Finding Your Diamonds

Studies show that over 80 percent of Americans do not have their dream job. If more people knew how to build organizations that inspire, we could live in a world in which that statistic was the reverse – a world in which over 80 percent of people loved their jobs. People who love going to work are more productive and more creative. They go home happier and have happier families. They treat their colleagues and clients and customers better. Inspired employees make for stronger companies. 

H. Conwell's story "Acres of Diamonds" illustrates a core focus point, missing for many people.  Those who don't love their work are in search of their personal "Acres of Diamonds" where diamonds are replaced by happy productive time.  The story illustrates the point.

 There was once a man named Ali who owned a large farm with many orchards.  Ali was perfectly content with his lot in life until one day, when a local priest told him how the Almighty had created diamonds, and how one stone the size of his thumb was worth enough to purchase an entire country.  As the story goes, Ali went to bed a poor man.  He sold his farm and set out to seek a fortune in diamonds.  After years of searching all over Palistine and Europe and not finding a single diamond, he ended up penniless.  In a fit of despair he threw himself into the raging tide and drowned.  Soon afterward, the purchaser of Ali's farm was visited by the same priest that told Ali about diamonds.  The priest noted a small diamond on the mantelpiece and asked, "Where did you find this?"  To which the man replied, "There's a brook that runs through our farm, and it's full of them." 

Most people are sitting on their own diamond mines.  The surest way to lose your diamond mine is to get bored, become overambitious, or start thinking that the grass is greener on the other side.  Find your personal model for growth, focus on it and stick to it and devote your time and resources to excelling at it.