The Smith, the Forge, and the Sword

by Kit (Nicole Wojciechowski)

Life is a forge right?  

There’s this hunk of metal here, destined to be a sword, and life just throws things into the mix.  Some heat here, some iron or copper there, some pressure, some random strikes, and all of a sudden you find yourself different.  Maybe dull and brittle, maybe jagged, bent, or broken.  Nothing like this strong and shining sword, ready for anything, like you intended.  But that’s life.  Things happen, and you change to survive.  And that’s it…

Isn’t it?

I’d like to draw your attention to something for a moment.  Let’s have a bit of a change of perspective.  

Take a look at your metal.  What do you see?  Is it bitter and jagged?  Or maybe shiny and unmarred, but brittle?  Do you look it with disappointment?  Shame?  Pride?  Are you resigned to what it is?

What if I told you that sword wasn’t you.  It’s what you hold in your hand.  It’s your tool, your will, your drive, your passion.  It’s what you use to interact with life.  

Is it what you want in your hands?  Does it serve the purpose you see for yourself?  The honest answer most likely is “It doesn’t”.  And that’s my answer too. Maybe you need a smaller sword, a more subtle one, that suits you better.  Maybe yours needs a little straightening, some honing, some folding.  Perhaps it’s not a sword you want, but a shield, or a hammer.

Lucky for you, you’re the Smith, not the sword. And with any trade, the more focused practice you put in, the better you get over time.  

We have this piece in our hands, and naturally, it’s not what we want. But the more we work, the more we utilize what life gives us in a focused manner, easier it becomes to shape our tools to our use. We can be a creature of our environment, or we can use our experience to become the craftsmen of our tools.  And using these tools, we can better ourselves, and the world around us.

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