Life is fragile, and sometimes our lives and dreams are shattered by unexpected events, leaving indelible marks or cracks in our facades. So, the question becomes: How do we find a way towards hope and healing? How do we embrace ourselves with our warts, cracks, and all our damaged parts? Today, you can begin to view your damages in a new light, through the lens of the Japanese philosophy of Kintsugi.

Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese art form that involves repairing broken pottery pieces with lacquer mixed with precious metals, such as gold, silver, or platinum. If an object of pottery is broken, rather than discarding it, the pieces are painstakingly put together over months. Instead of trying to hide the damage, the cracks are highlighted in precious metal. For the Japanese, kintsugi is part of a philosophy of embracing our human flaws and life’s fragility. It is about celebrating imperfections. It offers an approach to life. Kintsugi teaches us that in life, we can transform adversity into something beautiful and resilient. Kintsugi shows us that in time, we can heal from our wounds, embrace our imperfections, and become stronger. Kintsugi reminds us that no matter our difficulties, we can find a way to reframe and find meaning in life. When things fall apart in our fragile lives, there is a path forward. There is a way to find peace with our imperfections and our lives. Today, allow yourself to continue to heal and know that you can emerge from your wounds stronger than before and better than new.

Just for today, I love and accept myself, no matter what. I accept all parts of myself. I know that all my mistakes and missteps are only stepping stones on my path forward. My goodness cannot be stopped. I am perfect just the way I am. And so it is.