December 2018

Acres of Diamonds

There was a farmer in Africa who continued hearing stories about other farmers selling their farms and getting rich going in search of diamonds.  The farmer decided to chase diamonds, sold his farm and went all in.  After years of no diamonds and feeling defeated, he flung himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the person who purchased his farm was walking near a stream on his property and noticed a very shiny rock.  Come to find out, that rock was a diamond and the farm he purchased had one of the largest deposits of diamonds in all of Africa. 

The first farmer owned one of the largest diamond farms in Africa but failed to recognize it.  He thought he had to move away or do something different to achieve riches.  In fact, the riches were all around him.  Sometimes in life, the riches are right below our feet but we fail to recognize them.

Think about this, right now, each of us in this very moment are standing amongst our own acres of diamonds and have riches all around us, but are failing to recognize them. 

It is easy to look over the fence with envy.  Right now there are people looking at you with envy.  What diamonds do you have right below your feet you are failing to recognize? 

To discover your own acres of diamonds, ask yourself some questions…

-How good am I at my career?  What steps can I take in the New Year to become better?

-Am I doing everything I can at every given moment to better myself and my destination?

-Do I know all I can about the things that bring success?

-There are valuable diamonds lurking all around me.  Am I actively looking for these diamonds?

-There are better way to do what I am currently doing.  What are they?

Wherever you are at in your professional or personal life, the diamonds are all around you.  Take a moment to look for them, discover them, appreciate them and embrace them.  Wishing you all the best in 2019!

-Joe Henry, 2018 Board Chair