It is impossible to doubt the genius of
Michelangelo. If you need any further convincing check out the Sistine
Chapel virtual tour. And there is so much more.
I am most fortunate to have seen the
actual statue of David, and I was told by our tour guide that it was a symbol of
Florence, created to symbolise the Florentine attitude to times of conflict, as well as representing the
Biblical hero.
More information here. And also
in the You Tube clip above.
The author has made a very clever
analogy!
Free the ‘real you' and get rid of the
limiting beliefs that are holding you back.
My gorgeous wife Laura spoke of some things I didn’t know this week and it really sparked an interest in me. Laura comes from a proud Italian heritage and she told me all about the famous Statue of David in Florence.
Did you know that the statue, representing the biblical hero David, stands 5.17 metres (17 feet) tall and was carved from one single block of marble between the years of 1501 and 1504 by artist Michelangelo?Can you imagine having one massive 10 ton block of marble in front of you and, from it, creating such beauty and such detail as was the Statue of David?I did some research and was most inspired and excited by a couple of quotes by the artist Michelangelo. When he was asked how he made the statue he was reported to have said, “It is easy. You just chip away the stone that doesn’t look like David.”
Then he made the statement that has really inspired this weeks article … “I saw the angel in the marble and I just carved until I set him free.”
When I look at the statue I am in absolute awe.
Laura has actually seen it in Florence and has stood before it … in her words, she says it is “overwhelmingly majestic with its own powerful energy … like it is singing to me.” She said she stood there for 20 minutes - staring - lost in it’s majesty and power. Just an incredible vision of beauty, power and majesty which all started from a massive lump of marble!
That beauty, power and majesty is inside of you You may be wondering where I am heading with all of this talk about the Statue of David. It must have a point, and it does … an incredibly significant and profound one.
Michelangelo spoke about the ‘angel in the marble’ that just needed to be ‘set free’.The Statue of David is you! You are the angel in the marble – the simple question is; have you set yourself free yet?
Michelangelo stated that it is easy … just chip away the bits that don’t look like you. You know, deep down, the person that you want to be …don’t you? You want to be happy, healthy, confident, successful, significant, lean, loved and loving – anything else you can think of?Do you know that the person you want to be is already inside of you?
You just need to chip away the things that are covering the real you – the things that are not you but are masking the angel that lies underneath.
I am talking about getting rid of the things that are preventing you from being the amazing person that you are – the things stopping you from seeing the beautiful, powerful and majestic winner that is the real you. And believe me … you are amazing!So what is holding you back? What is keeping the angel stuck beneath the surface? What is preventing the real you from showing your majesty? Is it lack of belief? Is it low self esteem? Is it lack of confidence or fear of failure? Is it worrying about what other people will think?Those things are not you – they are roadblocks preventing the real you from shining through and showing what you are capable of.
So ... are you ready to chisel?
Get a chisel and start chipping … The first step is to really believe that the angel is in you. This is the first layer of chiseling you need to begin with. So think now - and I mean right now – of things that you have already achieved in your life. Think of the things that you are proud of; the work you do, the family you have raised and/or the courses you have completed.
Think of the people you have impacted, the home you live in, the way you look or have looked and the hills you have climbed. Think of the hardest thing you have ever done … the thing that took an incredible effort and, at times, you wanted to give up on. Think about how you kept going and you got it done!With all this achievement, how could you possibly not believe in yourself or your own power?
Are you with me?
Okay, the next level of chiseling is to start to chip away at the voice in your head that is saying ‘I can’t’ and begin replacing it with the voice telling you that you can and you deserve the best.Start telling yourself that you can, you have and you will. Start affirming what you want by writing down and reading positive, empowering and abundance statements to yourself everyday. This will take some time, consistency and discipline but the result will be setting free the angel – the powerful and amazing you - that is underneath.
When you look in the mirror do you see the beautiful and majestic Statue of David, or do you see a lump of rock?Either way the news is great. If you are facing a lump of marble … look deeply and see the angel that lies underneath, then simply start carving until you set it free.You are the Michelangelo of your life!
With many thanks to Andrew
Jobling who wrote this piece, and thanks to GR for sending it to me.
