The Masonic Secret to Excellence
Take a moment to think about the last time you felt stuck in life. Perhaps it was that promotion that seemed just out of reach, or that personal goal that kept slipping away despite your best efforts. If you're like most of us, your first instinct was probably to ask yourself, "What more do I need?"
It's a natural response, isn't it? We live in a world that constantly tells us we're not enough – not successful enough, not wealthy enough, not accomplished enough. Every advertisement, every social media post, every motivational speaker seems to sell us the same message: "Just add this one more thing to your life, and then you'll finally make it."
But what if I told you that this fundamental assumption – that success comes from adding more to our lives – isn't just wrong, but is actually holding you back from achieving your true potential?
In this edition of Daily Masonic Progress, we're going to explore The Masonic Secret to Excellence, which is one of the most profound lessons hidden within Freemasonry – a lesson so powerful that, once you truly understand it, it will transform how you approach every goal in your life. We're going to:
Uncover the overlooked wisdom contained within the First Degree that is revolutionary,
Reveal a practical framework for achievement that puts modern productivity systems to shame,
Show you why the path to excellence isn't about adding more to your life but about revealing the perfection that already lies within.
Through this journey, I'll share with you The Masonic Secret to Excellence and, once you grasp it, you'll never look at anything the same way again. This proven methodology has guided generations of Masons toward excellence, and it's as relevant today as it was three hundred years ago.
Think about the last time you faced a significant challenge in your life. Perhaps it was learning a new skill at work, improving a relationship, or developing a better version of yourself. If you're like most men today, your first instinct was probably to ask, "What do I need to add to my life to make this happen?"
This instinct runs deep in our contemporary world. When we want to advance our careers, we seek another certification. When we want to improve our fitness, we buy new equipment. When we want to become better leaders, we accumulate more management books. We've been conditioned to believe that every problem can be solved by adding something new to our lives.
Think of Michelangelo's famous response when asked how he created his masterpiece, David: "I simply removed everything that wasn't David." This is the essence of our Masonic teaching. The perfect form – whether in stone or in character – doesn't emerge through addition but through careful, intentional reduction.
But here's where the profound wisdom of our Craft offers a revolutionary perspective. Consider, for a moment, the Rough Ashlar sitting in your Lodge. That crude stone contains within it every atom, every molecule, every essential element needed to become the Perfect Ashlar. The master craftsman doesn't need to add anything to transform it – no amount of external decoration, no layer of cement render, no additional material will make it perfect.
This insight fundamentally challenges how we approach personal development. Just as the perfect cube exists within every Rough Ashlar, waiting to be revealed, so too does your highest potential already exist within you. The transformation isn't about acquiring more – it's about revealing what's already there by carefully removing what doesn't serve your ultimate purpose.
This principle applies universally. If you want to become a better leader, perhaps the path isn't about adding more management techniques, but about removing the fears and insecurities that hold you back from leading authentically. If you seek to improve your relationships, maybe the key isn't learning more communication strategies, but removing the defensive habits and prejudices that prevent genuine connection.
This fundamental truth about the reductive nature of personal transformation leads us to a crucial question: if we already possess everything we need for excellence, how do we approach the actual work of revealing it?
Picture a man in his study late at night, surrounded by self-improvement books and productivity apps, yet feeling more overwhelmed than ever. His desk calendar is packed with commitments, his phone buzzes constantly with notifications, and his to-do list seems to grow longer by the hour. Despite his best intentions to "transform himself," he's burning the candle at both ends, racing towards exhaustion rather than excellence.
This scene plays out in countless lives today. In our eagerness to improve ourselves, we often fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once. We attempt to simultaneously transform our careers, rebuild our health, strengthen our relationships, and deepen our spiritual lives – all while maintaining our daily responsibilities. The result? Burnout, frustration, and often the abandonment of our noble aspirations.
