Why You Must Focus on Your Immediate Environment

“We tour the world searching for what we need to come home to find.” –Andres Lara

Many people erroneously believe that it is always better on the other side of the fence than the side where they are. They think that there are always more diamonds in somebody else’s back-yard than theirs. This is wrong. It is always better to prospect and mine your own diamonds right where you are. In 1915, Mr. Russell Cornwell wrote a beautiful book called “Acres of Diamonds” which pointed out the mistakes people have made and are still making when they believe and act as if it is always better somewhere else. It is related in a story about Al Hafed. Al Hafed was a farmer who lived near River Indus in ancient Persia. He was happy and contented. He heard stories of the value and glory of diamonds and the power that goes with them. He was told about places where he could find diamonds for himself and he started dreaming of owning diamonds. He made up his mind to go in search of diamonds. The next morning, Al Hafed made arrangements to sell his farm, took care of his family and went in search of diamonds. He looked all over Africa and could not find diamonds. He looked in Europe and could not find any. Frustrated after a long and fruitless search, he committed suicide. Meanwhile, back home, the person who bought the farm Al Hafed sold soon discovered diamonds within the farm. He found out that the farm was covered with acres of diamonds.

From the moral of this story, it is clear that the grass may appear to always look greener on the other side of the fence but this is not always a true picture as the sad story of Al Hafed shows.