by Joseph Casciani
The famous Renaissance architect, painter, and sculptor, Michelangelo Buonarroti, was highly esteemed for his statues, created from blocks of marble and granite. He has been described as one of the greatest artists of all time. In fact, he sculpted two of his best-known works, the Pieta and the statue David, before the age of 30. Born in 1475 and dying in 1564 at the age of 88, he was admired for his terribilita, what his contemporaries referred to as his ability to instill a sense of awe in his works.
Many of Michelangelo’s quotes are memorable. Two that stand out are attributed to him about his work. Michelangelo was once asked how he could create such breathtaking, beautiful works of art from a block of stone. His reply: Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. And another quote, in an affirmation of his terribilita, he also once commented, I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
The beauty of these quotes is to suggest, or better yet, to affirm that each of us has inside an unlimited number of dimensions that we can discover, an infinite range of creations that we can set free. Stay out of the comfort zone — stay unpredictable.
The Living to 100 Club is intended as a frame of mind, a metaphor for maintaining a positive outlook about ourselves and our future. There are no dues, or meetings, or even a place to hangout. This Club is open to anyone who literally plans on living to 100, and figuratively, to anyone who wants to remove all the negative mental clutter, who believes in a positive, energizing future, and who believes in our self.