“It is the custom of grateful states and nations to present swords as tokens of Ithe highest honor to the victorious leaders of their armies and navies. The sword presented to Admiral Schley by the people of Philadelphia, at the close of America’s war with Spain, cost over $3,500, the greater part of which was spent on the jewels and decorations on the scabbard. A little more than half a century ago, when General Winfield Scott, for whom Admiral Schley was named, received a beautiful sword from the State of Louisiana, he was asked how it pleased him.
‘It is a very find sword, indeed,’ he said, ‘but there is one thing about it I would have preferred different. The inscription should be on the blade, not on the scabbard. The scabbard may be taken from us; the sword, never.’
The world spends too much time, money and energy on the scabbard of life; too little on the sword. The scabbard represents outside show, vanity and display; the sword, intrinsic worth. The scabbard is ever the semblance; the sword the reality. The scabbard is the temporal; the sword is the eternal. The scabbard is the body; the sword is the soul. The scabbard typifies the material side of life; the sword the true, the spiritual, the ideal.” ~ William George Jordan
I remember being asked as a child: “What are you going to be when you grow up?” The question is straightforward enough and no doubt asked kindly, but I remember asking myself, “Aren’t I something already? I don’t understand.”
Young children in general have not yet been convinced that they must make something of themselves, that they must find something “out there” that is interesting to them and paste it on through a process of education and training, but they do possess a critical piece of information that most adults have forgotten: that they have intrinsic worth.
That worth must be given form to be meaningful and of value in relation to living, for you cannot take potential to the bank so to speak. The breakdown occurs, however, where the scabbard is confused for the sword.
You, dear readers, possess a treasure trove of intrinsic value. No matter how thoroughly you or those around you have overlooked that fact, it is present, it is real and it is available for immediate use. One of the joys of life is finding contact points through or into which your intrinsic value can be made manifest. The avenues of release come in many forms and may be physical, mental or emotional, and wise is the person who sees his world as a stage upon which his intrinsic value can be expressed.
Contrary to popular opinion in the “me”-centric world we now live in, the best way to get started is to provide a field through which the intrinsic value of those around you can be made known. My role as a manager, for instance, involves the handling of details, projects and the like, but chief among my concerns as a manager to provide a safe, encouraging and nourishing atmosphere that encourages and inspires those within my field of responsibility to let their intrinsic worth be made known, outside as within.
That atmosphere is a delicate yet vitally important factor in the equation. Without it, the creative field becomes less like a fertile garden and more like a dusty and dangerous old Western town where every man is out for himself. That atmosphere is conditioned by those who work within it and you can probably imagine the types of behavior that coarsen and diffuse it: complaint, back-stabbing, whining, cynicism, greed, entitlement, laziness and the list goes on.
While it is important to see what pollutes the atmosphere in any situation, it is also imperative that those involved recognize and practice those qualities which allow for its purification and refinement: appreciation, forgiveness, genuine concern, transparency, courage, constructive criticism, respect and more. In any given day the sum total of the quality of the words spoken and the interactions between those present determines whether the collectively-held atmosphere is enriched or depleted, refined or coarsened, purified or defiled.
I agree with Mr. Jordan in his observation that: “The world spends too much time, money and energy on the scabbard of life; too little on the sword.” Little has changed in the last century since he wrote those words, in fact, many would likely argue that we’ve gone downhill, despite the march of time and the many opportunities for growth and development.
My challenge to you this morning is to emphasize the sword in the hours and days to come, while deliberately relegating the scabbard to its rightful place. Carry yourself in a way that others put down their weapons when they approach, so that they can feel safe to be themselves. Your intrinsic worth is only revealed as you are being yourself. It is not something you manufacture, not an identity you claim or cultivate, rather, it is the core of who you really are.
Dare to let there be some evidence of the presence of your intrinsic worth. What do you have to lose?
Gregory Hake 
It is not often that you hear the advice that the best way to express your true inner nature is to emphasize an atmosphere where others can express theirs. It makes a lot of sense however, if you remember that people are smart when it comes to their defense mechanisms. To really develop that special refined atmosphere, you have to allow your true inner nature to have control over what you are doing. If it is nothing but a gilded lie, people will quickly realize and will never really let down their guard around you. In this way, you can create a world around yourself where people feel safe enough to be able to be themselves. The people that don’t want to allow their true inner nature to be what they are ruled by will feel very uncomfortable in an atmosphere like this, and will head for the hills pretty quickly.
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Thanks for the meaningful post, Gregg!
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There is so much artistry to be discovered in the field you outline so well here. Nothing is accomplished by solitary individuals, regardless of appearance. It is the fields that are cultivated between us that allow for lasting creation. We can’t demand this from others but we can always seek to provide it, leaving the door open for others to provide for us in season. Here is a great focus for our daily concern!
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Our looks and achievements have been the blue book of humankind’s worth. It is so satisfying to the soul and nurturing to the very core when I have a friend that values my soul and accepts my body as a mere vehicle to carry the worth of me. There is none of the pretense that blocks most of the communication between people. This creates the opportunity for unrestrained achievement. Love your thoughts today, I find them especially inspiring, thanks.
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Seeing intrinsic potential in everyone is like being an art lover and living in the Louvre. Each person regardless of the outcome of the interaction is awarded your interest and open heart so they can feel safe enough to be themselves and allow their inherent potential to be expressed. This isn’t some magnanimous gesture but a quality of space given in an instant. Our actions or sometimes only the comforting radiance of our higher nature is enough to create the setting for the gifts in others to be given. Wonderful post and a basic for successful living, thank you.
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This is good advice. In your home, in your workplace, all places which in you inhabit frequently – this is where you see the effect of the atmosphere you carry the most. It really is amazing how much effect everyone has on the people around them. We think we’re pretty good at disguising our tension, but I don’t think so – it always comes out somehow if we really feel strongly about something. How often do we ask ourselves how much we are contributing to the things we don’t like? Many times it doesn’t even occur to us that this is the case, that we are a strong cause of whatever it is we feel discontent for. Strange but true.
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