Going Treasure Hunting

Last Updated on June 29, 2021 by Avia

Lessons and Symbolism from a Treasure Hunting Heavyweight

Analogies and symbolism of treasure hunting in our lives: I saw a documentary this morning about treasure hunter Mel Fisher. He had big dreams. So much so, he moved his wife and 5 kids 2000 miles from California to Florida, got a boat, and recruited the whole family to dive for sunken treasures. Mel wanted to be a professional treasure hunter, and this was his first big step in that direction.

About Mel Fisher’s Treasure Hunting Adventure

Mel Fisher gave himself ONE YEAR to get results, and vowed to move his family back to California if nothing came of his underwater excavations. On the 360th day, he hit the mother lode.

Mel went on to uncover one of the most historic (and valuable) finds to this day…the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha from 1622…his discovery was worth billions. Yeah…that’s illions with a big fat “B”!!!! To this day, the Atocha is still being excavated by Mel’s kids. ..it is THAT big!

Lessons from a Treasure Hunter

We can look at that conquest and go “WOW!!! How remarkable! What a lucky guy! Finding billions in buried treasure!? Holy moly!” What often goes unnoticed is Mel and his family went decades searching for those big, beautiful jackpots.

They ran out of money to fund their dives on countless occasions. Mel and his 5 kids got by on fishing from the ocean when there was no money for food. But Mel never gave up. In fact…his motto was “Today’s the day!”

Symbolic Observations About Treasure

Ideas of romance and mystery surround the idea of treasure hunting. However, Mel Fisher’s story is rife with reality. To be sure, hunting for hidden treasure isn’t an easy life-path to follow. In practical terms, all this makes me think about the implications (and the meaning) of hunting for hidden gems. What does that mean or how does that look through various lenses? For example, what are various different ideas about treasure? While I might be seeking inspiration for my next book (a true treasure for me), someone else might be scavenging for golden nuggets of love in a relationship. This all begs attention to a few thought-provoking questions, such as…

What’s Your Treasure-Pleasure?: What is your idea of treasure? For some, it might be a pile of gold and gems. For others, it might be a strong, stable family, or success in a new career, or perhaps better health. As Jack Sparrow said (in one of those pirate movies) “Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” All this to say, before setting sail to attain your precious booty, get a very clear identification about what exactly you’re hunting for first.

Stay the Course: When setting forth on your journey to discover your idea of treasure, do as the hunters do. Make a plan. No treasure hunter worth his or her salt goes off willy nilly without knowing their course. While enthusiasm is admirable in seeking the heart’s desire…it won’t fully fuel an expedition, and it will certainly peter out without a plan in place.

Commit to the Unknown: I almost titled this section something like “Never quit” – but that’s not quite fair. Why? Because sometimes when we start a new adventure to fulfill our purpose or passion…stuff sometimes doesn’t work out. I’m not saying that if things go awry (and they certainly will) on the hunt for improvement that we just call everything off and quit. However, sometimes altering the trail or re-navigating the course is in order.

So what do I mean by “commit to the unknown?” – it deals with facing the truth about any new path we take to attain a goal or catch a dream. Any time we step up to the challenge of changing the landscape of our lives, there will always be unknowns on the path. No matter how well you’ve mapped out the course, planned for the worse or prepared for bumpy roads along the way…there will be setbacks. That’s why we must embrace the unknown. If we avoid, neglect or deny the fact that we can’t know everything about the new waters we’re swimming in, then we’re ill-prepared to find our treasure.

Summarizing Symbolic Treasure Hunting

Is today YOUR day? What are you willing to do to doggedly pursue your dreams? Have you given up on your dream too early? Dreams have their own timing; they also require your commitment and belief. Do you have the right stuff to see your dream into reality? Whatever your answer is, I hope this article offers inspiration on whatever path you are sailing towards your heart’s desire. As always, thanks for reading, and indulging my random thoughts!

Mighty brightly,