We’ve all been there. That feeling of inadequacy that creeps into your mind and makes you second-guess the confidence you once had in yourself. It leaves you feeling broken and with the kind of disappointment that keeps you from fully enjoying life.
Flaws. Weaknesses. Imperfections. We all have ‘em.
While the idea of being beautifully imperfect is fairly new in American advertising and society, this philosophy has been widely appreciated in the Japanese culture for centuries (way to go, guys). They even have a name for it. It’s called Kinstugi.
Kintsugi, or Kintsukuroi, is the art of repairing broken pottery by filling the cracks with lacquered gold. The idea is to treat the breakage as part of the decorative history of the object rather than trying to disguise or conceal the damage.
By embracing the flawed or imperfect parts of the object, the gold fill actually illuminates the broken pieces, making it the center of attention.
I admit, the idea of highlighting the weaknesses that you have, the brokenness that you feel or the mistakes that you have made can seem a little bizarre.
Before you think I’m nuts, let me clarify. I don’t mean making a list of all your insecurities and shouting them from the rooftops. What I mean is to own your story. To love yourself while growing from imperfections. To accept yourself as you wrestle with self-doubt. And to have respect for who you are, even when your self-esteem is at an all time low. Because to be flawed is to be human.
And that’s how you grow.
Without going through the struggle of self-doubt you might never feel true fulfillment. Without the feeling of brokenness you might not experience the fullness of peace. By braving your weaknesses through self-acceptance, it can be the catalyst that allows you to grow into the kind of creative, spiritual individual you were meant to be.
Self-love is not just about being more confident, it’s a spiritual matter. Without self-love, being able to fully love others and to feel the love of God is nearly impossible.
Accepting yourself as you are may feel like a daunting task, but it is one of the most important investments you will ever make for the one and only person that you will spend your entire life with. You.
Owning your differences, your mistakes, your dreams and your fears are all essential to being human and to being unapologetically, beautifully you.
A quote by journalist Anna Quindlen perfectly sums this idea up by saying, “The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”
So own your story, grab some gold glitter and allow the cracks to radiate with courage and the breaks to glow with compassion, because you are flawsome.
Sincerely,
Alayna Herbert Crane
XOXO.