Russell Conwell, a former Baptist minister, delivered a speech all over America, which perhaps became the most famous speech during his time (1870–1920), known as “Acres of Diamonds.”

This true story, with an ageless moral, is about a farmer who lived in Africa. Diamonds had already been discovered in abundance on the African continent and a chanced meeting with a stranger, left the farmer excited about the prospects of finding diamonds for himself.

Excited with the idea of finding millions of dollars worth of diamonds, the farmer sold his farm and headed out in search of the diamond line. He wandered all over the African continent, as the years passed by, relentlessly searching for the diamonds and his dream of abounding wealth. Worn out and penniless, the broken farmer finally throws himself into a river and drowns.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm finds an unusual looking rock about the size of a large country egg. His curiosity and intrigue causes him to place it on his mantle. One day a visitor stops by and eyes the rock in complete disbelief.

The new owner of the farm was informed that the funny looking rock on his mantle appeared to be the biggest diamond that had ever been found. Surprised, the new owner of the farm exclaims that, “the whole farm was covered with them.”

With this discovery, the farm became known as the Kimberly Diamond Mine … the richest diamond mine the world has ever known. Sadly and without knowing, the original farmer became the moral of the Conwell’s story because he had literally been standing on “Acres of Diamonds” until he sold his farm.

Conwell continued to teach the story’s moral that each of us is standing right in the middle of our own “Acres of Diamonds”, if we would only develop the opportunities in our possession, before charging off in search of greener pastures.

The story was delivered approximately 6,000 times, attracting enormous audiences, and as a result Conwell raised nearly six million dollars, enough money to start a college for deserving underprivileged students. Today the university he founded, Temple University in Philadelphia, has at least ten degree-granting colleges and six other schools.

The simple truth is: Opportunity does not just come along - it is there all the time waiting to be discovered.