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The end of the school year can
involve a lot of change in the regular schedule, a tremendous amount of excitement as well as angst for what is coming after the last school bell rings, but it also offers the opportunity for teachers, like myself, to teach books that are solely of my own choosing with the remaining days after all the required units have wrapped up. The
Alchemist is one such book I thoroughly enjoy teaching.
While there are many lessons to be discovered in Paulo Coelho's international best-seller, the one that I always remind myself to remember when I am in the middle of exhausting and often frustrating perseverance toward a goal that has yet to be accomplished
is the following:
“Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which
most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.”
The key to a well-lived life is to listen first to yourself. Trust the inner yearnings and do not shove
them away or ignore them. And once you have found the courage to listen and then follow wherever your calling is taking you, it is the perseverance that you must hold on to like honey in hair until you realize your dream. From my experience of finalizing my book to being offered a job at my dream destination, I can attest, it became the most difficult just before the light shone through. Hang in there.
Speaking of hanging in there, you've done it. The weekend has finally arrived, and so too has beautiful weather. Now that the extreme heats have subsided in the Pacific Northwest, the ideal temperatures have come to stay for awhile, and I am eager to indulge their talents.
In this week's newsletter, letting go is a reoccurring theme in the podcast's 40th episode as well as Thoughts from the Editor. Be sure to have a look or listen if you're trying to either figure out what to let go from your life or simply just your closet. I will keep it short and sweet this week, and wish you a lovely escape from the time clock. Indulge, relax and
enjoy. Usntil next week, I'll see you on the blog.
