How Your Problems Are Like Diamonds

When we think of diamonds, the image that most often comes to mind is that of the valuable crystal clear, sparkling gem mounted in a piece of fine jewelry. They are treasured for their brilliance and, as most of us know, because they are virtually indestructible. It is the hardest substance on earth. Owning diamonds is a symbol of wealth and abundance. Even a small quantity of diamonds, a mere pocketful let’s say, might make most of us feel rich. If we saw a diamond lying on the ground, we’d surely pick it up and smile at our good fortune, right? But diamonds don’t come out of the ground cut, polished and sparkling with blinding radiance. They come out of the ground more often than not as little stones, shiny pebbles, lumpy rocks that look like bits of broken glass. Let’s be honest, would you even recognize a raw diamond if you saw one? There is little resemblance to the iconic image most of us know as a “Diamond.” I think most of us wouldn’t even consider mounting this piece of rock in an expensive silver, gold or platinum setting. If we held it in our hands, would we even recognize it’s potential value? And even if we recognized it’s potential value, would we know what to do to change this indestructible piece of the hardest substance on earth into a magnificent jewel? Your problems are like diamonds. Raw diamonds. And if you’re like most of us, I bet you’ve got a pocketful. You’re rich. You just didn’t know it. Your problems, your challenges, your troubles, your frustrations, your dilemmas, your predicaments; whatever you call them, they are all precious stones waiting to become priceless jewels. We often refer to them metaphorically as the “hardest thing” in our life, or the “hardest thing” to do, or the “hardest thing” to change. They come in all shapes and sizes. For some of us it’s trouble losing weight, or finding that special relationship, or overcoming fear, or conquering depression. At some point we may even find ourselves believing that our situation is unsolvable, unrelenting, unending--virtually indestructible. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be changed. Whatever our personal tribulations may be they all hold the potential to be transformed from unassuming lumps of unpleasantness into glittering gems of joy. When you finally get that healthy body that you’ve always wanted, or that wonderful relationship that has eluded you, or the courage to finally do something you’ve longed to do, or the freedom from your own personal despair; how will you feel? Just a little glad? Or maybe more like really happy? Then again, if you’ve finally transformed “the hardest thing in you life” from something painful into a source of joy, you might just feel downright ecstatic. And I ask you, is there any greater abundance and wealth in life than a joy-filled heart? So, how do you make a diamond a Diamond? How do you cut one of those raw stones? Well, diamonds cannot, in fact, be “cut” in an ordinary manner like a piece of fruit. However, because of their unique molecular structure, it is possible to separate a diamond into pieces. It’s called “cleaving” and it’s the first step in transforming a gem stone into a jewel. Each and every diamond has a singular inner structure unique to itself. A diamond cutter carefully examines a stone and determines a precise location, based on that stone’s individual inner structure, where a strategic blow with the proper tools will split the stone. This process is essentially repeated until the raw stone has been completely transformed into a Diamond. We can cleave our problems, too. Just like a diamond, every problem has a unique inner structure. Our challenges, troubles, frustrations, dilemmas, predicaments are all just structures made out of our thoughts, beliefs, needs and values. We build them ourselves and most of us assemble them unconsciously over a long period of time. rnEventually, we get so caught up inside them that we can’t see clearly how we’ve put them together. Our attempts to break through difficult situations are more often than not simply ineffective because our understanding of the structure is incomplete and we don’t have the right tools to take it apart. We conclude: the problem is just too hard. Of course, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. What’s needed is a better understanding of how the problem is put together. What we rarely recognize on our own is that there is a precise location within every problem, a weak axis or plane, where just the right blow will separate the whole into parts--the first step in turning our difficulties into strengths. That blow is precisely what a strategic intervention in our thinking is. With the right insight, the right questions, the right tools of emotion and physiology; no problem is indestructible and every problem is just a Diamond in the rough.