Think of Brother Benjamin Franklin, who famously divided his day into precise periods for different activities, understanding that balanced progress requires balanced effort. He didn't try to become virtuous overnight but worked on one virtue at a time, measuring his progress carefully and adjusting his approach based on results.
This is where the wisdom of the 24-inch gauge offers a profound correction to our modern mania for instant transformation. Consider, for a moment, the operative mason examining a rough stone. Does he immediately attack it from all angles, working feverishly until exhaustion? Of course not. First, he takes up his gauge and carefully measures the work to be done.
The 24-inch gauge, divided into twenty-four equal parts, teaches us that the art of transformation requires not just effort but measured effort. Just as our ancient brethren used this tool to divide their workday into manageable portions, we too must learn to partition our journey of self-improvement into sustainable segments.
Here's how we might apply this wisdom practically:
Instead of trying to eliminate all our rough edges at once, we identify and focus on one specific area for improvement.
Rather than working ourselves to exhaustion, we divide our efforts into manageable daily portions.
We learn to balance our time between labour and refreshment, understanding that rest isn't laziness but essential preparation for continued progress.
We measure our progress not by grand gestures but by consistent, deliberate steps forward.
But perhaps most importantly, the 24-inch gauge teaches us about priorities. Notice how our ancient brethren divided their time: a part for the service of God and distressed worthy brethren, a part for their usual vocations, and a part for refreshment and sleep. This isn't just a schedule – it's a profound statement about what truly matters in life.
This brings us to a crucial question in our journey of transformation: having learned to measure our work and divide our time wisely, how do we begin the actual labour of removing our rough edges?
Have you ever started a new fitness routine with tremendous enthusiasm, hitting the gym for two hours on your first day, only to be so sore you couldn’t move for the next week? Or perhaps you've begun learning a new language by attempting to memorise an entire textbook in one weekend, only to retain almost nothing? We've all been there – trying to force massive change through sporadic bursts of intense effort, only to find ourselves frustrated and discouraged when these dramatic attempts fail to produce lasting results.
This approach fails because it fundamentally misunderstands how lasting transformation occurs. Quick fixes and dramatic gestures might feel satisfying in the moment, but they rarely lead to sustained progress. More importantly, these aggressive attempts often cause us to give up entirely, convinced that we're simply not capable of achieving our goals.
Consider two men trying to lose weight. The first announces he's going to completely transform his life overnight – cutting out all carbs, running five miles daily, and lifting weights for two hours every evening. By week two, he's exhausted, discouraged, and ready to quit. The second man takes a different approach. He starts by walking just 15 minutes each day and eliminating sugary drinks. Once these become habits, he gradually adds more healthy changes. Six months later, he's transformed his lifestyle without ever feeling overwhelmed.
This is where the wisdom of the Common Gavel becomes profoundly relevant. In operative masonry, this tool isn't used for dramatic, sweeping blows that might shatter the stone. Instead, it delivers measured, consistent strikes that gradually shape the rough ashlar into its perfect form. Each strike removes a small imperfection, and while any single strike might seem insignificant, their cumulative effect transforms the stone.
The Common Gavel teaches us that meaningful change comes not from occasional bursts of intense effort, but from regular, persistent action. Just as the operative mason shows up day after day, patiently working with their stone, we too must approach our personal development with steady, consistent effort. Each small action, each habit maintained, and each minor improvement compounds over time to create lasting transformation.
The Common Gavel teaches us the power of persistent effort, but there remains one critical lesson in our journey to perfection. For just as the operative mason knows that his Gavel alone cannot achieve the finest work, we too must learn the wisdom of this next instrument, which transforms mere persistence into mastery.
Have you ever noticed how many professionals today bounce between side hustles, abandoning each one when it becomes truly challenging? They might start building a promising e-commerce business but switch to cryptocurrency trading at the first inventory issue. Or perhaps they begin developing valuable programming skills, only to pivot to dropshipping when the learning curve steepens. They mistake motion for progress, convinced there must be an easier path to success.
