Tag: your hand

Dr. Russell Conwell, in his all-time classic titled “Acres of Diamonds” told the story of a wealthy Persian named Ali Hafed. Ali had great gardens, farms, grain fields and orchards. He was contented with his possessions, well, until an ancient Buddhist priest paid him a visit. The priest told him that a diamond the size of his thumb could buy him a country while he could have great influence and place his children on thrones with a diamond mine. Almost instantly, Ali felt poor because he became aware of what he didn’t have but could have. His sense of loss was so great that he couldn’t sleep. Eventually, Ali took off in search of diamonds in rivers running through white sand between high mountains but not before selling his entire possession and leaving his family with a neighbour. He journeyed through Palestine and Europe. By the time he arrived at Barcelona, his money was all spent; out of wretchedness, poverty and depression, he flung himself under a great tidal wave and ended his journey there.

Meanwhile, the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm took his camel out into the garden for watering one day and noticed a curious black stone reflecting light. He took it home and displayed it as a decoration until the same old priest who told Ali about diamonds came to visit. The priest recognized the stone as a piece of diamond to the surprise of Ali’s successor. They both rushed to the garden and discovered several other stones like it. According to Dr. Conwell, it is historically true that the garden became the most magnificent diamond mine known to mankind. Here are a few lessons we can learn from Ali Hafed:

1. Wealth is perception and perception is wealth: a wealthy man may become poor overnight without losing a dime if he decides what he has is nothing compared to what he wants. On the other hand, a poor man may become wealthy overnight without earning a dime if he realises that he has gifts money can’t buy. A positive state of mind is the foundation for success.
2. Use what you have to get what you want: no matter how meager what you have is, it is the key to what you can have. If a farmer decides that his seeds are too meager to plant, he will forfeit his harvest. Instead of using his wealth to fund an expedition while still running his business, Ali decided to sell all and he lost all.
3. Exhaust all possibilities before moving on: we are usually too quick to conclude that our present conditions lack the potentials to produce our desired results. Before you give up on that job, relationship or business, make sure there are no benefits you’ve overlooked.
4. Become unfamiliar to appreciate what you have: sometimes, we become too familiar with what we have and we miss out on its benefits. When what you have become too common to you, you have lost your ability to appreciate its value.
5. What you have may be the original: when you think your hands are empty, you are perhaps not looking close enough. Don’t be too quick to drop what is in your hand, it may be the original.

Thanks for reading my article today. I would really love to hear from you. So, do share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu. Remember, you are currently nothing compared to what you can become. Don’t lock your potentials in; let them breathe!

Dr. Russell Conwell, in his all-time classic titled “Acres of Diamonds” told the story of a wealthy Persian named Ali Hafed. Ali had great gardens, farms, grain fields and orchards. He was contented with his possessions, well, until an ancient Buddhist priest paid him a visit. The priest told him that a diamond the size of his thumb could buy him a country while he could have great influence and place his children on thrones with a diamond mine. Almost instantly, Ali felt poor because he became aware of what he didn’t have but could have. His sense of loss was so great that he couldn’t sleep. Eventually, Ali took off in search of diamonds in rivers running through white sand between high mountains but not before selling his entire possession and leaving his family with a neighbour. He journeyed through Palestine and Europe. By the time he arrived at Barcelona, his money was all spent; out of wretchedness, poverty and depression, he flung himself under a great tidal wave and ended his journey there.

Meanwhile, the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm took his camel out into the garden for watering one day and noticed a curious black stone reflecting light. He took it home and displayed it as a decoration until the same old priest who told Ali about diamonds came to visit. The priest recognized the stone as a piece of diamond to the surprise of Ali’s successor. They both rushed to the garden and discovered several other stones like it. According to Dr. Conwell, it is historically true that the garden became the most magnificent diamond mine known to mankind. Here are a few lessons we can learn from Ali Hafed:

