Looking in the Right Places

There is an often-told true story of how a poor farmer inspired by discoveries of diamond mines in his country, sold his farm and went off in search of riches.  

He spent the balance of his life traveling the lands unsuccessfully for the shining objects that brought such riches to those who possessed them.  Finally tired, devastated, and despondent, he jumped into a river and perished.

The man who purchased his farm was walking the property one day and came upon a stream. As he peered into the water, he noticed a bright flash at the stream’s bottom. Investigating the sighting, he found a large stone appearing to be a crystal and after looking it over, stuck it in his pocket and took it home. When he arrived at his house, he cleaned the stone and placed it on his mantel so that he might admire its reflection,

A few days later, a friend visited his home and was drawn to the stone. As he examined the discovery, his eyes grew large and he yelled in excitement to his friend, “Where did you find this?” The farmer looked at his friend and replied that he had found it in one of the streams on the property. The friend asked to be taken to the exact spot. After arrival, they walked the stream further and saw many of the same stones along the waterway. The farmer remarked that he surely had many beautiful crystals it would seem.  The friend quickly explained to his farming companion, after further examining other stones, that what he thought to be crystals were actually diamonds. In fact, the streambed was littered with those glittering diamonds.

This farm became one of the largest diamond mines on the entire African continent. If only the first farmer had taken time to study and evaluate what he had, his story might have been different. It shows you that there exist great possibilities if you will look in the right places.

Whether you are a CEO, entrepreneur, part of a leadership team, a sales professional, or otherwise, there truly do exist “acres of diamonds” all around you. The vision to see the possibilities simply demands your patience, mental insight, willingness to explore, and dedication. 

The question becomes, what are you currently overlooking or underachieving?

Business and life itself are never as bad as you may proclaim. To uncover your possibilities, consider these crucial questions:

1. Are you clear on your vision and mission? Do you precisely know what you are attempting to build and why you are building it? Unless you can clearly state those factors without hesitation and regret, success can never be completely obtained.
2. Have you given your very best effort in your required endeavors? Having all the knowledge, skill and ability mean little if you are not “all in” regarding the tasks at hand. Simply going through the motions is unsatisfactory. You must do more than simply show up.
3. Do you seek solutions, or do you focus on praising problems? Problems are not the answer to your issues. Solutions are the only answer. If you aren’t focusing on solutions, you are compounding your difficulties.
4. Regarding customers and other pertinent parties, do you have viable relationships or simply associations? Building viable relationships with those you serve or interact with is a critical "must" for lasting success. Until people “buy-in” to your authenticity, they are positioned to “bug-out” at the first opportunity.
5. Do you understand what is available in your market and where the “donut holes” of your competitors appear? You might be overlooking untapped options unless you actively study and master your market. Further, understanding where your competitors fall short in the arena of services should enable you to be positioned for triumph.
6. Where is your knowledge level as it pertains to your profession and the industry at large? The moment you stop learning how to be the best you can be is the day you stop being the best you may have been. Strive for excellence by always learning more and soaring to greater heights of ability.
7. What must you do in the future to be able to retain and grow business and relationships? Self-analysis and needs understanding is vital to go to where the business market or others' interests may be moving. It is important to debrief activities to ensure you are not overlooking key information that will enable you to position yourself for the continuing success you seek.   
8. Are you allowing your fears to sabotage your potential gains? Fear is simply “false evidence appearing real.” Don’t run away from your fears; run toward them. In doing so, you will overcome that nagging voice that says, “YOU can’t do it, or YOU don’t deserve it.”  When YOU control your fears, YOU control your future.
9. Are you accountable? Pointing fingers when things go wrong is easy. However, as the adage proclaims, “When you point a finger toward others or issues, there are three others pointing back at you.” Accepting responsibility for any shortfalls or oversights is the first step toward accomplishment.
10. Is your glass half-empty or half-full? Despite all other actions, attitude still rates high on the scale of success. Pity parties never achieve anything. A positive attitude allows you to turn negative experiences into good outcomes. What you believe puts you on the road to achieving. Opportunity abounds for those who devote the time and commit the effort to uncover possibilities. Don’t overlook any “diamonds” that may be lurking for you to gather.  

Remember, successful outcomes arise quite often from simply by  “looking in the right places.”