The Sling, The Stone, and The Strengths We Forget
David didn’t beat Goliath by putting on Saul’s armor.
He won because he doubled down on what he already knew — a sling, a stone, precision.
For centuries, people have told the David and Goliath story as the ultimate underdog tale. The boy who shouldn’t have won — but did. But if you read closely, you’ll notice David wasn’t as much an underdog as people make him out to be.
He wasn’t weak. He wasn’t unprepared. He wasn’t lucky.
He was aligned.
He knew his tools.
And he trusted them when the stakes were highest.
That’s the playbook. And it’s one we forget far too often.
Step 1: Name Your Giant
The first move is clarity. You can’t defeat what you won’t name.
Giants today don’t carry spears and shields — they show up as:
- The mortgage that feels bigger than your paycheck.
- The dream that feels too far from where you stand.
- The diagnosis that scares you into shrinking back.
- The voice in your head whispering “you’re not enough.”
We all have giants. But here’s the truth: unspoken giants grow. Silence feeds them. Name yours, and you begin to strip it of power.
When David named his giant, it wasn’t to glorify him. It was to set boundaries: “This is what stands between me and destiny. And I refuse to let it linger.”
So — what challenge feels impossible right now? Write it down. Say it aloud. Giants lose half their size once named.
Step 2: Drop the Armor
Saul offered David his armor. The problem? It didn’t fit.
That’s what happens when you try to fight with someone else’s tools, in someone else’s style. You end up weighed down by what was never meant for you.
We do this every day.
- We copy business strategies that worked for someone else but don’t align with our voice.
- We wear job titles that impress others but suffocate us.
- We chase Instagram versions of success instead of the life that actually fulfills us.
Armor looks shiny, but it slows you down.
David had the courage to say, “I can’t move in these.” He understood something most of us miss: fitting in isn’t the same as winning.
What “armor” are you carrying right now? The corporate mask? The cultural expectation? The need to prove you belong? Drop it. It’s too heavy for the fight you’re in.
Step 3: Find Your Sling
Here’s the part most people miss: David didn’t improvise. He didn’t invent the sling on the spot.
That sling was his daily tool. Out in the fields, protecting sheep, he had used it again and again. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was effective. It wasn’t a sword, but it was his.
Your “sling” is the skill or strength that feels so natural, you overlook it. You dismiss it because it doesn’t look impressive on paper.
- Maybe it’s the way you connect with people in a room.
- Maybe it’s your stubborn persistence when others quit.
- Maybe it’s your creativity, your ability to see patterns, your willingness to serve first.
We downplay our sling because we’ve been told to pick up a sword. But swords belong to soldiers. Slings belong to shepherds — and shepherds change history, too.
What’s in your hand already? That’s your sling. Don’t ignore it.
Step 4: Sharpen Your Aim
A sling without skill is just a strap of leather. Precision comes from practice.
David didn’t get lucky. He had spent long, unseen hours aiming at rocks, predators, maybe even makeshift targets in the wilderness. By the time he faced Goliath, his shot was muscle memory.
This is where many of us fall short. We know our gift — but we don’t discipline it. We dabble instead of drill.
- The writer who only writes when inspiration strikes never sharpens their words.
- The leader who only leads when it’s easy never earns trust.
- The entrepreneur who only sells when they’re desperate never learns the rhythm of revenue.
Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes precision.
If your sling is creativity, practice creating.
If it’s persuasion, practice telling your story.
If it’s strategy, practice mapping futures.
Sharpen your aim. So when the giant shows up, you don’t flinch. You fire.
Step 5: Take the Shot
This is where everything comes together.
You’ve named your giant.
You’ve dropped the armor.
You’ve found your sling.
You’ve sharpened your aim.
Now — you’ve got to let the stone fly.
Most people freeze here. They overthink. They wait for perfect conditions. They hope for more confirmation, more applause, more resources.
But giants don’t fall because you wished them down. They fall because you acted.
David ran toward Goliath. That detail matters. He didn’t circle. He didn’t hesitate. He moved.
You don’t need another certification, another investor, another mentor before you begin. You need to step into the field and take the shot.
The stone won’t leave your sling until you release it.
The Bigger Lesson
The David story isn’t about luck. It’s about strategy. It’s about refusing to fight on the wrong terms.
Strengths win battles. Weaknesses just drain energy.
That’s why the giants in your life aren’t as unbeatable as they look. They’re just waiting for you to stop dressing up in Saul’s armor and start trusting what’s already in your hand.
And this is the heartbeat of Pick Yourself For Success.
We spend too much time trying to prove ourselves to the world instead of using the strengths we already carry. But if you:
- Name your giant,
- Drop the armor,
- Find your sling,
- Sharpen your aim, and
- Take the shot…
You’ll see what David saw: that so-called giants can fall, and your sling was enough all along.
Final Word
Giants will always rise. That’s life. But here’s the good news: so will you.
Don’t let the size of your giant convince you of the smallness of your gift.
Pick yourself. Trust your sling. Fire your shot.
Because survival isn’t the goal. Greatness is.
