There is More Dirt Than Diamonds

---

Diamonds are formed about 100 miles below the earth's surface.  It takes a serious amount of pressure and high temperature for them to form.  We obviously can't drill or dig 100 miles down in the earth, so how do diamonds end up at the surface?  It happens over a very long time through very deep volcanic eruption, most of it a long time ago, and this brought the diamonds we find today to the surface.  In fact, it takes on average between 1 and 3 billion years for a diamond to form.

Now consider this - about 133 million carats of rough diamonds are mined each year.  But to find those diamonds, hundreds upon hundreds of millions of TONS of rock and dirt are moved to find them.  That is billions of pounds of rock and dirt.  It is safe to say that there is a lot more dirt than there are diamonds. 

And people and companies will move heaven and earth (or dirt) to find them.  They will go through every challenge, trial, and tribulation to find them.  They work around the clock and spend years just to find these small gems from inside the earth.  They do this because they know the payoff in the end is worth it.

It's same with the "diamonds" in our lives and businesses.  These are our goals, our missions, the things that we know will make the biggest difference in our lives and success.  They are worth it and we must be willing to move heaven and earth to get them.  Of course, this isn't easy.  Life and entrepreneurship are full of twists, turns, failures, rejections, setbacks, crushing blows, and suffering.  But it is so worth it to find our diamonds because they more than make up for all of challenges along the way to get them.

What are your diamonds?  How much are you willing to endure to get them?  How much "dirt" are you willing to move?  Once we resign ourselves to the fact that there is more dirt than diamonds and you will need to move a ton of it to find, it gives you the perspective you need and the gratitude for the process it takes to find them and reap the benefits.  Now, go out there and start digging!