THROWING DIAMONDS AWAY

by Earlie Doriman
If I get one diamond, I would definitely give it to my wife as a gift on our wedding anniversary. That precious stone is worth forever and thus would mean so much to a very important person. But who throws diamonds anyway! Isn’t it crazy to waste something so precious and rare in this world?


For one, I am not talking about diamonds from Africa that became the subject of the 2006 movie ‘Blood Diamond’. It is not the diamond commonly called ‘conflict diamonds’ which are mined in war torn Angola and Sierra Leone. Nor it is the diamond that Kanye West referred to in his politically inspired rap song. I am simply talking about the diamond that is within us. I am talking about that very precious individual who, by the way, would not stay forever but would sooner or later leave a lasting legacy.

Each of us is endowed with unique potential that needs to be discovered, honed, and recognized. But the society that we belong is almost always unwilling to put forward that aptitude and uniqueness. Some does not get the right exposure and fairly some does not get the proper system of support. Personally, it feels very disheartening that in many cases, the diamond that is within an individual is left ignored and untapped. There is no right break or perhaps been ripped off by malice and decadence. Many of these cases are obvious in the workplace when two or more people contend to a promotion or recognition. The reason for the indifference is superficial and so down the drain, that it particularly creates unhealthy working environment. The bosses choose the one who is popular and close to the heart rather than the one who is qualified and efficient.


I have known many people who deserved to shine like diamonds but were never given the chance. Instead, they were unfairly judged and rejected and their self esteem was greatly destroyed.


Take the case of Dorothy (not her real name). She was not a very close friend of mine but I knew her because she was a colleague and I had the chance to work with her in many occasions. She was an example of a disciplined, pro-active, hardworking, and dedicated worker whose work ethics I consider extraordinary. She was very approachable, consistent, and subtle. She was also very well-liked amongst her colleagues but her boss. When she applied for promotion, she was denied unreasonably, and eventually out of frustration she resigned and looked for another job. The reason: She intimidated her manager a lot because of her excellent performance that she became a competition and an imminent threat. She is a diamond thrown away.


My former department head on my teaching job in the Philippines was a very democratic leader. He encouraged us to express our opinions and listened to our suggestions regarding improvement and necessary ugrades . He believed that each member of the faculty is an imperative component of the organisation and therefore his voice is significant if positive change has to take effect. His leadership brought many achievements to the department and both the students and alumni were very pleased around such effective transformation. But he was not popular amongst the school board. His was a democratic management and theirs was not, and so the disparity between their concepts of leadership led to a busted communication. His contract was not renewed and the department suffered as a consequence. He is a lost diamond.


These are just two of the many situations with similar predicaments, maybe in the workplaces, in schools, or even in homes. Perhaps, many of us have been the bosses of people who deserve to sparkle in their endeavours but we deny their chance because of insecurity and envy. Or maybe, just maybe, we do not know how to classify a gem from a waste and so we constantly throw diamonds and keep rhinestones.