We have all been broken by something or someone at some point in our lives, it’s part of the inevitability of being human. What really matters though is what we do with the damage we’ve sustained. If we think of our feelings and our emotions as beautiful fine china cups and bowls which when treated with respect and care can last a lifetime. However, when we are hurt or mistreated these fine china vessels are broken and damaged. We could chose to just bury the hurt and pain deep within us and allow the sharp ragged edges of the broken china pottery to snag and prick us every time we get too close to those feelings or emotions again……or we could take a leaf from Japanese culture and practice Kintsugi.
Kintsugi is the practice of embracing and celebrating the history of a broken item by repairing it beautifully and lovingly with a precious metal like silver or gold. When an item is damaged instead of hiding it out of sight or throwing it away completely the Japanese repair the breaks with gold and silver lacquer making the item both more beautiful and stronger.
I wonder how we would feel if we could allow ourselves to be open to the possibility of cherishing ourselves in the same way that the Japanese cherish their pottery? How different would our lives be if we allowed ourselves to believe that when healed our past hurts and brokenness could become our strength and our beauty. How differently would we feel and act if we mended our broken china with precious gold and restored them to a beauty and strength that we never imagined possible.
Take a few minutes and just think back through your life, what broken china do you have hidden away that deserves to be cherished, mended and made beautifully whole again?
One of the most effective way to practice Kintsugi on yourself is with the help of hypnosis.
