Make your masterpiece

The legs sat in the rain and elements for nearly a quarter of a century.

They were part of an important statue that was commissioned in 1464. Two sculptors abandoned the project due to the “poor quality of the marble.” So the slab of half-finished legs sat exposed and neglected.

At long last, a 26-year-old sculptor was selected and given two years to complete the project. His name was Michelangelo and the statue is ‘David’ –one of the most recognizable and important pieces of art in existence. It’s considered a masterpiece.

Materiam superabat opus — “The workmanship is better than the material.” (Latin)

It’s a maxim I learned from Ryan Holiday’s book “Ego Is the Enemy.”

None of us can control what ‘material’ we’re given emotionally, genetically, financially, etc. But we can control what we make of that material.

We may not be the smartest, the most experienced or the most skilled person in the room. But with effort, we can be the most…

- Positive
- Enthusiastic
- Prepared
- Punctual
- Coachable
- Empathetic

And more often than not, that’s enough.

Combine two or more of those, and you’re more than enough — you’re among the best.

So whatever kind of slab you’ve been given, whatever half-finished legs you’ve inherited — pick up your hammer and chisel, and get to work.

This piece was originally published on my Linkedin page.

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