The Hunt for the Sapphire: A Lesson on Perspective

This summer, while I was at the National Association of Women Business Owners’ conference, the universe taught me a lesson on perspective. In the midst of attending this amazing conference where I had the opportunity to speak, I looked down at one of my most cherished pieces of jewelry – my diamond and sapphire ring – to see two diamonds, but no sapphire. My stomach dropped, and so began the search. As I looked around my hotel room, I noticed the deep blue hue of the carpet – the same shade as my lost sapphire. Of course it’s blue.

I exercised every resource I had and searched high and low. I called housekeeping, loss prevention and even had the conference make an announcement. I rattled through my luggage and unpacked a week's worth of clothing searching for the sapphire.

Finally, I stopped. And on the brink of a total freak-out, I took a deep breath and accepted that the sapphire was lost. I thought about it: I wasn’t mugged or robbed. My parents lost so much more when they came to the US from Cuba as children. This was so small compared to the many worst-case scenarios running through my mind.

The search party was over, and I was okay. I let it go. It was in that moment that I glanced at the only area in the room with white ceramic tile. And there, in all its glimmering glory, was the sapphire.

Here’s what I learned.

• The second I let go was the second I found it.

• I had perspective – I was devastated, but in the grand scheme of life, this event was so small.

• I reached out. Truthfully, just having help made me feel so much better.

In life, we are always hunting for the sapphire, aren't we? It’s time to put the search into perspective. If you need help, I invite you to ask for it. If you’re bordering a breakdown, take a step back and consider what could be worse. More than likely, you'll find the lost sapphire and a whole lot more!