If offered diamonds, who would take a stone instead? Yet, that is the choice we make daily. We see diamonds (a better life, nature’s beauty, love, abundance, friends, loved ones, health). Yet we consistently select life’s stones, albeit subconsciously.
I asked a woman what she was reading. She answered that it was a trashy novel that she didn’t like, but her choice of books had been criticized by friends and family as being too bourgeoisie (i.e., she thought she was “better than”). She chose to fit in, to go along, even if it meant going against her personal preferences.
When I become upset because of others’ opinions of me, I must on some level accept those evaluations.
How many times do we choose to be around people who don’t support and affirm us, who devalue themselves, and accept less than their worth? Are we often on call for handling OPB (Other People’s Business) while our own houses are crumbling? Do we say yes when we should be saying no?
Do we choose not to grow into awareness of ourselves and, thus, impede the development of our greatest potential? Do we believe that we are not worth the often arduous journey of becoming more than we see ourselves?
Many times we accommodate others when convinced that our standards are too high. We would rather be a sheep than a shepherd. We settle for less. We don’t truly believe that we are worthy. We tell ourselves, “This is the best that I can do, so I’d better hold on tight to my current situation,” instead of taking a risk to try something new. This mentality metaphorically chooses a stone because it affirms that you can’t possibly deserve a diamond, even if it is possible to attain.
Truly, many are literally oppressed, abused, held back, denied educational and employment opportunities, sick, and disabled. In many countries, people cannot speak and act freely. Women don’t have control over their own bodies. Children are forced to participate in wars that they cannot comprehend. The challenge is to see beyond the cage of our perception of limitation such that we can create a new existence.
The ultimate diamond is to believe that you are free when all sensory signals indicate that you are not. On every level of known perception and feeling, you experience lack and limitation. Nevertheless, you somehow believe in an unknown that, once accessed, will free you from all aspects of the prison in which you find yourself.
It is hard to imagine sunlight in the midst of seemingly perpetual darkness. I know from experience that it seems as though most efforts are spent trying to navigate and survive the situation. The key is to know that there is sunlight somewhere even if you cannot see or feel it, even if nothing external supports the belief that is so strong within you. Despite all obstacles, you have to persevere and continue to strive towards that imaginary sun.
That’s the diamond. Accepting the undesirable situation is the stone. Your mind will reveal the diamond. Your soul will respond to that revelation.
Often, you feel that the diamond is attainable, but it takes longer than expected to manifest in the natural world, in our perceptible dimension. Don’t give up. Work on elevating and expanding your consciousness.
How? Don’t give in to your fear. Meditate or otherwise connect with your Source. Stay calm. Be at peace. Breathe. Read or listen to whatever will remind you of the truth of your being and that will encourage you. Reading about other people’s triumphs will provide proof that all things are possible.
I read Joel Goldsmith. I remember the part of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho where the boy realized that the soul of God was his own soul and that he could perform miracles. I listen to songs that affirm that there can be miracles when I believe.
When things don’t go my way and don’t manifest within my desired timeframe, I train my mind to focus on the internal instead of the external. In most cases, I am depending on a person or circumstance as my savior, my source, and my supply. I am not seeing myself as a creative being, able to manifest all that I need through the Infinity that exists within me. When I am fully conscious of this Reality, there is no need to be mad or distressed about what others don’t do for me or give to me. I don’t need to be concerned about unfairness if I know with certainty that I have a wealth of diamonds.
Keep an attitude of gratitude, knowing that whatever is happening can be the foundation for your highest good. Sometimes the hard times that you experience aren’t what you think. If you make it through, you will see in hindsight that they were steps or crevices that helped you up the side of a mountain. But for those cracks, you would have nothing to hold on to as you make your way to the summit. You would not be sufficiently strengthened to endure greater challenges that will lead to greater rewards.
Keep moving towards your diamonds, even if you can’t yet see them. As with a diploma, when you’ve attained the appropriate level of wisdom, the doors to your greatest opportunities will open.