When I first heard this story by Russel Herman Conwell, it profoundly affected me just like, it did to millions of others who heard it.
Once in Africa, there was a farmer who had heard tales that several others had made millions by discovering diamond mines. These tales so excited the farmer that he could hardly wait to sell his farm and search for diamonds himself. So he sold his farm and spent the rest of his life wondering the West African continent searching unsuccessfully for the gleaming gems which brought such high prices in the markets of the world. Finally in a fit of despondency, broke and desperate, he threw himself into a river and drowned. Meanwhile the man who had bought his farm one day found a large unusual stone in a stream which cut through the property and the stone turned out to be a great diamond known in it’s value. He then discovered that the farm was covered with them and it was to become the world’s richest diamond mines.
The first farmer had literally owned acres of diamonds but sold them for practically nothing in order to look for them else where. If only he had taken time to study and prepare himself to learn what diamonds looked like and had first thoroughly explored the land that he owned, he would have found the millions he sought right on his own property.
The thing that profoundly affected me and millions of others back then was the idea that each of us is at this moment standing in the middle of our own acres of diamonds if only we have the wisdom and patience and intelligence to effectively explore the work in which we are now engaged, we will find that it contains the riches we seek whether they be financial or intangible or both. A person who wastes his life running from one thing to another for ever looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow can never stay long enough with one thing to ever find it. Perhaps the road to it can be found in the very thing in which you are now engaged.
Seek the opportunities in the work you are in. No matter what our work happens to be. It is our business, we are the manager. If there seems to be no opportunity or future there, it is not because it is not there, it is usually because we can not see it.
I was reminded of this story only this morning. I had spoken to a photographer last week if he could take some photos of me for my website. I had missed a particular kind that was required by my website developer. So I got up this morning, got ready, as it was going to be a photo session, I applied make up, did my hair and then dragged my 12year old daughter to the store, who was reluctant to come with me. When we arrived at the store, the photographer wasn’t there, only a trainee who I couldn’t trust with the job. My daughter giggled, mum you spent all that time getting ready but he is not even here. Nevermind. I bought my daughter and I some breakfast at the store to make it a pleasant morning for us and came home.
The sun was shining bright for a change and suddenly an idea sparked in my head. Rhea why don’t you take my photos. I know you are good at it and weather is so good. I said….
Rhea reluctantly agreed and took many photos of me, at a point telling me that I had a double chin therefore suggested that I should touch my palate with my tongue to make my double chin disappear. I couldn’t stop laughing. We were outside in our garden and there was a warm and gentle breeze. After 5-7minutes suddenly Rhea stopped and said I am done now. that’s it. What do you mean that’s it? Show me what you have done.
To my surprise she had taken the most amazing photos of me. Incredible!
I was so thankful that the photographer wasn’t in the store today otherwise I would have had him take my photos, spent money and they would not have looked as good.
I also realised, since morning I was accompanying this bundle of joy, this bundle of diamonds, my daughter Rhea with me not even realising it.
She surely is my bundle of diamonds (has always been) and today like so many times before, reminded me of this story that we all are standing in our own acres of diamonds, we just need to have patience, and wisdom to explore………
