Remove everything that is not David
In 1501, Michelangelo, the greatest artist that ever lived, accepted a commission to carve a marble sculpture of the biblical David to be placed high atop a buttress on the Florentine Cathedral in Italy. A big job.
He started the work on a mass of uninspiring marble, chiselling away chunk by chunk until he got the desired figure. It took four years for Michelangelo to carve the famous sculpture out of an 18-foot-tall marble block that other artists, including the famous Leonardo da Vinci, regarded as an unworkable and inferior marble mass.
When the pope asked Michelangelo about the secret of his genius, particularly regarding the statue of David, largely considered to be the greatest sculpting masterpiece of all time. Michelangelo responded by saying, “It’s simple. I just remove everything that is not David.”
Now, I am unsure if this conversation happened or if these words were spoken. But, either way, this got me thinking.
I reflect that in the pursuit of our goals, often we focus on the outcome and the resources we need to get there.
But, there is another element to consider. What is getting in the way? What do we need to remove? Face up to? Let go of?
When you remove everything that is not required, your goal becomes easier to achieve.
What do you think? I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached here and on LinkedIn.
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