What is the most valuable land in the world?
Some might say New York. Others might say Hong Kong or Singapore or maybe a choice location right in the heart of London.
If you ask this question, you will most likely get different kinds of answer. The more analytical minded people will mention the oil fields of Middle East. It is the South African gold or diamond mine for others.
Todd Henry said, “The most valuable land in the world is the graveyard. In the graveyard are buried all of the unwritten novels, never-launched businesses, un-reconciled relationships, and all of the other things that people thought, ‘I’ll get around to that tomorrow.’ One day, however, their tomorrows ran out.”
I meet many kinds of people because of the nature of my work. I do training almost every day of my life and I have the privilege of learning lessons from my clients. I have met tycoons and in some cases, typhoons – these are people who are so full of air, they talk big but accomplish little.
Guess what these people often say, “You know what? Long before this Tycoon began the business that made him so rich, I have already thought of the idea.” I trace a tinge of sadness and envy in their tone.
And if being the first with the idea can make a person wealthy and successful, how come there are so many patents of original inventions lying idle in the Patents Office gathering dust, forgotten and going nowhere? Ideas are useful only when there is determination to execute it, deal with the challenges and bring them to fruition.
Let’s get closer to home.
There are many people with big dreams and goals but they are never interested to work for it because working is difficult and uncomfortable. And there are those who are working hard but at the slightest taste of failure, they give up.
Then there are some who picked up the fallen business after their partners have left. And through their efforts, they will experience its rewards. The quitter, however, will be left with no choice but to lament.
As I say in my seminars, “Life is never fair. If it was, then we would be building condominiums.” There is a difference between fairness and sameness.
Life is always fair when you think in terms of the Biblical Law of Sowing and Reaping. We always reap what we sow and the harvest is always more than the number of seeds planted.
Jim Rohn said, “Life does not give you what you want, life does not give you what you need, life always gives you what you deserve.”
Self-growth and self-development should be intentional.
Not all of us are meant to be tycoons, but God does not invent junk. People do it to themselves. They bury their untapped talents and potentials underground and bring them to their graves. They are afraid of doing work and being responsible for their actions.
Others work hard and achieve an enormous amount of success. But then, success creeps into their heads making them unable to be a blessing to others.
I laughed when I came across this anonymous quote, “A sure cure for arrogance is a visit to the cemetery, where eggheads and boneheads get equal billing.”
Yes, I do have to agree. The most valuable piece of land in the world is the graveyard where some people buried their God-given talents and potentials with them. This is also the same valuable property where the successful people have mismanaged their successes, have grown arrogant and insensitive to the needs of others. They failed to realize that they are not owners of the things given to them but stewards and managers.
“You can’t bring anything with you”? I think this is partially true. We can bring with us the “person” we became when we lived our lives. Be the best you can ever be. Be a blessing to others. This is our purpose in life.
(Start the New Year right with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills as he present Level Up Leadership on January 21-22 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910 or call 632-6310912 for details.)