Be like Michelangelo, the sculptor

The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” — Michelangelo, Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet space

Are any of us really broken or as Michelangelo’s metaphor conjures up merely sculptors needing to chisel away the parts of ourselves we no longer need?

Have previous actions, fear, anger and/or regret over the passing years left us feeling trapped in figurative stone? We do not have to live in the past. Neither are we the future. We are the present. 

Are we seeking clarification about how to proceed? 

We were not born into this world to fix what was broken? Or were we? As the new Torah cycle gets underway, 10 portions into the book of Genesis this week, introspection fuels “go forth from where you are,” a journey of discovery and building a better world… just like the work of the sculptor, co-creating ourselves, as well as building an ethic of social justice into our lives is about finding balance. We need to journey inward enough to see where we have fallen short and what work we need to do. And we need to journey outward enough to take the next action, however small, in lifting each other up – pursuing justice – helping someone in need…

Maybe there is family baggage that needs to be left at the door

In order to have healthy relationships it requires of us to have a healthy self, which means it is advisable to “heal-thy-self” first. 

Heal ourselves first???

So, if we are not broken, “why do I feel broken?”

Exactly! 

Maybe that is the point. Maybe the “idea” of brokenness needs to be removed from the psychobabble? 

If we are being led by fear, we stifle our own initiative and creativity. Leading by fear fosters blaming behavior, causing us to hide who we are, to create a false identity, to not tell the whole story. We do not tell ourselves or others what we really think. We just go through the motions. 

Led by fear we fail to recognize  opportunities or just put our heads down as we hear the familiar chill-inducing footsteps echo, like the solid ping of the carver’s hammer.

Instead of being led by fear, how about leading by praise?

Leading by praise sounds nice, and it, too, can be a damaging strategy. We hold the knowledge, the power; we become the benevolent one. We are the grateful recipient, we hunger for a positive word. Praise can become an addiction. Behaviors change to get that rush of dopamine and other neurotransmitters.

Carved into our memories from an earlier time in our life might have led us to completely miss the mark. At one moment of success, or at times we felt successful. Now we need more and more and we are not getting the response from outside sources that we did before. What was once received as a major rush, is now a trite acknowledgement. The lack of being relevant or validated feels like a marble fist to our solar plexus.

What once quenched our thirst for accomplishment, no matter how much, crumbles our enthusiasm like marble flakes on the chisel. We check out. The praise is no longer enough to give the extra effort drive or provide the drive, it merely reinforces mediocrity.

What is needed?

Encouragement! Self-encouragement.

To hear something internally affirming and forward-looking. “Okay, now I know what to do.” Asking ourselves, what am I learning? What do I do well? How can I do it better next time?” Encouragement like this can be a game changer. To pick up the chisel and get to work.

Fear and praise are the blocks of stone trapping that can keep us from realizing our true potential. Our meaning and purpose.

Words of encouragement can gently chisel the superfluous stone away so we can emerge more confident, more self-fulfilled, and more capable.

“The way to peace is to be content with yourself, honor the light of reason within, live in harmony with others, and be grateful.”

~ Marcus Aurelius

We can go further than we thought we can. When someone finds their inner strength, they begin to see how leading themselves by fear or praise can be a trap of one’s own making. Being our own sculptures, chiseling away what is no longer needed, may reveal the hidden beauty with the marble. A strategy of self-encouragement might be what is needed to to tip the scale between fear and praise. Self-encouragement may not be on the scale at all.

Let encouragement be the chisel that allows our potential to emerge. 
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Michelangelo widely regarded as the most famous artist of the Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroti is best known for his David and Pieta statues and the ceiling paintings of Rome’s Sistine Chapel. He spent four years painting, and wrote over 300 poems. He studied sculpture in the Medici family gardens Chief architect of St. Peter’s Basilica “A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing to hear and see it.”

Find other amazing quotes from Michelangelo. https://www.michelangelo-gallery.com/michelangelo-quotes.aspx