Acres of Diamonds

“Bloom where you are planted.” Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva

Even though he was an author of 30 books and the founder of Temple University, Russell Conwell, D.D., J.D, is best remembered for a famous speech he delivered over 6,000 times: “Acres of Diamonds.”

The story he orated, while traveling across the country, begins with an ancient Persian who owns a large farm, filled with orchards, grain fields and beautiful gardens. He has substantial wealth allowing him to earn interest from his fortune. As Conwell related, “He was contented because he was wealthy and wealthy because he was contented.”

One day, an old Buddhist priest from the East, who has the reputation as a very wise man, visits the farmer. The priest educates the farmer about diamonds, explaining how they came into existence. When the conversation centers on the huge value of these rocks, the farmer becomes highly interested. Although he was very wealthy before the visit of the priest, he now felt like he was poor.  Conwell says “He had not lost anything, but he was poor because he was discontented, and discontented because he feared he was poor.”

The next morning, he finds the priest and asks where he might find these diamonds. “Deposited in rivers that run through white sands between high mountains is where you will discover these fine rocks,” the priest explains. “There are plenty of them.” All the farmer has to do is just go find them.

The next day, the farmer sells everything, collecting the money to finance his venture. At once, he begins his quest. Searching the world, the Persian farmer finally ends his travels in Europe. Having spent all of his money, with nothing left but rags he is wearing, he casts himself into an incoming tidal wave on the shores of a bay in Barcelona, Spain. Departing this world broke and dispirited, he never finds even the first diamond.

Back at the farm, stopping to water his horse at a stream on his property, the new owner notices a shiny black stone. Curious about its sparkle, he picks it up and later deposits it on the mantle in his home.

A month later, the priest who is returning back to his home in the East, stops at the farm. Noticing the stone on the mantle, he figures the previous owner has returned, having found his mine of diamonds. Quickly dispelling this notion, the new owner reports that the original farmer has not returned and the shiny stone on the mantle is just an interesting rock from the garden.

The priest informs the new owner that he knew a diamond when he saw one. “How can that be? There are lots of these rocks in the garden.”  That is the beginning of the discovery of Golconda, the most magnificent diamond mine in the history of mankind. Many famous diamonds have been discovered in this mine.

If the original farmer had dug in his own garden, he would have uncovered lots of diamonds. Dr. Conwell started and ended his presentations with one main thought: “If you wish to be great at all, begin with where you are and what you are . . . now.”

My definition of success is, “being and becoming your best at what you are meant to be and do in life.”  It is less about competition – being better than someone else – and more about the internal you; being the best that you can be.  Conwell is making a statement of principle, encouraging all of us to begin where we are with what we are – now!

As far as being contented, the greatest satisfaction comes when you excel in areas in which you have lots of passion. What you love is what you are. And where you are is dependent on the entire journey that brought you to this place in time.  You cannot change how you got here or the fact that you are here at this place today. We have this moment – now – and a contemplation of the future.

The last word in Conwell’s speech was . . . “now.”

Begin where you are.

Begin with what you are.

Now!