Michelangelo said that a sculptor just chipped away at a stone to reveal the beauty within. This got me thinking – isn’t this what we all do with our lives? We hold a vision of the life we want and start chipping away to reveal that life…by getting the education we want, the job, the partner, the dog, the f’ing big television…and so on. But then somehow we lose sight of what it is we’re creating, or we forget that we are creating something, or we get discouraged and put down the chisel.
Then we sit looking at the unfinished block of marble that is our life, and we complain that it’s ugly and incomplete, missing key elements. We forget that there is a work of art hiding inside that incompleteness, and more importantly, we forget that we are the sculptor. Ok, let me just move metaphor aside for a moment and ask you a question. Are you consciously creating your life? Hmm…make that 2 questions. Do you have a vision you are working towards?
When we are young, naïve and foolish, we have dreams and ambitions we have no idea how to fulfil, and no fear about fulfilling them. A few setbacks, some discouragement and an amount of time later and we give up on our dreams, telling ourselves that we were young, naïve and foolish to think we could create a masterpiece in the first place. Well, I say BRING BACK youth, naivite and foolishness!
You don’t necessarily have to bring back your original dreams – speaking for myself, I no longer want the same kind of life I wanted when I was 18! The life I am now chipping away to reveal is very different from the one I initially envisioned. In fact, I had to get a new block of marble and start again with my life sculpture because the first attempt was just too darn small. You can pick up the chisel again any time you like…and much of the fun of sculpture is the process of creation – once you get the finished article, you’re off to the next after a moment of admiration.
Much like life. You have a vision of what you want, you stop to admire it for 30 seconds (maybe) and then you’re off to create the next work of art. Only in life, we often don’t stop to appreciate that creation process, or the initial design process. We don’t always keep an eye on whether our original vision has changed and whether we need a bigger chisel. The exciting thing is that whether you are aware of it or not, you are the artist, and your life is hiding in that block of marble, just waiting to be revealed.
Something to play with
What is the vision you have for your life? Don’t worry if it’s a bit unclear at the moment – the design process is delicious! Whatever stage you’re at – visualising your design, ready to pick up the chisel, half-way through chipping away – today resolve to remember that you are the creator of your life, and wield that chisel with pride and joy!
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Love
Donna.x
