Fear Limits our Abilities

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Courage

Courage hides in the depths of your soul

Armed in an iridescent breast plate of pure gold

Reveals itself in the battle roar of the quiet soldier

In the Alchemist, a key quality that the hero and protagonist Santiago contains is courage. His ability to step out of his comfort zone allowed him to follow his destiny, for in order for him to pursue his treasure Santiago “…had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have”(Coelho 26). When many realize their destiny, they often cower away from the idea for it is unfamiliar to them. Santiago's courage was essential for him to succeed because throughout his journey he had to overcome obstacles that stood between him and his treasure. To conquer these challenges he had to first conquer his fears, for "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failing" (135) With courage Santiago was able to accomplish amazing feats which were necessary in fulfilling his destiny. Through these accomplishments Coelho transmits the message that with courage anything is possible. This message speaks to all cultures and time periods for courage is a trait essential to development. In order to improve one must step out of their comfort zone and take risks. Our world is constantly evolving, everyday, throughout the planet, scientists are taking risks with new experiments, leaders are taking risks with the choices they make, whatever the profession one must take risks. Courage is essential to improvement, for fear limits our abilities.