Have you ever seen something for the first time and thought to yourself, “That speaks to me”?
That is how I felt. I don’t know much about art, probably less about sculptures. Not that I can’t appreciate it. I just never took the time to learn.
I think of myself as a pretty logical person. Most of the time art doesn’t make “sense” to me. I am sure that I’m not alone when I see things and think, “I wonder how long that took”. Then go on to imagine all the other “useful” things that could have been done with that time instead.
Clearly, the wrong way to look at things, I know.
However, this was the first piece of art that I thought, makes perfect sense. It is exceptional.
“Self Made Man” is a sculpture by artist Bobbie Carlyle of a man carving himself out of stone. With chisel, hammer, and a determined look he is quite literally making himself.
It is the ultimate expression of effort being put forth to shape yourself into the person you want to be.
We don’t have the ability to literally chip away at our bodies to make us look how we want. What do have is the ability to become our ideal. Similar to the statute, it takes hard work and the right tools.
That is what this website and my business is about. Chipping away at our doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs so that we can achieve our heart’s desires. More importantly, so that we can become who we want to be.
Just like a sculptor one cannot just make huge changes right away. Huge changes can lead to huge mistakes. Small changes can create masterpieces.
We should strive for daily progress. We should trust in the process. We should do all the right things with consistency.
There is something else that I see when I look at Self Made Man. I see freedom. He is using his tools and skills to break away from the things weighing him down.
I see an escape from the things that used to be apart of him that he no longer needs. This can be an escape from fear. An escape from debt.
Maybe it is a career we don’t feel passionate about. After all, according to the artist herself, this artwork is, above all, about the future.
Is your future leading you down the path you choose?
Ms. Carlyle took a long time to hone her craft. This didn’t happen overnight. Nothing worth admiring does. The skill to create Self Made Man was earned through patience, practice, and diligence. It took formal training, decades of practice, and sacrifice.
Work on real estate investing every day. Work on it when you don’t feel like it. Work on it when the world doesn’t appreciate what you do.
What is something that inspires you? What do you see and feel a deep connection to? What do you see that reflects your core values back to you?
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