A man had a diamond whose beauty and brilliance he remembered well, but over the years it had become covered with so much dust, grime, and dirt that it looked like an ordinary stone.

It seemed so ugly to him that he no longer dared to show it to anyone.

Then one day he had an idea: he bought some blue paint and painted the diamond until it was completely covered.
Of course, it no longer had the slightest sparkle, but at least it no longer looked so ugly, and he was no longer ashamed to show it in public.

We too have a diamond.

It is the best part of us, the most authentic, the freest; the part through which we gain access to the wealth represented by our talents and resources, and through which we can reach creativity, genius, love.
Our diamond too is covered by layers of doubt, fear, jealousy, false beliefs, inhibitions, and conditioning. When we look at it, we may not like what we see, and we become ashamed to show it.
Even worse, we hide it under a conventional mask that has very little to do with who we really are. That mask may have none of the diamond’s brilliance, but it seems more acceptable, more attractive, safer.

And eventually, we may even come to identify with the mask.

The diamond beneath the layers

The discovery of the inner diamond is an alchemical process that never truly ends: a rough and uneven path toward the deepest part of the self.

It can be difficult and painful, especially because, in addition to everything imposed on us by parents, society, priests, teachers, and the media, we also have to break down the protective walls we have built ourselves.
It is a path that requires determination and courage, but it is worth taking.

Actually, it may be the only path truly worth the effort.

After all, if you do not find yourself, what else is there to find?

What does it matter how convincing the lie you are hiding behind may be, if you cannot catch even a glimpse of the light beneath it?

The masks we learn to wear

I would very much like to tell you how I found my inner diamond, and to offer you a miraculous recipe leading to enlightenment and freedom.
Unfortunately, like everyone else on this planet, I struggle every day with annoying tasks, problems, hypocrisy, lies, discouragement, nervousness, and self-deception.
And very often I do not have the slightest idea of what this supposed diamond might look like—assuming I can see it at all—let alone how to show it in public.

Following the spark

Nevertheless, in the midst of this mud I sometimes see a spark and, however tiny and short, I realize that it is a spark of infinity, which indicates a direction and tells me that the path should be walked on.

Follow that spark.

A warm hug,

Bruno

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This short video was originally made in 2012, with text from the article and music written and performed by me… it doesn’t claim to be a masterpiece, but I think it’s worth a look 🙂