It was covered in clay.

In 1955, this massive statue, a ten-foot depiction of the Buddha, was due for a relocation to the other side of Bangkok.

But there was an accident.

As a crane attempted to lift the clay Buddha, the statue slipped and fell to the ground.

The Buddha was cracked.

Fearing further damage, the monks decided to wait a day before continuing with the move.

That night, one of the monks came to check on the statue. Shining his flashlight over its surface, he saw what appeared to be light reflecting back from the site of the crack.

Interesting, he thought.

So the curious monk grabbed a hammer and chisel and began chipping away at the cracked clay. As each piece fell to the ground, the statue shined brighter and brighter.

Beneath the surface of this centuries-old clay Buddha was five and a half tons of solid gold.

It is believed that, 300 years earlier, the Thai monks covered The Golden Buddha with clay to shield it from the plunder of the approaching Burmese Army.

Apparently it worked.

But the legend of The Golden Buddha is more than a story of brilliant trickery and serendipitous discovery. It’s a metaphor for life. It’s the story of you.

Inside of each of us is an infinite reservoir of gold — our gifts, talents, creativity, intelligence, untapped abilities and possibilities.

Yet we go about our lives covered in clay — plastered over with our fears, self-doubts, limiting beliefs, and the need for approval.

I find that personal growth isn’t so much about gaining or adding anything to ourselves. It’s about being the curious monk, chiseling away at the clay to reveal who we really are. Golden.

It is from our gold that we give of ourselves. Instead, we live and contribute from the clay. Never truly expressing ourselves. Never fully developing our gifts and talents. Never really living our own purposeful lives, but rather submitting to the expectations of other clay people.

Are you willing to chip away at the clay?

Will you allow yourself to shine?

Or as Les Brown asks …

Will anybody know that you came this way?

Gold lasts forever. Clay crumbles. When we live from the gold, our contributions, our talents, our gifts live beyond our physical presence, inspiring others to discover their own golden natures.

We leave the world better than we found it — brighter, shinier, more blinged out.

More golden.

On today’s “Best Of” episode of The Quote of The Day Show, Les Brown encourages you to stop settling for less than what you actually deserve, to chip away at the clay and reveal the gold that is you. Enjoy.

Source: The Power of Purpose

Enjoy today’s quote. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Sean