A few months ago, I re-read the classic tale, "Acres of Diamonds". For those of you not familiar with the tale, it's about an ancient Persian by the name of Ali Hafed, who lived not far from the River Indus.
Here's an edited extract from the book - I've included it as it sets the scene beautifully.
"... Ali Hafed owned a very large farm; that he had orchards, grain-fields, and gardens; that he had money at interest and was a wealthy and contented man. One day there visited that old Persian farmer one of those ancient Buddhist priests, one of the wise men of the East. He sat down by the fire and told the old farmer how diamonds were formed.
"The old priest told Ali Hafed that if he had one diamond the size of his thumb he could purchase the county, and if the had a mine of diamonds he could place his children upon thrones through the influence of their great wealth.
"Ali Hafed heard all about diamonds, how much they were worth, and went to his bed that night a poor man. He had not lost anything, but he was poor because he was discontented, and discontented because he feared he was poor. He said, "I want a mine of diamonds," and he lay awake all night. Early in the morning he sought out the priest.
"Will you tell me where I find diamonds?"
"Diamonds! What do you want with diamonds?"
"Why, I wish to be immensely rich."
"Well, then, go along and find them. That is all you have to do; go and find them, and then you have them."
Said Ali Hafed, "I will go."
"So he sold his farm, collected his money, left his family in charge of a neighbour, and away he went in search of diamonds. Years later, when his money was all spent and he was in rags, wretchedness, and poverty, he stood on the shore of that bay at Barcelona, in Spain, when a great tidal wave came rolling in between the pillars of Hercules, and the poor, afflicted, suffering, dying man could not resist the awful temptation to cast himself into that incoming tide, and he sank beneath its foaming crest, never to rise in this life again."
"... The man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm one day led his camel into the garden to drink, and as that camel put its nose into the shallow water of that garden brook, Ali Hafed’s successor noticed a curious flash of light from the white sands of the stream. He pulled out a black stone having an eye of light reflecting all the hues of the rainbow. He took the pebble into the house and put it on the mantel which covers the central fires, and forgot all about it.
A few days later this same old priest came in to visit Ali Hafed’s successor, and the moment he opened that drawing-room door he saw that flash of light on the mantel, and he rushed up to it, and shouted:
"Here is a diamond! Has Ali Hafed returned?"
"Oh no, Ali Hafed has not returned, and that is not a diamond. That is nothing but a stone we found right out here in our own garden."
"But," said the priest, "I tell you I know a diamond when I see it. I know positively that is a diamond."
"Then together they rushed out into that old garden and stirred up the white sands with their fingers, and lo! There came up other more beautiful and valuable gems then the first. "Thus," said the guide to me, "was discovered the diamond-mine of
Now you may well be wondering what this has to do with you and your life - so let me recount a far more modern story, of discontent - one that happened only a few days ago.
We were sitting around the table in a new marketing and business mastermind group.
A new member, let’s call her Shelly (and that’s not her real name ;-)) walked in a bit late, pretty flustered.
In her 50’s, a smallish, stylish English lady - Shelley sat down and we carried on the introductions.
"So Shelley, what do you do?" "I run a beauty salon in
So, as a group, we decided to probe deeper. After all, that's what mastermind groups are for - to help the members both mentally (mindset) and strategically and tactically with their businesses.
And this, dear reader, is where we all collectively sat back in awe.
Shelley talked about how she'd taken her husband's music teaching business (with about 40 students) and turned it into a major music school with over 500 (yes, five hundred) students - and all in less than 3 years.
Then she bought a run down beauty salon in
Shelley spoke about consulting to a local business who were going to delete 2000 dormant customers from their database. These were people who hadn't bought anything in 2 years.
Convincing the management that she could do something with these names, she extracted over $200,000 in new business from supposedly dormant customers in the first month. Her efforts resulted in millions of dollars for the organisation over time.
As a qualified Speech and Drama Coach, Shelley created her own communication company - specialising in image, public speaking etc.
Growing rapidly, she's worked with leading Blue Chip companies, media and sports stars. One client earned an extra $600,000 in one negotiation she conducted, another consistently got his professional golf handicap down to minus 4 (it was swinging from plus 4 to 11 to minus 1 to 4).
And all the while, she sat there believing she really hadn't accomplished very much and felt a failure and that she had "nothing to offer and who would want to work with her?"
Shelley, like Ali Hafed, couldn't see the acres of diamonds all around her. And she felt "poor" as a result.
But the other 12 of us in the room, sure could. Shelley herself was the diamond!
And she was genuinely surprised! "What? I'm valuable? What do I know that would be useful?"
"Yes, you are - anyone who can build businesses the way you can - is extremely valuable to businesses who want to grow".
But Shelley couldn't see it. Nor could she believe it. She was looking for perfection and in her eyes had so much further to go - and was pretty dissatisfied with her life as a result.
The acres of diamonds were and are right beneath her nose. She has a talent for building up businesses, an enviable track record, but is chasing a rainbow. Our goal is now to help Shelley turn her knowledge into a "Consulting In A Box System" that can be sold around the world - without her having to turn up! Now that's leverage.
You, dear reader, may be in a similar boat.
You have talents and skills that are valuable - what you may think "is obvious and everyone knows that" often isn't. It could be in the area of a hobby, making money in business, health, you name it.
And if it's a popular topic, there may well be tons of people who would love to learn how to do what you do and will pay you for the privilege.
So the big question that remains for all of us – what are our own diamonds and where are they hidden.
It is more often than not, very difficult to see and find them and acknowledge our “diamonds” for ourselves. After all we’ve been told not to brag about ourselves and be humble. Now, that’s all well and good but there’s not nobility in poverty.
If you need help ask friends and family what they perceive your strengths to be. Get yourself a coach or consultant to help you find your own value and the value that your providing to your clients.
By doing this you’ll be happier and more successful!
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