Key Takeaways
In brief
- The Alchemist is a short novel by Paulo Coelho, first published in nineteen eighty-eight, about Santiago, a shepherd driven by a recurring dream of treasure.
- The story is often told like a modern fable: simple scenes, big themes, and a strong focus on purpose and courage.
- A common memory is that the treasure ends up under a bed; the ending does not work in that literal way.
- Several ideas linked to the book can be discussed with real research in psychology and behavior change, especially around goals, planning, and resilience.
- A small habit also fits the mood: keeping a task list clean by renumbering in jumps of ten, with one item marked as pending on WhatsApp.
Story & Details
A book that starts with a dream
The Alchemist is the main subject here: a well-known novel by Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian author from Brazil (South America). It was first published in nineteen eighty-eight and follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd from Spain (Europe). A recurring dream tells him there is treasure to find. The dream does what good dreams do in stories: it pushes him to move.
The journey carries him across North Africa toward Egypt (Africa). The writing stays clear. The tone stays calm. The book often feels like a fable, with meaning carried in short encounters and small choices.
The ending people repeat, and the ending on the page
In December two thousand twenty-five, the same question still returns in everyday retellings: does the dream send Santiago far away, only for the treasure to be under his bed in the end? The dream and the search are true to the story. The under-the-bed idea is the part people often get wrong. The ending plays with closeness and distance in a symbolic way, but it does not land on a simple, literal under-the-bed reveal.
Teachings that can be tested, and what “interventions” means
The Alchemist is fiction, so it is not a science book. Still, some themes match questions studied in psychology and behavior science.
A clear purpose can shape effort and well-being. Clear goals can improve performance. Simple “if-then” plans can help action happen when life gets busy. Belief in personal ability can support persistence when fear shows up. Mindfulness and attention practices can reduce distress for some people. Resilience is studied as the process of adapting well when life is hard.
This is where the word “intervention” matters. In research, an intervention is a designed action meant to change something measurable, like stress, habits, or follow-through. Effects can look small, can vary from person to person, and can depend on context, time, and how well the program is delivered.
A small systems habit, plus a tiny Dutch mini-lesson
A practical detail sits neatly beside the book’s message about staying alert and staying moving. The task-list rule is simple: keep the original order, delete what is no longer needed, then renumber in jumps of ten. One item stays in that style: “10. Listen to the audiobook of The Alchemist on YouTube.” Another status line is short and direct: “Pending on WhatsApp.”
Dutch can express that same “still waiting” feeling in a compact way.
In afwachting op WhatsApp.
Simple meaning in English: used to say something is still waiting for WhatsApp.
Word-by-word map:
- in: in
- afwachting: waiting
- op: on
- WhatsApp: WhatsApp
Tone and use: neutral, practical, suitable for a short update. A natural variant is also common in everyday use:
Nog in afwachting op WhatsApp.
Conclusions
A quiet story with a loud echo
The Alchemist keeps traveling because it is easy to follow and easy to feel. A dream starts the motion. The road tests the traveler. The ending resists the neatest rumor, and that resistance is part of the point.
Around the book, the modern world adds its own layer: people turn the themes into habits, lists, and small experiments. Some of those experiments have strong research behind them. Others are simply a way to keep walking.
Selected References
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Alchemist-novel-by-Coelho
[2] https://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/facbios/file/09%20-%20Locke%20%26%20Latham%202002%20AP.pdf
[3] https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/goal_intent_attain.pdf
[4] https://educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au/news/pdfs/Bandura%201977.pdf
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26630073/
[6] https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003481
[7] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4185134/
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=aKxiY1IbW_9ESz4R&v=_X0mgOOSpLU&feature=youtu.be
Appendix
Andalusia: A region in Spain (Europe), used here to describe Santiago’s home area in the novel.
Audiobook: A spoken recording of a book made for listening.
Behavior Change: A research field that studies how and why people start, stop, or keep actions over time.
Fable: A short, simple story that carries a lesson through clear events and characters.
Goal Setting: The practice of choosing a clear target and aiming actions toward it, studied widely in motivation research.
Implementation Intention: A simple plan in an if-then form that links a situation to an action, used to support follow-through.
Intervention: A designed action or program meant to change measurable outcomes, such as stress, habits, or performance.
Mindfulness: Training attention toward the present moment in a steady way, often studied for effects on stress and well-being.
Personal Legend: The novel’s phrase for a person’s calling or life purpose.
Purpose in Life: A sense of direction and meaning that can be measured in studies and linked to health and well-being outcomes.
Resilience: The process of adapting well in the face of adversity through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility.
Self-Efficacy: A person’s belief that he can carry out the actions needed to reach a goal.
WhatsApp: A messaging app used for short updates and quick coordination.
YouTube: A video platform where talks and learning videos are shared, including one referenced in the links above.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 