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They Said It Was Worthless… Until This Happened

I was listening to a podcast the other day when this delightful story came up. I think it’s very relevant to what we do and well worth sharing. 

Way back in 1408 the Republic of Florence council voted to commission a statue. The statue was destined to be placed on a stand outside of the Florence Cathedral. It took another 60 years to appoint a sculptor to design the statue and source the enormous block of marble that would be needed.

Unfortunately he had little experience with large pieces and had bought a piece of marble too flawed for what he had in mind and he withdrew from the job.

12 years later a new artist was appointed, but after a few months he reported the block of marble was too flawed to produce anything worthwhile and he walked away.

This huge block of marble then sits outside for another 25 years before an up and coming sculptor is invited to have another look, at vast cost the marble is moved to his workshops. 4 years goes by and no word. Then he announces he’s done.

The council head off to inspect what he has crafted and are greeted by what is arguably the greatest statue ever produced.  

That flawed block of marble that had been rejected twice and generally agreed to be too flawed to be crafted into anything of value just needed someone with a new perspective. A perspective to see through the flaws to what lay beneath, to look through and see what it could be.

That flawed block of marble had been transformed into a thing of beauty, a majestic 17 foot tall tribute that is too magnificent to be placed in a supporting role next to the cathedral but deserving of its own pride of place.

That sculptor was Michelangelo and the statue his David. 

When asked how he did it Michelangelo is reported to have said “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved it until I set him free” or words to that effect.

As people we so often see ourselves like that flawed block of marble, as being of less value. We don’t see what lies beneath. We need help to find that different perspective.  Often others can see the angel within you, but you need help to see it in yourself.   

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