CEASING THE MOMENT AND OPPORTUNITY
REALIZING THE OPPORTUNITY IN ANYTHING YOU ARE DOING
In the year 1843, a man was born who during his lifetime was to have a profound effect on Millions of people. His name was Russell H. Conwell. He became a Lawyer, newspaper editor and a fine clergyman.
One day a group of boys came around Dr. Conwell's Church and asked him if he would be willing to instruct them in college courses. They wanted a college education but lacked the resources to pay for it. He told them that he would do all he could.
As the boys left, a thought began to form in Dr. Conwell's mind. He asked himself, why couldn’t there be a fine college for poor but deserving young men. While that was a great idea, he went to work at once. Almost single-handedly, Dr. Conwell raised 7 million with which he founded one of the world’s leading universities…
And he raised the money by giving more than 6,000 lectures all over the country and in one of them, he told the story “Acres of Diamond”. The story was an account of an African Farmer. He heard tales about other settlers who made millions by discovering diamond mines…
And this makes the farmer so excited that he could hardly want to sell his farm and search for diamonds himself. So he sold his farm and spent the rest of his life wandering the vast African continent, searching unsuccessfully for the rimming gem, which brought such high prices on the market to the world.
Finally, made up of despondency, broke, desperate as I remember the story, he threw himself into a river and drowned. And meanwhile, the man who had bought his farm one day found a large unusual stone in a stream which cut through to the property. And the stone turns out to be a diamond with enormous value.
And he then discovered that the farm was covered with them. And it was to become one of the world’s richest diamond mines. The first farmer had owned literally acres of diamonds, but he sold them for practically nothing in order to look for them elsewhere.
It would have only taken him a time to study and prepare himself to learn what diamonds look like in their respect and to thoroughly exploit the land he owned, he would have found the millions he sought right on his own property.
The thing about this story that so profoundly affected Dr. Conwell and subsequently millions of others was the idea that each of us at this moment, is standing in the middle of his own acres of diamonds.
If we would only have the wisdom and patience to intelligently and effectively explore the work in which we are now engaged, we would find that they contain the riches that we seek. Whether there'll be financial, tangible or both. There is nothing more pitiful in my mind than the person who wasted his life running from one thing to another. Forever looking for a part of gold at the end of a rainbow and never staying with one thing long enough to find it…
No matter what your goal may be, perhaps the road to it can be found in the very thing in which you are now engaged.
You see, the average man believes some businesses are better than others. Instead of realizing the truth that there are no bad businesses, there are just those people who don’t know enough to see the opportunities in the work they are in (Seek the opportunities in the work that you’re doing).
No matter what our work happens to be, it is our business to manage it well. If there seems to be no future or opportunity, it is not as if it’s not there, but perhaps only because we can see it.
Now hear this, a farmer once put a tiny pumpkin into empty York. The pumpkin grew until it completely filled the jar until it grew no more. When the farmer broke the glass, he found out that the pumpkin is exactly the same size as the york. If we are not careful, each of us can do the same thing.
We can mistakenly poke ourselves into the york that limits our growth. It is we who do the poking, not the job, not the company nor the territory, nor economy, nor the times, we do it.
People who become outstanding in their job are those who use their work as an opportunity for growth and development and prepare themselves for the opportunities which surround them every day.
Preparation is the key. This means that if we become so good, so competent at what we are now doing, we will actually force the opportunity that we seek to come our way. It takes imagination, creative imagination to know that diamonds don’t look like diamonds in their raw state nor do the piles of iron ore look like iron and steel.
In order to begin participating in your own acres of diamonds, start to develop the faculty called “Intelligent objectivity” about your job. The ability to stand up and look at your job as a “Stranger Might”. The stranger who considers your pasture greener than his own. To do this, start at the beginning. Within the framework of what industry or profession your job falls.
You should know all you can about your industry;
How did it begin?
Why did it begin?
Who started it?
When was it started?
What is your industry annual dollar value?
How fast has it grown in the past 20 years?
What is its projected growth during the next ten (10) years?
In short, start now to become a student of your industry. You’ll be amazed by the result. In five years or less, you can become a national expert
in your field. And is the expert who writes their own tickets in life.
Survey has indicated that the great majority of the people seem to look at their jobs as being, as far as they can go. That is the end of the line. They need to realize how desperately expanding and dynamic industry needs and seeks competency in the common person that is prepared to share in its growth. How rich could they reward this person's vision and action?
On the other hand, those who are not prepared are just standing still. In relation to the industry, they are going backward. So ask yourself. Do I know as much about my job and industry as a good doctor/lawyer knows about his job and profession? You should know! This is the attitude of the person who wants to become a professional in what he does for a living.
It is far more fun, many times more rewarding and interesting. Real broke and rode out economic storms in a safe boat built beseech by lack of preparation.
In other to become successful in the world of
armatures, we need to study three (3) things:
Our company and its industry
Our job and perhaps the next step in our career
People skills – study people since successfully serving people would determine our success and failure.
These are key subjects that you can gradually build; your own library. Your bookshops would help you find the right books to read and know. Frequently, all you need to make an improvement is simply a reminder of what you’re known but have forgotten.
Perhaps a study, research in your job, industry ways of increasing yourself may look or sound like a big job. But it is fascinating and in the long run it pays tremendously dividends, builds complete security and it can be accomplished in an hour or a day devoting to making a permanent note.
Think of ways and means you can increase your contribution
To your company, your industry and those whom you serve
You will begin to notice a wonderful change in your world, for as he sows, so shall he reap. This applies to the family as well as the breadwinner.
The minute you adopt this attitude, you join 75% of the world in which you will be removed from all competitions.
You are creating rather than competing.
You are affecting lives rather than being affected by it
You become a creator and giver to humanity instead of just being a receiver.
By taking this attitude towards your work, company and industry, you are automatically taking care of two vital parts of a successful living.
1st: You will find yourself becoming more interested and enthusiastic at your work and its future and interesting and enthusiasm are contagious
2nd: You are building a financial security which would last a lifetime
So keep this thought in mind as often as you can on and off the job. Somewhere in your personal work, there will be an opportunity which would bring you everything you could possibly want for yourself and family. It would not be labelled an opportunity. It would be hidden in common, everyday commons just as it would be when a man finds in a paper clip or the duty drinking glass which triggers the paper cutting industry.
Now in closing, we are more than billions in the planet:
If we develop the wisdom and patience to intelligently explore the work we are now currently engaged in, we will very likely find out that it contains the riches – tangible and intangible that we seek.
Before we go running off to what we think is a greener pasture, let's realize that our own pastures are probably unlimited.
There are no bad jobs: It’s the way we go about our job that makes it good or bad.
Let’s not poke ourselves into York in which we can outgrow. Let’s avoid self-limitations
Only preparation can ensure and take advantage of opportunities which would present themselves in
the future. Opportunities which are around us now. Let’s begin to prepare now.
Put your imagination to work in many ways and means in improving what you are now doing
Learn all that you can about your job, company and industry
Since there is no limit to the growth of your industry. Then there is no limit to your growth potential in that industry
Our dynamic and growing economy needs and will reward the uncommon person who will prepare for patience and growth
Begin to build your library of reference and materials pertaining to your company, industry, your job and on how to better serve and get along with people
Set aside an hour a day for study and research
Remember the story of the acres of diamond
Inspiring and really encouraging. Keep it up!
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