Reading is fundamental…reading is FunToMental. If you take this saying too seriously then you will be lucky to land upon some interesting reads as I did this month which I will share with you. “Acres of Diamonds” by Russell H. Conwell published in 1913…
Once upon a time (as in really it happened), there was a man by the name of Ali Hafed who lived not far from River Indus. He owned a very large farm that had orchards, grain-field, gardens and was a wealthy and contended man.
One day a wise Buddhist priest visited him and told him, “A diamond is a congealed drop of sunlight. If you had one diamond the size of your thumb you could purchase the county...
...and if you had a mine of diamonds you could place your children upon thrones through the influence of great wealth.” Ali Hafed went to his bed that night discontented because he feared he was poor. He said, “I want a mine of diamonds!”
Early in the morning he asked the priest. “Will you tell me where I can find diamonds?”
“Diamonds! What do you want with diamonds?” “Why, I wish to be immensely rich.” “Well, then, go along and find them. That is all you have to do;go find them and then you have them”. “But I don’t know where to go”. “Well, if you will find a river that runs through white sands, between high mountains, in those white sands you will always find diamonds.” Ali sold his farm, left his family in charge of a neighbor, and went in search of the diamonds.
From Palestine into Europe till at last when his money was all spent and he was in rags, wretchedness and poverty...
He stood on the shore of the bay at Barcelona in Spain and cast himself into the incoming tide never to rise in this life again.
The man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm one day noticed a curious flash of light from a pebble in the white sands of the stream. He took the pebble into the house, put it on the mantel and forgot all about it. A few days later the old priest came to visit and the moment he saw it he shouted, “Here is a diamond! Has Ali Hafed returned?” “Oh no, he hasn’t and that is not a diamond. That is nothing but a stone we found right out here in our own garden.” “But I tell you I know a diamond when I see it.” They rushed into that old garden and stirred up the white sands with their fingers and lo! There came up other more beautiful and valuable gems than the first. Thus was discovered the diamond-mine of Golconda, the most magnificent in all the history of mankind, excelling the Kimberly itself. The Kohinoor (shown below) and the Orloff of the crown jewels of England and Russia, the largest on earth, came from that mine.
Now take this to today’s setting where everyone wants to have it all and will do everything they can to get it! We have people migrating from job to job, city to city, country to country, continent to continent all in the name of looking for greener pastures though most of the time it all boils down to happiness, peace, being content. Only few people funny enough have gained this wealth of contentment and if you observe them closer, you’ll see the details is right there, they are comfortable with what they have.
Today there are many tips that have been passed on from generation to generation on how to be happy all i can say there are just two tips and will illustrate below....
"Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."
Og Mandino(1923 - 1996)
FEEL INSPIRED :)
