Are those Diamonds!

There is an old tale of a farmer who dreamed of building a fortune. Every day he worked tirelessly, yet he never could build the fortune he dreamed of. It seemed far off and unattainable.

One day, he heard a story from a traveling tradesman of a far off town where they had diamonds as large as one's hand. Surely that is all he needed! Without a thought he left his farm and headed to this land in search of his fortune. He searched for years and never did he find a small diamond, let alone one as large as his hand.

Feeling defeat and shame, the farmer fell into despair and sadness and eventually died lonely and penniless.

Soon after, the traveling tradesman made his way back to the farmer's old land. He stopped to talk with the new owner and noticed a small diamond on his mantle. " Where did you get that" he asked the new land owner.....

"down by the stream that runs through this farm.... it is full of them."

Most of us have diamonds right in our own back yard, but we don't see them because we are focused on what we are missing or wanting more. Don't get me wrong - it is good to dream and to think about accomplishing more...just not at the risk of losing sight of the good things you already have. Sometimes we are too busy thinking of what we don't have that we lose sight of what treasures we have in front of us.

This week focus on what is most important to you - look at what you have and how you can use your resources to the highest use. Dedicate your efforts to excelling where you are, not dreaming of what you could be missing. You never know... there could be a diamond laying at your feet.