5 Must-Read Success Lessons from Michelangelo (by Mr. Selfdevelopment)

His work in each of these fields was absolutely ingenious.

When you take into account the quantity of correspondences, sketches, and reminiscences that currently exist, Michelangelo is the best documented artist of the 16^th century.

Two of his most popular works, David and the Pietà, were sculpted before he turned thirty.

As an artist he created two of the most influential works in the history of Western art: the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling and The Last Judgment on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

As an architect, Michelangelo pioneered the Mannerist style at the Laurentian Library. When he was 74 he succeeded “Antonio da Sangallo the Younger” as the architect of Saint Peter’s Basilica.

One of the qualities most admired by his contemporaries was his sense of awe-inspiring splendor. 

It was the attempts of subsequent artists trying to imitate Michelangelo’s highly personal and passionate style that resulted in “Mannerism”, the next major movement in Western art after the High Renaissance.

It’s true; it takes hard work to succeed!

The idea that “people succeed because they’re lucky” may make you feel better, but it’s simply not true.

The reality is that success is the result of hard work.  Are “you” working hard?  Are you giving your all to this game called life?  You won’t succeed on a half-effort; to succeed you must give your all.

What you can see you can do!  If you can’t see it, you can’t do it.  So what do you see for your life?  Do you see more of the same, or do you see greatness just around the corner!

Before you arrive you must see it; what you see is “exactly” what you’re going to get.  So what do you see?

Michelangelo said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”  Every person is like that block of stone, there’s greatness inside, but it has to be carved out.  It has to be carved out through hard work; it has to be carved out by the individual who can perceive their own greatness.  To succeed, you must carve your greatness out of the block.

To succeed you must believe in your ability!  You must be the first member of your fan club.  As the famous poem goes, “If you think you’re outclassed, you are, you have to think high to rise, you must be sure of yourself, before you can ever win a prize, think big and your deeds will grow, think small and you’ll fall behind, think like you can and you will, it’s all just a state of mind…”

Do you believe in you?

You can do more than you’re presently doing!  You’re capable of accomplishing things that you can not currently perceive, things that would astonish you.  There lies dormant in you potential that has yet to be tapped; you have to aim high in order to unlock that potential.  Greatness is inside of you, but it’s up to you to release it.