Coelho vs Me

Just read The Alchemist. The book says, in a nutshell, go follow your dreams. All very nice. Yes, by all means, do go follow your dreams. Here's where I think Coelho makes a mistake. He says, and I quote 'When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it... '.

That's nonsense.

When you want something, when you really really want it, you won't get it. I can quote a million examples. Not just from my life, a lot of people I know subscribe to this view. You simply don't get what you really want. Sometimes stuff that it's never even occurred to you to want just drops into your lap. And in retrospect, nine times out of ten, you'd swear it's the best thing that's happened to you.

So here's my theory. If you want something, if you really really desperately WANT something... Drop it. Abandon the idea right there. If you obsess about it, that's just guaranteeing you won't get it. The less you think about it, the more likely you are to get it. Focus on the little stuff and the big stuff will happen. Trust me.