Iron Sharpens Iron

I don’t know much about the processes of making or sharpening knives, so I was fascinated to learn how using metal can sharpen a knife.  If you have ever been to a fancy restaurant or watched a cooking channel, you have likely seen a chef slide a knife against a honing rod.  This isn’t just some show-boating technique.  It literally is a preparation step that makes the knife ready for service.  In my research, I found the following concepts to describe why this step is done:

          The knife becomes far more effective and functional.

          It removes unwanted irregularities and imperfections.

          It not only sharpens the knife, it makes the knife shine.

          The knife becomes refined by revealing its natural edge.

Deliberately and methodically rubbing two metals against each other can result in an effective tool!  Have you ever tried to cut a tomato with a dull knife?!  No bueno!  Often a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp knife.  Therefore, the phrase “Iron sharpens iron” talks about the intentional removal of roughness, excess, and blemishes to reveal a shiny, exacting, true edge of the blade.  We should all want to be described as sharp, instead of blunt.  To become sharp, however, requires a polishing process.  Sometimes polishing can be intense.  Yet, when focused on the eventual outcome, the buffing process is worthwhile for the brilliant tool that is revealed at the end.

Each one of us is a blade in the making.  Therefore, let’s surround ourselves with the necessary iron to sharpen iron.  Often this means being challenged to become more than we could be on our own.  I have a best friend who encourages me to be better than I could without her support, and often this means being told things I don’t want to hear or being exposed to things I wouldn’t otherwise see.  We call ourselves the “Iron Sharpens Iron” besties, because we know that we are polishing, grinding, and buffing each other into a better place.

It is easy to surround ourselves with only people, events, or activities that help us just go with the flow.  But, what about surrounding ourselves with components that stretch us to widen our lens on the world?  I don’t find the honing process easy, but I do know that I want to have iron in my life that helps reveal my authentic edge.

Changepoints:

As you assess if you have any iron sharpening tools in your world, consider the following:

·       Do I have anyone in my life who talks to me straight?  If so, do I thank them for this contribution to my life?

·       Have I ever attended an event, class, or cause that makes me uncomfortable?  If so, what did I take away from that experience?

·       Do I have people in my life who I could consider my “safe place” where I can share in confidence?

·       Do topics that are steeped in opposing viewpoints make me uncomfortable (e.g. religion, politics…)?

·       Do I give myself permission to express how I honestly feel and do I welcome honest feedback from others?

To my fellow knives and honing rods: Sharpen away; sharpen away!

outSIGHTin, LLC: Creating awareness as a changepoint for improved organizational results