On a beautiful Saturday morning, I joined several friends who were setting up a traditional Easter egg hunt for children of varying ages. The hunt was at my friend Sarah’s home—a sprawling 20 acres where she and her husband Keith keep big dogs and even bigger horses.

Listening to Sarah admonish the littlest hunters before they set off to find their eggs, I realized her advice to them could also apply to my own recent searches for life’s goodies. Maybe you’ll find it useful as well:

• There are no eggs in poop. Yes, it does seem some things would go without saying, but you are not a two-year-old bent on finding hidden treasure. And what, you’re wondering, does this bit of advice have to do with the rest of us? Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent a lot of time searching for diamonds in the rough … which is just a nicer way of saying I’ve been searching for eggs in poop.

Think about what you want in life and spend your time where you’re most likely to find it—and with the people who are likely to help deliver it to you. If you want to be clean and sober, you probably won’t get there by hanging out with friends who use. You won’t be pushed to overachieve by spending your time with people who underachieve. You won’t create a stable, secure future by dating people who are volatile and can’t manage their money.

You won’t find eggs in poop.

• There are no eggs in ant hills. Poop is a stinky mess that should put off anyone with a working sense of smell. But ant hills aren’t as obvious. They can look perfectly harmless—just mounds of dirt with a few tiny insects scurrying around. Some ant hills are perfectly harmless. And some—at least in Florida where I live—contain fire ants that can cause excruciating pain and even deadly allergic reactions.

Because there’s no odor to warn you off, you have to pay attention when it comes to avoiding ant hills. You may be getting along just fine, only to feel a sudden sting, look down, and discover you are standing in an ant hill … which can be even worse than standing in poop. Although poop is smelly and difficult to remove, if you have an allergic reaction, ants can be deadly. Here’s an example:

You’d think someone who has survived three cancer battles and nearly 30 surgeries would take exceptional care of the temple that houses her spirit. You’d think. But when it comes to protecting my health, I’m like someone standing in an ant hill. I’m too busy to look down and notice that I’m not eating a healthy diet or getting enough sleep or exercise or relaxation or fresh air. So one day I’m liable to feel a sudden sting and realize too late that I should have been more diligent about my health. The same could apply to keeping up with household maintenance or balancing your checkbook or nurturing friendships and family ties.

If you don’t pay attention, you’ll be so busy looking for eggs, you won’t know you’ve strayed into an ant hill until you feel the sting.

• There are plenty of eggs for everyone. This is the best part. You really don’t have to search in poop or stray into ant hills and risk getting stung in order to find the treasures in life. That’s because no matter how many eggs everyone else has uncovered or how many eggs you’ve let get away, more eggs are always waiting. You just have to be patient … and keep searching.