“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting”
~ Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist
Ever since 1942, the BBC has run a radio interview programme called Desert Island Discs, where the guest gets to choose eight pieces of music they would take with them to a desert island as the soundtrack to their lives.
The other day I asked someone what their “Desert Island” movies would be, and, from that, if I had eight “Desert Island” books, The Alchemist would certainly be on it. So many great ideas and lines in there, but for today, simply a short musing on one.
As we go through our day to day lives, it is easy for us to stay always in our comfort zone, to not look at what could be, what we could experience, what we could contribute to others and the world if we actually stretch.
In The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, the shepherd boy had a dream, and:
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting”
Martin Luther King did not say “I have a plan” he said: “I have a dream!”
Paul Polman recently retired as CEO of Unilever. A beautiful leader indeed, he tweeted this week:
The purpose of life is to give purpose to lives so that society thrives while the world survives. Now more relevant then ever. Not only a moral obligation but actually also makes lots of business sense. Human willpower , don’t let it be the missing element.
— Paul Polman (@PaulPolman) December 16, 2018
Alan Moore, writer of a book I feel also now makes my eight “Desert Island” books, “Do/Design – Why Beauty is Key to Everything“, has a dream of restorative businesses, of Beautiful Leadership:
Morning ritual. Walk. To create more life that is worthwhile, we need a world populated by Beautiful Businesses. Because beauty creates more beauty, it is key of nature’s foundational regenerative design model, it’s very DNA. It’s why beauty is the ultimate metric. pic.twitter.com/ppdNQdxgS8
— Alan Moore (@alansmlxl) December 12, 2018
I am inspired by these dreams, and I too have a dream and a powerful passion to do what I am best placed to do in this world to help such dreams become reality, to support leaders and businesses, leading and doing business beautifully.
As Alan says, Better Human, Better Leader, Better Maker.
Businesses can, as with the Patagonia “Righteous Flywheel” do more good for people and planet and make profit, then as they make more profit they then are able to do more good, and so on and on.
Yes, I have a good life, day to day all is well and I am most grateful, and also most comfortable. However, there will always be a fire within to do more, to be more, to help more, so I love this anchoring line by Coelho, once again:
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting”