Cultivate Beauty in Broken Moments

Welcome to MindfulMornings! In today’s email, you’ll learn about:

• Embrace Kintsugi: Finding Beauty in Life's Cracks

• Looking for the Blessings in Everyday Moments

Here are 2 quotes, 2 tips, and 1 question to help you build healthy habits this week.

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2 Quotes

1. "We are all broken. That's how the light gets in.”
   - Ernest Hemingway and Leonard Cohen.

    

2. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." — Winston Churchill.

2 Tips

1) Embrace Kintsugi: Finding Beauty in Life's Cracks

Why It’s Important:

Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold to create something even more beautiful than before, offers a powerful metaphor for personal growth. This philosophy encourages us to see beauty in our scars and imperfections. By embracing our past experiences, we become more authentic and resilient. Our "broken parts" aren't flaws to hide – they're unique features that make us stronger.

Here are some ways to bring the Kintsugi philosophy into your life:

1. Reflect on your journey: Take a quiet moment to think about some of the major challenges in your life and how they've shaped you. Try journaling to explore your story without judgment.
   

2. List some "imperfections": Write down traits or experiences you usually see as flaws. Next to each, note something positive that's come from it. This helps reframe your perspective.
   

3. Practice self-compassion: Remember, imperfections don't diminish your worth. Try morning affirmations like, "I am strong because of my past."
   

4. Share your story: Opening up to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist about your vulnerabilities can be freeing. It reinforces self-acceptance and deepens connections.
   

5. Celebrate growth: as Kintsugi’s golden seams mend what was broken, our scars show battles endured and strength regained. Honor these moments; they hold the resolve that shapes our character and strengthens our journey.

Kintugsi is a craft that honors and embodies the essence of the Japanese concept Wabi Sabi - the appreciation of imperfection and impermanence. For a deeper exploration of Wabi Sabi, check out Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton*.

2) Look for the Blessings in Everyday Moments

Why It’s Important:

Life is full of ups and downs, and we rarely know if they’re truly good or bad for us. What seems positive today might later cause us pain, while what appears negative can often lead to profound growth. Since every event carries this hidden potential, why not view everything that happens as a possible blessing? It just might be.

Cultivating the ability to find potential good in difficult times helps us stay resilient and calm when challenges arise. Instead of getting bogged down by what’s wrong, we can focus on ways to grow.

This week, rather than simply explaining how to adopt this perspective, we thought we’d illustrate it through a powerful story—the proverb of the Chinese Farmer, popularized by Alan Watts.

The Chinese Farmer

Once upon a time, there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and, while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.”

The next day, the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”

***

The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.

— Alan Watts

1 Question

We borrowed today’s question from James Clear -

If someone took control of your life tomorrow, what’s the first thing they would change?

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy your week.

With gratitude,

MindfulMornings

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