The Rough Ashlar
The imperfect stone that must be worked and improved.
Start Ugly
We all want to be the Perfect Ashlar. But no one starts there. Everyone begins as a Rough Ashlar—uneven, awkward, full of potential and problems.
One Brother told us about sitting in Lodge for the first time, overwhelmed. The words, the symbols, the expectations—it felt like everyone else had already figured it out. He almost didn’t come back. But a Past Master pulled him aside and said, “Brother, this is where you come to shape the stone. Not to pretend it’s already perfect.”
That moment changed him. It gave him permission to show up as a work in progress.
The Rough Ashlar doesn’t shame you. It reminds you: you have raw material. You are raw material. The point isn’t to hide the rough edges—it’s to start smoothing them. Each effort, each insight, each small course correction is a chisel blow toward who you’re becoming.
Your job isn’t to be flawless. It’s to be faithful to the work.
Related Diagnostic Questions:
- Where are you pretending to be “finished” instead of honest about where you’re rough?
- What part of you needs the chisel—but hasn’t yet met it?
- What raw potential have you been afraid to engage with?
- Are you asking for help, or just trying to look polished?
Use it now:
Draw a square on a page. In the top left corner, write: “Raw Material I Have” In the top right: “Rough Spots I Notice” In the bottom left: “Tools I’m Using” And in the bottom right: “One Thing I’ll Try This Week” Fill in each box. Then get to work.
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