‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho was only published in 1988 but has quickly become a classic. The book depicts the journey of a young shepherd with a dream to reach the Egyptian Pyramids. He falls in love with a girl along the way, but she encourages him to fulfill his dream of seeing the pyramids before they settle down together.

The story sounds simple, but can be interpreted as a metaphor for all of life, and can provide insight into spirituality for almost anyone. There are many possible takeaways and life lessons in the book. My personal favorite quote from the book is “Life is the moment we’re living right now.” Today, it’s so easy to not be fully present. This quote reminds me that the most important thing in a moment is the moment itself. At surface level, the book may seem like a simple story, but it can be interpreted to provide the meaning of life in many different ways. Like any book, my biggest takeaway can be very different from someone else’s, but I encourage you to read this book and think about what stood out to you most.