Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I Speaking Tree Website I April 13, 2015

Diamonds are the most expensive mineral in the world. They are made of pure carbon. They contain the same basic elements as coal. It takes a very long time for a natural diamond to form. When a diamond is extracted from the earth, it is in the form of an ore. But after it is cut and polished, it turns into an expensive jewel. In turning a raw diamond into the final product, between 35 to 60 per cent of it is removed.

What holds true for a diamond holds true for a human being, too. Like a diamond, a human being is born in the form of a potential. It is for each one of us to convert this potential into actuality. Someone who knows this secret and works on trying to convert his potential into actuality, to transform his possibilities into a reality, alone can be called 'a diamond of a person'. If you don't try to do this, it's like dumping an unpolished diamond into the dustbin!

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All of us have a potential character hidden within us. This is something that has been gifted to us by nature. This character cannot develop by itself, on its own. Instead, we need to work on developing it. It is a task that we have to do ourselves. This is our real test.

We need to discover this inner character that nature has given us. It is like an unpolished diamond. And then, with proper and wise planning, we need to work on turning this unpolished diamond into a shining jewel. If you fail in this, you will have failed in this life-and in the next, too.