The famous California Gold Rush resulted in relatively few prospectors striking it rich. California became the “golden state,” where people could go to get their piece of the “American dream,” called the “California dream.”
This reminds me of something far greater which Paul refers to here:
I am reminded of what’s most important, what’s vitally important. So that lesser things which may get in the way of that have to be let go of, entirely dropped. Even things which in themselves may be good. Paul suffered the loss of all things to gain Christ. He had one goal and he kept looking to that, honing in on it. And in fact he made it clear that this is the view all of us in Jesus are to take, watching others, especially leaders in the church who are doing so and following their example.