What isn't David

Michelangelo was asked by the pope about the secret of his genius, particularly in regards to 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 isn't David."

I want to become recklessly kind. I want to become healthy enough to meet my great-great-grandchildren. I want to become disciplined. I want to become prolific and charasmatic and full-of-wonder. But I'm not these things. And I'm often disappointed because I'm not these things.

Who I Want To Be abhors Who I Actually Am.

"Finding Yourself" is not like molding clay. Your mind is not malleable — it's resistant to change. Who You Actually Are cannot easily flex and twist into Who You Want To Be.

But Who You Actually Are is sculptable. You can decide that "That Ain't Me". You can chip away at imperfections. You can slowly smooth out rough edges.

So how do you find yourself? It's simple: remove everything that isn't You.