A century ago, Russell Conwell traveled the United States with a speech he called, “Acres of Diamonds.” Of the many stories he told, one was of a young man who studied at Yale to become a mining engineer. Upon graduation, “gold fever” struck him and he set off to California to seek his fortune.
Yale had offered him a position as an instructor, which he turned down. He persuaded his mother to sell their Massachusetts farm and accompany him. But the trip was futile as he found no gold and eventually accepted a job in Minnesota working for a mining company – at a lower salary than he would have received at Yale.
More interesting is that the man who bought the family farm from the widowed mother was harvesting potatoes one day. As he slid a heavy bushel through an opening in the stone wall, he noticed a shiny stone. He had it assayed and learned it was native silver. The farm was sitting on a fortune in silver!
Why had the mining engineer, who had undoubtedly passed by that same rock and others like it hundreds of times, not discovered the ore? Could it be that he never dreamed a treasure could be found so easily? Was it because he believed that one must go elsewhere to fulfill a dream?
A profound life truth is this: what we are seeking may be found right where we are. Think about it. Do you need to go somewhere else to find happiness? Chances are, if you were truly aware of what you have in your life now you could be happy. Or do you think you’ll find love if you only search for somebody else? Look more carefully, through appreciative eyes, at who is in your life today.
It’s easy to miss what you have when you are busy searching someplace else. Sometimes it’s just about changing our thinking. What you seek (happiness, security, fulfillment, challenge, love, meaning, purpose — the list is practically endless) may be right in front of you. You likely just don’t see it. It may be hidden in plain sight.
Before you search someplace else, look carefully! You just might be amazed at what you see.
~ Steve Goodier’s books & newsletter: http://LifeSupportSystem.com