As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all a little broken, but that is how the light gets in.”
I recently came across the adjective – flawsome. It describes people who embrace their flaws and realise that they are unique and worthy regardless of these “flaws”. It reminded me of the beautiful Japanese concept of Kintsugi, a 15th-century philosophy that means “to join with gold.” This is the concept that involves repairing “broken” objects with gold, making them “whole and strong” again. The flaws are embraced and thought to add beauty and worth to the object.
Is this not powerful? How many of us can truly say we feel this way, especially in this modern world, which strives for “perfection” in all areas of life. It’s displayed on social media, TV, and magazines and this constant subliminal messaging leaves us craving for some sense of authenticity.
My believe is that we need to embrace this ideology and work on ourselves not for perfection but for the enhanced ability to see ourselves in a positive light and enjoy life as it is. In today’s world, there is an increasing emphasis on mental health and overall well-being for people of all ages and from all walks of life. We are therefore shoved with a constant stream of self-help, and self-improvement but we do not always have the tools and skills to implement these strategies. Sometimes we do not realise what it is that is actually preventing us from changing our habits or behaviours.
I therefore work with action-based coaching, focusing on building a strong ego position by building habits and behaviours that enable mico-wins in the individual. Building a strong ego strength by focusing on these micro-wins is vital for improving our mindset and our resilience in life. It allows us to feel more empowered and happier in our daily lives because challenges are a constant. We need to learn to be like water and move around the obstacles.
Every individual may need a different “basket of remedies” but once you get that basket right, you can certainly skip into the story of life feeling more motivated, resilient, empowered and able.
Above all, let’s remind one another that, despite being a little broken, we are all imperfectly perfect.
Remember to mend with care!