This pattern reveals two critical flaws in how many approach their goals. First, there's the tendency to retreat at the first sign of serious resistance, seeking an easier path rather than working through the difficulty. Second, there's the misconception that any kind of busy work, as long as we're "hustling," will somehow lead to success. Both assumptions lead to the same destination: scattered efforts and unrealised dreams.
Consider two marketing professionals. The first embodies the "hustle culture" mindset – simultaneously running an Amazon FBA business, trying to build a YouTube channel, dabbling in NFTs, and starting a coaching business. He works incredibly hard, often pulling 16-hour days, but his energy is scattered across too many ventures. When any single project requires deep focus or faces serious challenges, he finds himself drawn to the next exciting opportunity.
The second marketer takes a different approach. He identifies a specific niche in digital marketing, deliberately builds his expertise there and persists through the difficult learning phases. When confronted with challenging client problems – the kind that most people avoid – he leans in, knowing these difficulties are where real expertise is forged. When new trends emerge, he intentionally evaluates them against his long-term goals rather than chasing every shiny object.
This brings us to the dual wisdom of the chisel. In operative masonry, this tool teaches us two essential truths. First, it shows us that the most valuable work often requires us to persist through resistance. When the chisel meets a particularly hard section of stone, the craftsman doesn't abandon his work; he adjusts his approach, maintains steady pressure and works through the difficulty with patience and determination.
But the chisel carries a second, equally crucial lesson: each strike must be intentional and precisely directed. It's not enough to simply keep chipping away. The master mason understands that every contact between chisel and stone must have purpose and be guided by understanding and skill. Random persistence, no matter how dedicated, will never achieve the refined results of directed, intentional effort.
As we draw our lessons together, we arrive at a truth so fundamental yet so profound that it transforms how we understand personal development. The journey from rough to perfect ashlar reveals something far more significant than mere symbolic instruction – it uncovers the very architecture of lasting transformation.
Consider for a moment the perfect ashlar sitting in your lodge. That flawless cube, with its perfectly squared angles and smoothly dressed faces, stands as a testament to a process that many witness but few truly understand. Its perfection wasn't achieved through dramatic gestures or occasional bursts of effort. No mason, no matter how skilled, could have transformed that stone with a few mighty blows.
Instead, that perfect ashlar emerged through thousands of precise, intentional strikes. Each one might seem insignificant in isolation – a small chip here, a minor refinement there. But collectively, guided by the wisdom of our working tools, these small actions accumulated into something remarkable.
This is the profound secret that generations of Masons have passed down through the ages: true transformation never comes through dramatic gestures or quick fixes. The Perfect Ashlar emerges only through:
Understanding that excellence lies within, waiting to be revealed (Rough Ashlar)
Measuring and dividing our efforts wisely to prevent burnout (24-inch Gauge)
Maintaining persistent effort over time (Common Gavel)
Applying precise, intentional refinement and persevering through it (Chisel)
But here's why this principle is so revolutionary: it completely inverts how most people approach personal development. While the world chases quick fixes and dramatic transformations, our ancient Craft teaches us that lasting change comes only through small, deliberate actions consistently applied over time.
This isn't just philosophical theory – it's a practical methodology proven over centuries. Whether you're building a business, developing expertise in your field, improving your health, or working on your character, the principle remains unchanged. Excellence emerges not from occasional bursts of intensity but from the patient accumulation of small, intentional improvements.
This is why this lesson has guided generations of Masons toward excellence and why it remains as relevant today as it was three hundred years ago. In an age of instant gratification and quick-fix solutions, our Craft reminds us of a timeless truth: the path to excellence isn't found in dramatic gestures or sudden transformations but in the patient, persistent, and precise application of effort over time.
The question isn't whether this process works – the Perfect Ashlar in your Lodge stands as a testament to its effectiveness. The question is: are you ready to apply this ancient wisdom to your own journey of transformation?