Humans, are incredibly resilient and adaptive. At the same time, we are extremely vulnerable and fragile. Sometimes we break.
How do we go about piecing our lives back together when all the parts seem shattered and scattered?
Perhaps there is something we can learn from the Japanese art of Kintsugi.
Kintsugi translated means "golden joinery." It is the art of repairing broken pottery using lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. At the heart of Kintsugi lies the philosophy of wabi-sabi, a Japanese worldview that celebrates the beauty of impermanence, imperfection, and simplicity.
Kintsugi artists do not attempt to conceal the fractures of a broken object; instead, they highlight and accentuate them with precious metals.
There´s a lot we can glean from the art of Kintsugi . Here are just a few thoughts:
Our journey is a mosaic of broken pieces waiting to be beautifully reassembled.
There is transformative power in embracing imperfections and finding beauty in brokenness.
A part of the healing journey often comes from facing and embracing our scars. Rather than hiding our scars, we can acknowledge them and view them as part of our unique and evolving journey.
Our imperfections are what creates that - one of a kind - aesthetic. They form the unique qualities of our character and personality that separate us from everyone else. It´s what make us an original. Everything else is just a copy.
The final step in the restorative process of Kintsugi involves polishing the repaired object to create a seamless, golden line that traces the mended cracks. Each Kintsugi piece becomes a unique work of art, with the golden lines telling a story of resilience, transformation, and the beauty that emerges from brokenness.
You´ll never be what you were, and that´s the point. What you are after is infinitely more valuable.
You are a masterpiece! Scars and all.
Here´s to discovering a happier healthier you in 2024!!
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