There’s no denying that we live in an age of consumerism. We’ve become so conditioned that we often throw things away even if it’s still perfectly good. We love things and use people instead of the other way around. It can get complicated.
People are discarded all the time. They get catfished, scammed, ghosted, gaslighted and the list goes on. There are different kinds and levels of trauma in our lives. This can lead us to think we might be ‘broken’, unwanted, and rejected.
There are many things I’ve admired from Japanese culture since I was young. One such thing is the concept of “KINTSUKUROI”.
Kintsukuroi is a Japanese word that is used to describe the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver. It is a form of restoration that aims to make the piece more beautiful than it was before. The Japanese believe that when something has been damaged and has a history, it becomes more beautiful.
This philosophy can be applied to our human nature. When we move beyond situations that were painful or traumatic, we become stronger as a result. Of course, we shouldn’t seek out such situations just to feel stronger. Experiencing challenges and reflecting on them, we can see more clearly. The strengths and skills we pooled to change our mindset, attitudes and expectations. We become more than whom we thought we were before.
This reaches deeper into our human nature. We can forget we are beautiful, creative beings. We can have a strong vibrant life in spite of any perceived flaws. The gold becomes an extraordinary healing salve. It connects the so-called broken pieces together. It adds extra depths and dimensions we never realized existed for us. We become enriched in new ways and become new beautiful beings.