There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. — Leonard Cohen
Kintsugi is a Japanese art in which pottery that has been broken is pieced back together, using gold filament to fill the cracks.
The gold highlights the cracks in the piece, creating a unique piece that can’t be replicated.
The art of Kintsugi highlights the flaws instead of hiding them.
What if we took the same approach to ourselves?
Prevailing conditioning can cause us to believe that in order to be successful, in order to find our brilliance, in order to shine in the world, we must hide our flaws.
This conditioning — and the beliefs that flow from it — can cause us to create impossible standards for ourselves.
Every one of us has parts we don’t like to show the world; the cracks in our psyches, the places where we fall short, the behavior patterns that trip us up, the emotional triggers that seem to get the better of us no matter how much inner work we do.
Hiding these “flaws” drains our energy. We show up guarded and reserved, for fear of being “found out.” As a result, we don’t let people get close. We lose out on connections, friendships, opportunities. Life.
Kintsugi suggests that the things we see as “flaws” or “cracks” don’t need to be hidden away or “fixed”.
What if we highlighted our cracks as features, instead of hiding them as flaws?
Maybe the patchwork of the pieces is how we uniquely express ourselves and find true connection.
The gold filament is our brilliance. It’s how we shine.
Kintsugi tells us that our brilliance — our gold — is in our cracks. That the places we struggle are the places where we shine.
The flaws and cracks are the spaces where we are open to connection, and collaboration.
Consider what energy becomes available to you if nothing needs to be fixed, if you are complete exactly as you are.
What could you do with that energy? What connections could you invite in?
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