Yesterday I was invited by Dave Jongeneelen from BetterFuture to join the play ‘The Alchemist’ at their office. The story teller Marius Gosschalk took the book from Paulo Coelho and told the story of Santiago. The man who is in search of a treasure far away from home. He finds it in the end at the spot where he started his journey. But without the journey he would not have found it. Marius did a great job playing several characters at the same time with only little props. I read the book a few years back and thought it was entertaining. But I didn’t understand why 65 million books were sold in more than 160 countries.
We were asked after the play if we follow our dream in our lives. If we notice ‘the signs’, take them seriously and act upon them. I had a nice dialogue with someone I didn’t know. And that was good. I told him that letting go is not as easy for me as it is being described in the book and that I had experienced that dreams beyond our own imagination are possible to materialize, as I’ve experienced in my work in Sri Lanka. In the plenary, where we shared popcorn style our experiences, was ‘concluded’ that ‘the Universe is a helpful place’: if we really want something then it will happen. As long as we dedicate time and effort and are fully aligned. Or how the old king Melchizedek puts it: “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” It is about finding your destiny. And of course this is closely related to the key questions of Theory U: ‘Who is my Self’ and ‘What is my Work.’
I’ve got this experience myself: when I deeply want something, I usually realize it. It feels almost that I know how much effort I need to put into something to become successful. Sometimes I am even surprised if it doesn’t happen: ‘This can’t be true, Ive put enough time and effort in it.’
BUT, lately I get the feeling that we oversimplify it. Several people who I regard highly in reading the signs and are daring to take on a journey, did not realize their dreams. One of them died recently before he got clarity about his ‘Personal Legend.’ How come? In the Far East people are convinced that there is little freedom for us, we are predestined. The world is not as malleable as we pretend it to be in the West. How does that relate to the freedom we think we have? Storyteller Marius told me that he was reading the ‘Tibetan book of living and dying’ by Rinpoche. There he found some answers. I must get a copy to read next to the swimming pool over Christmas… How will my swimming pool mates react?
Besides all this I had a nice dialogue with someone who read my booklet ‘I am back’ and she was very appreciative. So, many thanks for the invitation, I’ve had an inspiring evening!