The ancient art of alchemy has enthralled people for millennia. Its origins date back thousands of years to the dusty corridors of Egypt, China, Arabia, and eventually Europe, where the idea of seemingly instantaneous wealth and longevity lured the life’s work of countless hopefuls.

That's why it’s folly, think about it. An alchemist spends his entire life looking for “the trick”, the shortcut. He wants a magic stone to turn ordinary objects into gold. The alchemist fails to realize however, that he’s possessed the secret the entire time. Wealth flows from helping others, not yourself.

If instead of brewing potions in his lab, the alchemist tended his garden harvesting potatoes, he’d have more to offer his fellow man. Self-centered perspective blinds the alchemist from the realization that the answer he so desperately seeks really is that simple. The more value you produce or provide others, the more they’ll give in return, and in more ways than gold.

Want to practice true alchemy? Give someone a hug, buy a friend a coffee, tell someone you love them, do something to inspire just a little more magic into the world. Practice this art consistently and gold will be the least of your troubles.