I found this article on Oprah's website. She talks about looking at the potential of a piece of stone that could be turned into a sculpture. Sometimes the stone seems unusable, but sometimes that just means that there are certain things connected to you that aren't you--that need to be "chiseled" away. For instance, for a while I thought that I was not gifted with teaching even though I was told I was and even went to school for a degree in education. When I entered a new teaching situation, it seemed like kids would love me and learn from me, but then lose interest after about 2 weeks. I thought it was a just that I didn't know how to be a good teacher--that I wasn't a good teacher. But later I discovered that my fears and insecurities were influencing these doubts. I realized that I actually am a good teacher. I just needed to clear away the fears and insecurities in order to accurately evaluate if I really was gifted in this way. I get cards from my students, gifts, and the privilege of hearing one of them tell me weekly that they want to be my daughter and live with me. I have learned how to keep them engaged and learning as well. So sometimes we need to evaluate what is really us and what is simply attached to us. Work on distinguishing between those two and "chiseling" away what is not you. Sometimes you may be gifted in a certain area, but it just needs tweaking :) That has happened to me several times. This article will be split into a several day series. I found that the thoughts on discovering our gifts by authors Ken Schuman and Ron Paxton were very thought-provoking, yet simple to understand. Enjoy!
"What does one of history's greatest artists have in common with
people today who want to change their lives? In the following excerpt
from The Michelangelo Method, the authors take Michelangelo as a
model for looking within, overcoming obstacles, and sculpting a more
creative, authentic life.
There is little doubt that Michelangelo was one of history's greatest
sculptors, a man who could transform a solid block of marble into
lifelike form that married classical proportion and technique with a
passionate expressionism that had never been seen before in sculpture.
But even considering his genius, how could Michelangelo carve the David
from a giant block of stone that was so damaged that his contemporaries
considered it "ruined" and "a thing of no value"?
The answer is simple. Michelangelo looked at the block and saw his David
locked inside. Michelangelo held an important belief about the art of
sculpture. He believed that in each block of stone there was a figure
hidden inside, waiting to be revealed. To Michelangelo, the master
sculptor's job was to clear away what was not the image and reveal the
masterpiece inside the stone.
In addition, Michelangelo's chief value—what he cared about most—was to
glorify God. He believed that man was created in God's image and that in
rendering God's highest creation as perfectly as possible, he was
glorifying God. For Michelangelo's creativity to be released, it had to
be aligned with this deeply held value.
This amazing principle applies to all of us. To find your masterpiece,
the life you were meant to live, you must look inside. It's there,
waiting for you to clear away all that is not you—the fears, beliefs,
and wishes that others have imposed on you, the negative stories you
tell about yourself, the defeatist attitude toward overcoming obstacles
to your vision."
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