1. Wealth is perception and perception is wealth: a wealthy man may become poor overnight without losing a dime if he decides what he has is nothing compared to what he wants. On the other hand, a poor man may become wealthy overnight without earning a dime if he realises that he has gifts money can’t buy. A positive state of mind is the foundation for success.
2. Use what you have to get what you want: no matter how meager what you have is, it is the key to what you can have. If a farmer decides that his seeds are too meager to plant, he will forfeit his harvest. Instead of using his wealth to fund an expedition while still running his business, Ali decided to sell all and he lost all.
3. Exhaust all possibilities before moving on: we are usually too quick to conclude that our present conditions lack the potentials to produce our desired results. Before you give up on that job, relationship or business, make sure there are no benefits you’ve overlooked.
4. Become unfamiliar to appreciate what you have: sometimes, we become too familiar with what we have and we miss out on its benefits. When what you have become too common to you, you have lost your ability to appreciate its value.
5. What you have may be the original: when you think your hands are empty, you are perhaps not looking close enough. Don’t be too quick to drop what is in your hand, it may be the original.

Thanks for reading my article today. I would really love to hear from you. So, do share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu. Remember, you are currently nothing compared to what you can become. Don’t lock your potentials in; let them breathe!

Last week, we shared Dr. Russell Conwell’s classic story titled “Acres of Diamonds”. In the story, Ali Hafed, a wealthy Persian, became dissatisfied with his life after he was told by an old Buddhist priest how rich he could be if he had diamonds. Ali sold his entire possession and left his family with a neighbour while he went in search of diamonds. His efforts turned out futile so he ended his own life out of despair. Meanwhile, the man who bought Ali’s farm discovered diamonds on the same farm and went on to become very rich. Today, we want to learn more from that instructive story. Here are a few lessons from Ali Hafed:

• Wealth is perception and perception is wealth: a wealthy man may become poor overnight without losing a dime if he decides that what he has is nothing compared to what he wants. On the other hand, a poor man may become wealthy overnight without earning a dime if he realises that he has blessings no money can buy. A positive state of mind is the foundation for success.
• Use what you have to get what you want: no matter how meagre what you have is, it is the key to what you can have. If a farmer decides that his seeds are too meagre to plant, he will forfeit his harvest. Instead of using his wealth to fund an expedition while still running his business, Ali decided to sell all and he lost all. You must learn to secure the known before you pursue the unknown.
• Exhaust all possibilities before moving on: we are usually too quick to conclude that our present conditions lack the potentials to produce our desired results. Before you give up on that job, relationship or business, make sure there are no benefits you have missed out on all the while. Before you burn that bridge, be sure you left nothing of value on the other side.
• Become unfamiliar to appreciate what you have: sometimes, we become too familiar with what we have and we miss out on its benefits. Have you ever become tired of your smart phone and you wanted to replace it yet someone else seemed so excited about the phone? Within a few minutes, that person might explore functions you never knew existed on the phone. There is more to what you have.
• What you have may be the original: when you think your hands are empty, you are perhaps not looking close enough. Don’t be too quick to drop what is in your hand, it may be the original. Ali gave up substance in search of smoke.
• Be properly informed: never venture into an area of opportunity that you are not familiar with. What you don’t know will become your greatest disadvantage. If Ali had learned enough about diamonds, he would have recognised the stones at his backyard. If you don’t know what you are looking for, you will never recognise it if you meet it on the road wearing a red hat!

I look forward to reading your stories of great successes and your comments. Share your views with me by visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.

Human beings appear to be in a permanent state of dissatisfaction with their lives. We don’t like who we are or what we look like. We don’t believe what we have is good enough. We don’t think what we can do is adequate. To make matters worse, we tend to prefer what belongs to someone else. Unfortunately, this has affected our attitude to most things in life, even opportunities. We tend to look far into the distance in search of great opportunities while we despise the ones closest to us.

Dr. Russell Conwell, in his all-time classic titled “Acres of Diamonds” told the story of a wealthy Persian named Ali Hafed. Ali had great gardens, farms, grain fields and orchards. He was contented with his possessions, well, until an ancient Buddhist priest paid him a visit. The priest told him that a diamond the size of his thumb could buy him a country while he could have great influence and place his children on thrones with a diamond mine. Almost instantly, Ali felt poor because he became aware of what he could have but didn’t have. His sense of loss was so great that he couldn’t sleep. Eventually, Ali took off in search of diamonds in rivers running through white sand between high mountains but not before selling his entire possession and leaving his family with a neighbour. He journeyed through Palestine and Europe. By the time he arrived at Barcelona, his money was all spent; out of wretchedness, poverty and despair, he flung himself under a great tidal wave and ended his journey there.

