Sifting Through the Sand

I came across this quote in a journal that a friend gave me for Christmas:

"Like an old gold-panning prospector, you must resign yourself to digging up a lot of sand from which you will later patiently wash out a few minute particles of gold ore." ~ Dorothy Bryant

I have one thing to say about that... "Ain't it the truth?"

OK, I lied. I never have just one thing to say about anything! I can start with that, however.

It is so true that, in the course of our lives, we have to dig up and sort through a LOT of useless sand in order to find a few, precious gems worth holding on to.

I think we often times get caught up in an expectation that most of what we dig up should be gold ore, and we feel like somethings wrong when that isn't what happens.

Who told us that it's all supposed to be easy? Where did we get the idea that everything WE THINK should happen will just fall into our laps? We have some strange ideas about what life is about!!

Gold is valuable, because it is rare.

There are a lot of ordinary experiences and happenings in life. Those are valuable in their own right, but not every single moment is going to be filled with ecstasy and fireworks. That isn't how life is!

Sometimes we have to work very hard at something, for a very long time, before we see any tangible result. If we give up at the first hill we have to climb, what are we missing out on?

I like the analogy of panning for gold. Lots and lots has to be 'sifted through' in order to find a few precious nuggets of gold. If every pan was filled with gold, it would be worthless!

Our high, peak experiences are rare, and that's what makes them so amazing.

I believe we can learn to value and enjoy the process of sifting through the sand and appreciate it for the opportunity it affords us! It has it's own beauty, if we simply let it be what it is.

there's a lot of

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday....

to life! That is... sifting through the sand.

If we spend it all wishing we were doing something more exciting, with someone more interesting, were able to travel, retire, get married, have children, have our children out of the house, make more money... we are missing our life.

Enjoy the gold nuggets that come along and learn to appreciate sifting through the sand! It's what we spend most of our lifetimes doing... and we wouldn't have any gold without that piece of our process!