This past summer, I was in search for a good book. I like to read stories that have meaning or teach lessons. My cousin kept recommending I read The Alchemist, but I kept brushing it off thinking he knew nothing about the types of books I enjoy. Throughout the summer, I kept hearing about that book, multiple times from my cousin, but also from others and social media. I finally looked it up and decided to give it a chance.

The novel, The Alchemist, was written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. The story follows a shepherd boy named Santiago who believes that his recurring dream is prophetic. After meeting with a fortune teller, who agrees that the dream was a prophecy, the shepherd boy goes on a journey to the Pyramids of Egypt where he believes he will find treasure. Along the way, the boy encounters many people, all of whom play a big role in his journey. Overall, he learns about his true self and through the simple book, as readers, we also learn about ourselves.

The book taught me a lot about life and the journey we take to get where we need. While reading it, I jotted down some of my favorite lines. These words really stuck with me and are so fitting for life, especially as a college student.

Here are five quotes from The Alchemist that I think everyone should know and think about for him or herself:

1. "When you want something, all the world conspires in helping you to achieve it."

2. "There is a language in the world that everyone understood . . . it was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as a part of a search for something believed and desired."

3. "If you can concentrate on the present, you'll be a happy man . . . life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now."

4. "No heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with Eternity."

5. "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."

As much as I would love to put a few words under each quote, I want you to interpret them for yourself. We all have our own personal journey, and although interactions with others help shape it, our journey is our own. So, make of these words what you will and good luck on your personal journey, I hope you find what you want, and find yourself.