So, he became a shepherd because that afforded him the traveling lifestyle. As he goes through his journey, he encounters a scenario where he can travel to a new place, but he would have to leave his sheep behind.
He hesitates, because he has responsibility to the sheep. A connection to his identity as a shepherd.
There is more here, and more to unpack, but I’ll let you read the book.
It presents an interesting juxtaposition where what once afforded him the ability to travel, now keeps him from doing so.
He is forced to determine if he is a traveler or a shepherd. Is he no longer pursuing his "Personal Legend" - as the book calls it, by attaching his identity to his sheep and not the larger goal?
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This made me think about what it is I want to do. How intentional am I being? As I’m reassessing my current employment (shh, don’t tell) and where/who I want to be - I’m stuck thinking about if what I'm doing is enabling, or restricting whatever that goal is.
Food for thought this morning… Let’s have a day, friends!