The Search For Eldorado

On the journey to success and mastery of anything in life

Growing up in Syria in the 1980s, my day is a blur, finding anything to keep busy till the most important hour of the day comes.

It’s almost 4 pm, my mom is trying hard to get us unstuck from the TV, but the moment she goes to the kitchen, we’re glued back to the screen, close enough to see the three coloured pixels.

It’s the latest episode of ‘The Adventures of Pepero.’ We sing along with the theme song. We can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next.

We’ve been following Pepero for months now. A young boy living in the Andes, Pepero sets off on a journey to find his father, who’s gone missing while on a quest to find Eldorado, a secret city made entirely out of gold where no one ever goes hungry.

On his remarkable journey into the unknown, danger is at every turn. We are right there with Pepero, cheering him on, and shouting down his powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to get to Eldorado first.

This ten-year-old kid is all of us. Even when challenged beyond what anyone can withstand, his love for his father keeps him going. His journey continues with the help of a golden eagle, a majestic white horse, and loyal friends he makes along the way.

After many adventures, the final episode is here. We are jumping up and down as we sing the theme song one last time.

Yes! Pepero finds his father and the lost city of Eldorado.

We are on the couches cheering like crazy.

The legends are true. Eldorado is beyond what anyone could imagine. Everything is made of gold, everyone is well dressed and happy, kids playing and feasts are everywhere.

Mom comes screaming to get us off the furniture before we break something.

Wait; what?! It’s not over yet!

Pepero discovers his journey has just begun, and the search for Eldorado doesn’t end with finding the city.

Along with his friends, they uncover a plot to take over Eldorado. They manage to stop their enemies, save the king’s life, and the lives of his son and daughter.

The king of Eldorado holds a ceremony that brings all of Eldorado together to honour Pepero and his friends. The king offers Pepero all the gold and precious stones he can carry back to his village.

Pepero remembers the wise words of his dying grandfather “I believe in you, my son. You will reach Eldorado. But, careful not to let the gold blind you. Pepero, you must bring back the treasure of the forefathers to save our people.”

Pepero declines the king’s offer and asks for the treasure of the forefathers.

The king smiles and invites Pepero to a massive, heavily guarded doorway. They walk through and stand at the edge of never-ending fields of golden corn. Pepero gasps.

The king whispers: “this is the true treasure our forefathers left us. The gold is just a facade to trick thieves and stop them from finding our true source of wealth.”

The king signal’s his guards to bring bags of corn seeds for Pepero and his friends.

The king hands the corn to Pepero and says: “take these seeds to help your people, but remember these seeds will not grow on their own. What will really help your people is the courage, hard work, compassion, and wisdom which got you and your friends to Eldorado.”

Pepero heads back to his village with the seeds, and the search finally ends with finding Eldorado within himself. Pepero fulfils his destiny as the hero and saviour of his people.

Like Pepero, your journey to success and mastery of anything in life is much like his search for Eldorado, an outer world journey to find your inner world treasure.

Your Eldorado is waiting.

An excerpt from The Dark Art of Mastering Your Life book.