Lupita Nyong’o was stunningly beautiful, gracefully poised and amazingly profound as she won the Oscar. Her words touched us all and spoke to a place of hope. She reminded us that regardless of where we are from, what we’ve done or been through, “our dreams are valid.”
As valid as our dreams may be, they are constantly under threat. The greatest enemy to our future is our inability to make peace with the past. Failures, mistakes and disappointments coat our faith like residue and we struggle to believe that we have what it takes to make it! But, the desire to be more is born out of the fact that we are more than we have currently allowed ourselves to express.
On a trip to Italy nearly ten years ago, I was privileged to see the David in person. Amazed by the work of art, I was eager to learn more about it. The story I discovered was so rich in inspiration that its principles became the foundation for one of my seminars and now the framework for my Make Your Life A Masterpiece coaching program. From the story of the David, here are some principles we can employ as we seek to make our visions a reality:
1. Finish What We Start
The marble slab used to create the David was rejected by another sculptor who abandoned the task. So, for 26 years it sat abandoned in a churchyard. Day after day, the forces of time and environment damaged it. Like that marble, many of our dreams grow faint under the pressure of time and adversity. The artist who failed to finish the David could have been the name history speaks of, but he threw in the towel too soon.
2. Weave Failure Into The Design
Before Michelangelo put his chisel to work, he first addressed the imperfections of the stone. Rather than trying to hide them, he simply weaved them into the work. The pursuit of perfection can distract us. We must learn to understand the beauty and power of our whole story! The mistakes of our past don’t determine the trajectory of our future. A mistake becomes a lesson learned when we are determined to move forward!
3. Know Our Expertise
Balance is the key to everything. I believe in doing the research and consulting with the experts. But the value we give to the wisdom of others must be balanced by self-knowledge. When everyone else said the stone was worthless, Michelangelo saw potential. He understood the power of his chisel. The chisel that helps us achieve our dreams is made up of five important things: our support team, our commitment to being held accountable, our daily activities, an awareness of our triggers and the resources we utilize in our decision-making. These five factors work together to help us shape the futures we deeply desire. Michelangelo once said of the masterpiece, “David was already in the stone. I just chipped away everything that wasn’t David.” Like him, we must chip away at the elements in our lives that are unaligned with our vision.
Do Your Work: Evaluate and sharpen your chisel. Identify your support team and determine how they can hold you accountable for achieving critical 90-day goals. How prepared are you to handle the triggers that usually stop you? And what are you doing daily for your dreams? Schedule your free 20-minute laser coaching session and learn how to make your life a masterpiece.
Define Your Wealth: “All things work together for my good. I am committed to the process of transformation!”
Named the “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker” by eWomenNetwork, Felicia T. Scott is a Certified Empowerment Coach™ who empowers her clients to turn their Worth into Wealth as she partners with them to DISCOVER their WORTH, DO the WORK and DEFINE their WEALTH. Get more insight, download the FREE “8 Choices Winners Must Make” seminar MP3 on her website.