Natural Resources

As I have mentioned before, I believe each and every one of us is specially created and gifted to live a life of unique impact and significance. I also believe those gifts – the talents and tools required to become who we are designed to be – are already inside of us. However, mining those gifts and bringing them to the surface so you can share them with the world is no easy task.

Imagine a land owner in Texas during the early 1900s who has just discovered oil reserves buried under his ranch. Let’s also assume he owns the mineral rights to whatever lies beneath the surface of his land. He would no doubt be thrilled to learn he has millions of dollars' worth of oil just waiting to be harvested. However, if that’s as far as he goes, just discovering that precious resource, it will never do him or anyone any good.

Even though this rancher literally sits on top of great potential wealth, the real work has only just begun. He must dig deep into the earth, drilling into the core of the oil reservoir, to tap into that opportunity. He will then have to design and create a well to bring the “liquid gold” to the surface. Then, even after it has been uncovered and harvested from the earth, the raw oil must be purified, filtered and refined. Finally, before those natural resources will be of any benefit, he must ship and share them.

I think a lot of us are like that rancher. We are sitting on a wealth of raw, natural resources, just waiting to be mined. However, discovering that potential is just the starting point. Those resources must be developed through the execution of all the drilling, digging, refining and, of course, shipping.

What undeveloped resources are you sitting on?

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