Kintsugi: You’re not broken
As you move along your journey, you may experience a myriad of complicated feelings. They’re like cracks in your self-esteem and self-worth. You may even consider yourself broken, perhaps beyond repair. I want to assure you this is not the case. Your experiences make you valuable. They make you who you are today: a strong, determined individual, who's putting one foot in front of the other as you move towards a healthier and happier you. The fact that your human spirit keeps striving towards betterment is a testament that you are not broken. Instead, you're using your experiences to redefine and strengthen yourself.
On my journey, I learned about Kintsugi. It became a new way for me to look at my experiences and my approach to life. In Japanese, Kintsugi is the art of mending broken pottery with lacquer dusted with gold, silver, or platinum. That makes the broken piece even more valuable than before it was broken. It's also a Japanese philosophy about embracing life changes and one’s flaws, i.e.: the broken pieces. Rather than hiding them away in shame and embarrassment, we choose to accept them and share them.
In this philosophy, it's understood that our experiences, even those bad ones make up who we are as individuals. This way of thinking can help us with our mindset. We can learn a whole new way to approach our thinking through this art.
Because Kintsugi is a metaphor for healing, resilience, and strength, we can use this philosophy to overcome something that has hurt us, turn it into something stronger, and beautiful, and prove to ourselves that we were able to overcome what caused the cracks. We can also learn that by being vulnerable and allowing those cracks to be on display, our imperfections and flaws can shine like gold rather than be hidden in shame.
Steps in applying Kintsugi in your life:
Acceptance: Embrace that we have imperfections
Surround yourself with healthy people who have healthy mindsets
Let go of the concept of perfection: we are a work in progress
Reframe: Learn how to view your flaws
Understand you’re not alone: find a community of support. Many others share similar flaws. Share your journey
Write a gratitude list
Write affirmations
If you have any questions, please let me know. I answer my emails, with no strings attached. I’m here to help!
Sending everyone happy and healthy vibes,
Laura