Meanwhile, the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm took his camel out into the garden for watering one day and noticed a curious black stone reflecting light. He took it home and displayed it as a decoration until the same old priest who told Ali about diamonds came to visit. The priest recognized the stone as a piece of diamond to the surprise of Ali’s successor. They both rushed to the garden and discovered several other stones like it. According to Dr. Conwell, it is historically true that the garden became the most magnificent diamond mine known to mankind.

Aren’t a lot of us like Ali these days? We go in search of what we already had just to appreciate it after we have lost it. Dr. David Oyedepo puts it aptly when he said “If you think enough, what you have is enough”. Unfortunately, we hardly take time to think before we embark on our quests for fame and fortune.

Like the saying goes, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”. While you are busy admiring and perhaps envying the good fortune of your neighbour, you fail to realise two things:

”            You are only seeing the good; the bad and the ugly are never so apparent. That person you admire has aspects of his/her life that are less than perfect. You want their good life? Great! Then take the entire package. You may not like it after all.

”            Your own grass is someone else’s “greener” field. Someone else is wishing to have what you’ve got. If you look at your life critically, you will discover several things to be thankful for. You will also discover assets you have never appreciated.

I look forward to reading your stories of great successes and your comments. Share your views with me by visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.

Human beings appear to be in a permanent state of dissatisfaction with their lives. We don’t like who we are or what we look like. We don’t believe what we have is good enough. We don’t think what we can do is adequate. To make matters worse, we tend to prefer what belongs to someone else. Unfortunately, this has affected our attitude to most things in life, even opportunities. We tend to look far into the distance in search of great opportunities while we despise the ones closest to us.

Dr. Russell Conwell, in his all-time classic titled “Acres of Diamonds” told the story of a wealthy Persian named Ali Hafed. Ali had great gardens, farms, grain fields and orchards. He was contented with his possessions, well, until an ancient Buddhist priest paid him a visit. The priest told him that a diamond the size of his thumb could buy him a country while he could have great influence and place his children on thrones with a diamond mine. Almost instantly, Ali felt poor because he became aware of what he could have but didn’t have. His sense of loss was so great that he couldn’t sleep. Eventually, Ali took off in search of diamonds in rivers running through white sand between high mountains but not before selling his entire possession and leaving his family with a neighbour. He journeyed through Palestine and Europe. By the time he arrived at Barcelona, his money was all spent; out of wretchedness, poverty and despair, he flung himself under a great tidal wave and ended his journey there.

Meanwhile, the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm took his camel out into the garden for watering one day and noticed a curious black stone reflecting light. He took it home and displayed it as a decoration until the same old priest who told Ali about diamonds came to visit. The priest recognized the stone as a piece of diamond to the surprise of Ali’s successor. They both rushed to the garden and discovered several other stones like it. According to Dr. Conwell, it is historically true that the garden became the most magnificent diamond mine known to mankind.

Aren’t a lot of us like Ali these days? We go in search of what we already had just to appreciate it after we have lost it. Dr. David Oyedepo puts it aptly when he said “If you think enough, what you have is enough”. Unfortunately, we hardly take time to think before we embark on our quests for fame and fortune.

Like the saying goes, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”. While you are busy admiring and perhaps envying the good fortune of your neighbour, you fail to realise two things:

”            You are only seeing the good; the bad and the ugly are never so apparent. That person you admire has aspects of his/her life that are less than perfect. You want their good life? Great! Then take the entire package. You may not like it after all.

”            Your own grass is someone else’s “greener” field. Someone else is wishing to have what you’ve got. If you look at your life critically, you will discover several things to be thankful for. You will also discover assets you have never appreciated.

I look forward to reading your stories of great successes and your comments. Share your views with me by visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.