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Spartan Surfers

1843–1925

Russell Conwell

Baptist minister and founder of Temple University in Philadelphia, paid for largely by giving his lecture "Acres of Diamonds" thousands of times.

3 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. Greatness consists in doing great deeds with little means.

    Conwell learned this watching ordinary soldiers. Greatness is not a title you wait for. It is what you do with what you have, today.

    Acres of Diamonds (lecture, 1890 and after), Original English (Acres of Diamonds, 1915 edition of the lecture)

  2. To be great at all one must be great here, now.

    Conwell gave this lecture thousands of times and named each city he stood in. The point is that greatness is local and present. Be great in your own town, this week.

    Acres of Diamonds (lecture, 1890 and after), Original English (Acres of Diamonds, 1915 edition of the lecture)

  3. Dig in your own garden. That is where the acres of diamonds are.

    In Conwell's story a farmer sells his land to hunt diamonds abroad and dies broke; the diamonds were under his own farm. The riches are often where you already stand. Look hard at what you have before you chase what you don't.

    Acres of Diamonds (lecture, 1890 and after), Original English (Acres of Diamonds, 1915 edition of the lecture)