Privies

Awhile back I made a tea set for one of my favorite publications... it was bright, jarring and made your teeth hurt but, it was something intensely personal to me. Once upon a time, my Grandfather wrote an inscription in a book that has always been both a blessing and a curse. He wrote, "May you be as Versatile as Master DaVinci". Versatility is a tall order because it means you have to be in a state of perpetual learning, self-improvement, and self-scrutiny... a willingness to be useful. It also means, you have to understand and believe that you have something to offer, that you are indeed unique, and have value.

"Lo Some who can call themselves nothing more than a passage for food, producers of dung, fillers of privies, for of them nothing else appears in the world, nor is there any virtue in their work, for nothing of them remains but full privies."

~Leonardo DaVinci (Forster III. 74 v.) "The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci"

It seems that people tend to discount what it is, and why it is, they are here taking in oxygen. The moment you believe that there is nothing more to life than the usual suspects; eating, sleeping, drinking, breathing, continue on as you feel the need to do so... the point is, the moment you believe that it is about just YOU and the mundane, the dung level creeps up to about eye height and clouds your vision and you miss all the incredible opportunities and experiences there are in this world. I have had the privilege to meet some absolutely insanely gifted artists, musicians, and writers... the tragedy is when they themselves merely see themselves as a "passage for food".... a terrible waste.

Comments

[Carol Ross]

Thanks, Sarah, for that beautiful post. Your grandfather's words are very wise. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to hear someone wonder aloud, "What do I have to offer?"

I teach a 4-wk program about how to network effectively (I call it "networking naturally") and one of the questions that keeps coming up is this one of knowing your value. This is from accomplished professionals who have excelled in their field.

I look forward to more of your musings.