Unlocking the Treasures Within

At some point in life, we all arrive at three fundamental questions: Who am I? What drives me? What is my purpose?

Finding the answers is rarely easy. Life, with its endless hustle, distractions, and noise, often pulls us away from the quiet moments needed for reflection. From the time we enter school, society conditions us to keep moving, producing, and striving—leaving little room for stillness. Why? Because stillness invites reflection, and reflection can disrupt the structures that keep the system running. Yet, that very stillness is where your truth resides.

We are taught that “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” But what if the opposite is true? What if an idle mind is not a weakness, but a doorway back to the self? In stillness, you begin to hear your own voice beneath the noise. You discover clarity, strength, and the answers that no one else can give you.

Stillness is not idleness—it is power. It is the fertile ground where purpose is born.

This truth is echoed in the timeless story of The Alchemist. When Santiago and the alchemist were stopped by armed men, the alchemist revealed the treasures he carried: the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life. The soldiers laughed, dismissing him as a fool, and let them pass. Santiago, surprised, asked why the alchemist told them the truth. The alchemist replied:“Because when you possess great treasures within and try to tell others, they seldom believe you.”

How true that is—even today. The greater tragedy is that many of us don’t believe in our own treasures, even when they are revealed to us. Santiago eventually discovered that he, too, was an alchemist, capable of communing with the wind, the sky, and the sun. The same is true for you: the treasures you seek are already within.

If I told you that everything you dream of (your power, your purpose, your gold) already lives inside you, you might dismiss it as motivational hype. But it is the truth.

What inspires me most about the alchemist is not his ability to turn metal into gold, but his humility. Though he carried immense knowledge and power, he lived simply in the desert, using his gifts only when necessary. He did not need to flaunt his wealth or prove his worth. He knew who he was, and that was enough.

Contrast this with today’s world, where so many feel the need to flex, to showcase, to accumulate endlessly in order to feel relevant. But the true alchemist—the true seeker—does not need to prove anything. He is grounded in stillness, aware of the treasures within, and able to draw upon them when the time is right.

And so, I leave you with this:

Your greatest treasures are not out there, they are within you. Stillness is the key that unlocks them. When you stop striving for a moment and allow yourself to simply be, you will discover that you already carry everything you need to live with purpose, power, and peace.