Royal Tonic (p2)
LONG, HARD WORK
The sculptor quickly arranged to have workmen haul the block of marble to his studio some distance away. He then began the long, hard job of hammering and chiseling. It took him two solid years of work to create the rough outline of the statue. He then put his hammers and chisels aside and spent two more years polishing and sanding before the statue was complete.
Michelangelo was already famous as a sculptor, and the news that he was working on a major commission for the Medicis spread all over Italy. When the day came for its first public viewing, thousands of people came from all over Italy and gathered in the main square.When it was unveiled, the crowd stood gaping in awe. It was breathtakingly beautiful. People cheered.Women fainted.The audience was amazed at the incredible beauty of the enormous statue.
Michelangelo was immediately recognized as the greatest sculptor of his age.
Afterward, when Michelangelo was asked how he was able to create such a masterpiece, he replied by saying that he saw the David complete and perfect in the marble. All he did was to remove everything that was not the David."
We have so many things in common with the story of creation of David. We are just like a great masterpiece enclosed in a marble as well, but the marble that envelops us is the marble of small, limited thinking and excessive worry about the possibilities of loss or failure, rather than an excited anticipation of the rewards of success and achievement. To realize our full potential, our greatest need is to break out of our limited thinking by dreaming big and imagining unlimited possibilities. We need to remove all the negative beliefs that hold us back from becoming all what we are capable of becoming.
But remember, even after the David had been released from the marble, it took Michelangelo two solid years of sanding and polishing to turn it into a masterpiece. In the same way, we also have to work on ourselves, sanding and polishing, learning and practicing, for days, weeks, months, and even years, to develop and bring out all the talents and abilities that lie deep inside of us.
Until I come your way next time, keep winning.