The Alchemist

When something evolves, everything around that thing evolves.
- The Alchemist

I was reading through some old emails when I came upon this piece from a Toastmaster District Governor. I am hoping there is no copyright infringement here...

Thousands of years ago
the Egyptians sought the secrets of transmuting metals,
the Greeks and the Middle Eastern cultures focussed on transforming lead to gold, and
the Chinese focussed on the search for the ultimate medicine - the elixir of life - immortality.

During the Medieval period
the quest for turning base metal into gold spread to Europe
with the visions of eternal gold spreading across a wide range of society.

The alchemists
who worked on the material properties of chemicals and metals
gave rise to modern chemistry.

The alchemists
who set off from China in search of the elixir of life
discovered the islands of Japan.

None of them
discovered the Elixir of Life.
None of them
discovered the Philosopher's Stone.
All of them
succeeded in transforming himself.

The alchemists
spent so much time
shut away in secret laboratories,
observing the fire that purified the metals, and
recording the results of their many experiments
they gradually gave up the vanities of the world.
Their dedicated work
towards purification of metals
had led to the purification of themselves.

Everyone evolves.
No one remains the same.
When we become a better person the world becomes a better place.

We
are all alchemists.