“I do not live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.” (Paulo Coelho)

In the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago, a Shepard boy, is seen as a protagonist in the story. He is a curious and strong-minded young fellow. He chose to be a Shepard boy instead of a priest, so he would have the opportunity to travel his country. Throughout his adventure, he met a mysterious old man, who claimed to be the King of Salem. From this point he went on an adventure to discover the hidden treasure near the pyramids of Egypt. On his adventure, he learns many things about the world itself. For instance he gains knowledge from the desert which allows him to see nature as a single and unified whole.

This passage explains and shows how a simple man can live a happy and prosperous life. People who live in the past want to learn from it and try to mimic it; or those who do not want to change their life style. While people who live in the future choose to so they can think broad and expand upon; especially with technology. Not many choose to stay in the present and worry about what to do. But honestly, without the present, there is no today; without today, there is no tomorrow, and without tomorrow, there is no future.

The past is gone and the future is not near, yet people still try to replicate it to live the same. It is understandable to replicate  the past to teach or learn from. But to live like it; why? Coelho is telling the readers that the present is where everyone should focus on. Enjoy your life; you only live life once, so stop planning ahead, because who knows what will happen tomorrow; whether you will be there or not. Stop thinking and live your life to the fullest. You will never know what will happen tomorrow, but you will know what is happening at the moment.

“Visit Football Hall of Fame, Visit Baseball Hall of Fame, Visit Rio de Janero,…”, as it was written on 67 year-old Phillip Karam’s bucket list. Karam had pledged that after he survives a life threatening heart condition he had, he will finish and accomplish everything on his bucket list. During his college years he was drafted into the army during the Vietnam war, and missed his graduation. But many years later he had crossed that off and graduated college at the age of 67. Even at this age he still participated with students three times younger than him. “His age didn't set him apart”, said Dr. Thomas Lyttle, director of the theatre program at  University of Houston-Downtown. He did not hold himself back; he started what he wanted to finish.