This is what has been on my mind lately...
This school year, I decided to pair the novels The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Both novels are about taking a journey.
However, The Alchemist is an allegory, where everything in the story could represent something else. For instance, there is a scene where the main character, Santiago, has to go through a desert, and this could represent the obstacles that a person may face as he takes his life journey to find his 'hidden treasure'. And, the hidden treasure could represent a person's gifts or talents. (You with me?)
In The Life of Pi, the main character is forced on a small boat with a tiger, and he decided to literally take a journey. I am saying that he decided to take the journey, because he could have done something like commit suicide, but instead he took the journey.
So, I see The Alchemist as an example of a metaphorical journey and Life of Pi as an example of a literal journey. Life of Pi is The Alchemist actualized; The Alchemist is the theory, and Life of Pi is the theory applied. (Are you still with me?)
Santiago in The Alchemist and Pi from The Life of Pi both had preparation before they took their journeys. Santiago was a sheep herder before his journey, and he learned a lot from that experience that he took with him on his journey. Pi's family owned a zoo, and he practiced three different religions, and all of this helped him on his journey.
My people, I truly believe that we are always being prepared for next. So, I try to do everything to the top of my potential so that when next come, I am prepared. I teach my very best. I cycle my very best. I blog my very best. However, I am learning that even with doing my very best, I fall short, and I just keep on doing my very best.
Santiago and Pi both had guides along the way. Santiago's guides were mostly people and listening to that inner voice, and Pi's guides were in the form of people, reading, and listening to his inner voice as well.
Now, I know that I have and have had many guides on this journey. There have been people who have come into my life and basically helped me to put some of those missing pieces together. I am sure that I have helped others along the way as well. People need other people.
Both Santiago and Pi anticipated giving up, but something kept them moving forward. After one of his many obstacles, Santiago decided that he was going back home to what he was familiar with, but something nudged him to continue to follow his passion. When Pi finally came to the realization that his entire family was gone, and he was alone: "I lay on the taurpin and spent the whole night weeping and grieving, my face buried in my arm." But, just like Santiago, Pi makes the decision to carry on.
Sometimes, but not often, I think that I should stop blogging or stop cycling or stop teaching, but something always nudges me along. Not sure about you, but sometimes I need those nudges that say I am enough so that I keep on keeping on.
Both characters seemed to put the end result in the back of their minds and continued to move forward and were given enough grace to make it through each day.
Santiago no longer worried about what he left behind, and he kept moving forward. I believe that he soon began to believe that everything would turn out just like it was suppose to. He was told to not focus on where his treasure was, but to keep moving forward, because he would know, in his heart, when he had reached it.
Pi, finally stopped focusing on being rescued. Instead, he remained busy keeping himself and the tiger alive. His circumstances forced him to be in the moment and to not worry about the future. I believe that being busy and not focusing on when he would be rescued, helped Pi to survive 227 days on that boat with a tiger. Since he didn't know when his journey would end, there was no reason for him to focus on the end.
I am practicing doing the same thing; not worrying about the end result, but focusing on staying busy, with a purpose, believing that everything that I am believing for will manifest. This week when I went to exercise, I decided to go hard until each exercise was finished instead of focusing on when the exercise would end. I decided to practice this on a small scale and eventually apply this to my life. My people, I had a whole different workout experience that was quite rewarding. A Dream Comes Through Much Activity not focusing on the end.
Well, no one came to rescue either character, and they both ended up right where they were suppose to. Let me repeat that, no one came to rescue either character, and they both ended up right where they were suppose to.
My people, Superman is not coming. So, we might as stop waiting for him and continue to move forward knowing that we will end up right where we are suppose to.
There is so much to be learned from literature, and that is one of the main reason why I read novels.
I LOVE BOOKS!
Thanks for taking this rather lengthy journey with me!!!
Happy Last Day of Black History Month.....
Santiago in The Alchemist and Pi from The Life of Pi both had preparation before they took their journeys. Santiago was a sheep herder before his journey, and he learned a lot from that experience that he took with him on his journey. Pi's family owned a zoo, and he practiced three different religions, and all of this helped him on his journey.
My people, I truly believe that we are always being prepared for next. So, I try to do everything to the top of my potential so that when next come, I am prepared. I teach my very best. I cycle my very best. I blog my very best. However, I am learning that even with doing my very best, I fall short, and I just keep on doing my very best.
Santiago and Pi both had guides along the way. Santiago's guides were mostly people and listening to that inner voice, and Pi's guides were in the form of people, reading, and listening to his inner voice as well.
Now, I know that I have and have had many guides on this journey. There have been people who have come into my life and basically helped me to put some of those missing pieces together. I am sure that I have helped others along the way as well. People need other people.
Both Santiago and Pi anticipated giving up, but something kept them moving forward. After one of his many obstacles, Santiago decided that he was going back home to what he was familiar with, but something nudged him to continue to follow his passion. When Pi finally came to the realization that his entire family was gone, and he was alone: "I lay on the taurpin and spent the whole night weeping and grieving, my face buried in my arm." But, just like Santiago, Pi makes the decision to carry on.
Sometimes, but not often, I think that I should stop blogging or stop cycling or stop teaching, but something always nudges me along. Not sure about you, but sometimes I need those nudges that say I am enough so that I keep on keeping on.
Both characters seemed to put the end result in the back of their minds and continued to move forward and were given enough grace to make it through each day.
Santiago no longer worried about what he left behind, and he kept moving forward. I believe that he soon began to believe that everything would turn out just like it was suppose to. He was told to not focus on where his treasure was, but to keep moving forward, because he would know, in his heart, when he had reached it.
Pi, finally stopped focusing on being rescued. Instead, he remained busy keeping himself and the tiger alive. His circumstances forced him to be in the moment and to not worry about the future. I believe that being busy and not focusing on when he would be rescued, helped Pi to survive 227 days on that boat with a tiger. Since he didn't know when his journey would end, there was no reason for him to focus on the end.
I am practicing doing the same thing; not worrying about the end result, but focusing on staying busy, with a purpose, believing that everything that I am believing for will manifest. This week when I went to exercise, I decided to go hard until each exercise was finished instead of focusing on when the exercise would end. I decided to practice this on a small scale and eventually apply this to my life. My people, I had a whole different workout experience that was quite rewarding. A Dream Comes Through Much Activity not focusing on the end.
Well, no one came to rescue either character, and they both ended up right where they were suppose to. Let me repeat that, no one came to rescue either character, and they both ended up right where they were suppose to.
My people, Superman is not coming. So, we might as stop waiting for him and continue to move forward knowing that we will end up right where we are suppose to.
There is so much to be learned from literature, and that is one of the main reason why I read novels.
I LOVE BOOKS!
Thanks for taking this rather lengthy journey with me!!!
Happy Last Day of Black History Month.....
