Three Feet from Gold: Clear-Eyed Perseverance in an Age of Distraction

Perseverance without planning is not a virtue—it is a stall.

We live in an era of instant results—where quick wins are celebrated, and long-haul effort is quietly dismissed as inefficient. Yet behind every transformative breakthrough—whether personal, professional, or spiritual—lurks a truth few want to admit: sometimes, we give up mere inches from the experience of a miracle.

Napoleon Hill tells a story in the opening pages of perhaps his most well-known book Think and Grow Rich (1937) that continues to echo across time. It is a cautionary tale, but also an invitation. An invitation to persevere—not blindly, not recklessly, but with clear-eyed enthusiasm and principled planning.

The story of “Three Feet from Gold” offers more than a parable about the importance of persistence. It presents a test we all face when effort collides with uncertainty. And along my life’s journey—from the retail floor to radio studios, from nonprofit boardrooms to university campuses, from dorm rooms to Masonic lodges, and ultimately, from the cacophony of outward noise to the inward stillness of Pure Consciousness—I have found this story, and Hill’s book in general, to be less about material wealth and more about spiritual and intellectual gold.

For those who have yet to read Think and Grow Rich, let us revisit the “Three Feet From Gold” story briefly—then unfold its wisdom using modern insight, meditative stillness, and the frameworks I developed and have come to know intimately: The Model for Perpetual Growth and Progress and The Seven Layers of Manifestation.

The Lesson We Almost Miss

A man buys land in Colorado during the Gold Rush and begins digging with passion. After weeks of hard labor, he “discovered the shining ore.” Convinced they may have truly struck it rich, the man and his nephew “retraced his footsteps” to Maryland and sought the aid of relatives and neighbours in securing funds to purchase proper mining equipment. Back at the site, they resume work and successfully extract several cartloads of ore. Then, without warning, the vein of gold ore disappeared. After a couple of false starts and finally convinced the gold is gone for good, he gives up, sells his machinery for pennies on the dollar, and walks away.

The new owner, believing gold was still to be found at the site, consults a mining engineer, who advises digging just three more feet.

There—three feet from where the first man stopped—they strike one of the richest veins of gold ever discovered in Colorado.

It is easy to frame this as a parable of stubbornness. But what truly caused the breakthrough? It was not raw will. It was disciplined strategy, expert counsel, and the ability to hold focus when the mind screams to abandon course.

Planning vs. Wishing

One of the most overlooked aspects of this tale is that the original digger had no plan beyond effort. He went in with enthusiasm but lacked strategy. It was only after failure that he learned the power of precision and guidance.

In the early stages of my work—particularly when teaching Transcendental Meditation or guiding clients through difficult terrain—I often experienced mild fatigue. It was not from doing too much, but from doing without clear direction. As we began shaping what would ultimately become our system for delivering TM instruction—specific days, times of day, and a certain location—something shifted. We found our rhythm. Here, I am reminded of a quote by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits (2018): “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Once our system matured, the work became not only more effective but more fulfilling. Well-structured systems and thoughtfully applied frameworks do not just support progress—they amplify it.

This is where my Model for Perpetual Growth and Progress offers a pivot point: we must distinguish between aspiration and execution. The model calls for:

• Clarity of purpose (seed),

• Aligned activity (germination and emergence),

• And sustained refinement (bloom and regeneration).

Wishful thinking, without calibration, produces exhaustion. Intentional planning, paired with aligned consciousness, creates sustainable momentum.

Seeking the Experts: Not Going It Alone

The second part of the story reveals the shift: a miner who, unlike the first, consults someone trained in geology and surveying.

We are not meant to walk alone. There are mentors, teachers, advisors, and allies placed along our path to help us move from vision to victory. I have been fortunate to find several such individuals in unexpected places—from university mentors to Masonic leaders to meditation practitioners across the globe. Each one offered a new layer of insight, showing me that real progress is a team effort across time.

If there is one takeaway here, it is this: Do not ask the world to reward your suffering—ask if your strategy needs refinement. And ask someone who knows. In this, I am reminded of something I learned long ago: Seek neither assistance nor advice from those who have not trod the path you are walking. They cannot help you.

Your Inner Compass: The Role of Clear-Eyed Enthusiasm

Perseverance is not about gritting your teeth. It is about tuning into what I call clear-eyed enthusiasm—a blend of purpose, realism, and inward alignment.

This is where Transcendental Meditation becomes not just a practice, but a compass. Through the stillness it offers, you are better able to differentiate gut wisdom from reactive noise. In time, that clarity becomes your inner GPS—nudging you when to dig deeper, when to pivot, and when to pause.

In Human Design terms, which I have recently reengaged with, this aligns with what is known as Splenic Authority—an inner knowing that speaks quickly and quietly. The point is not to force your way forward. It is to listen deeply enough to act with accuracy.

Layering the Lessons: A Consciousness-Based Take

Let us now consider how this story maps onto the Seven Layers of Manifestation:

1. Pure Consciousness – The silence beneath struggle, the wellspring of true resilience.

2. Universal/Natural Laws – Success is not random. It flows in alignment with cause and effect, timing, and energy.

3. Phenomenal World – Where we engage with our environment, tools, and resources—like that mining equipment and surveyor.

4. Human Consciousness – Where belief, doubt, and awareness interplay—deciding if we go on or give up.

5. Human-Derived World – The stories we tell ourselves about failure, success, and what we deserve.

6. Constructed Realities – Cultural and mental frameworks that praise hustle but shame patience.

7. Outcomes (Non-Local Influence) – The ripple effect of our efforts—not just on ourselves, but on generations to come.

Seen through this lens, perseverance is not a singular act—it is a harmonic sequence. It is about sustaining what Maharishi Mahesh Yogi would often refer to as “Spontaneous right action” across multiple layers of reality.

Practical Tools for Today’s Seekers

So how do we apply this in our lives today?

Here are a few steps for those who may well be standing three feet from their gold:

1. Meditate daily. Even 20 minutes morning and evening can align you with Pure Consciousness and sharpen your perception.

2. Write your “Why.” Reconnect with the vision that started your journey—and assess if it is still resonant.

3. Audit your map. Are you working hard but without direction? Consider consulting someone with experience in your area.

4. Create pause points. Build in moments to reflect—not just push. These are vital for recalibration and take us from stimulus and reaction to the more refined stimulus and response.

5. Move in alignment, not anxiety. Action taken from stillness is more powerful than action taken from fear.

6. Celebrate progress. Even if no one else sees it yet, mark the inch you just advanced. It matters.

Conclusion: Honor the Inch

You may be closer than you think. The challenge is not always the size of the task, but the clarity of your approach.

As someone who has walked divergent roads—from Milwaukee to Atlanta to Iowa to Cambridge—and experienced my share of setbacks, I can say with deep conviction: You are not here to quit. You are here to grow. And every experience, every pause, every pivot is preparing you for the breakthrough that is uniquely yours to manifest.

You are three feet from your gold—but you must be the one who digs with both strategy and soul.

And when the gold comes—and it will—share it. That, too, is part of the path.

To learn more about Transcendental Meditation, visit: https://www.tm.org/.

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Dr. Baruti KMT-Sisouvong, along with his wife, Mina, serves as Director of the Transcendental Meditation Program in Cambridge and the larger area of Metropolitan Boston. They are parents to four beautiful children. To learn more about him, visit his website: https://www.barutikmtsisouvong.com/.