Time for a Kintsugi touch

We have completed one week of 2023 and are we as excited as on the New Year’s Eve or have we started contemplating what we want to achieve?

There comes a point in life when it is not what we want to achieve that we focus on but what we want to let go.

If seasons must change, so must we — change for the better.

Life need not be a battlefield nor need it be a comfort zone for it is the list of challenges we go through to make us grow. We can see it in teenagers. They want to break away from the over-bearing protection and go and explore to learn about life. Meanwhile, parents stress out fearing how safe their children are little realising the world has been evolving and every generation parents have gone through this.

‘It is not about you, it is about the others,’ they say but reflect and one would want to add, ‘but not at the expense of me.’

Can you imagine how brilliant the world would be without the broken hearts? What would it be like if all these hearts would be thriving and alive not to just exist but to live, celebrating life.

In other words there are crisis points at all stages of life; it is just that the other age groups are brushed aside.

Is it too late to maneuver in life? A change in career, a place or in lifestyle could all lead to a crisis. At least for a short time. Then again if a building can have a makeover, why not a life?

So why fix something that is not broken?

And if it is broken, is it too late?

This is where we can learn from the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery called Kintsugi. The centuries-old art uses gold to fix broken pottery and objects. Imagine if not, it might be just thrown out. Instead Kintsugi in a way celebrates what the object has gone through. And the second chance is not with just glue but with gold.

Who is without imperfections?

After all the years of trying to attain perfection there comes a point in life when it is alright to be okay. To enjoy what comes your way instead of missing it all while swimming against the current. If it was fun then it is time for joy.

Instead of seeking, how about attracting? And so they say it is possible when you are in the right frame of mind and know what you want, and if it is good for you then even better.

How long does it take to realise that there are ways beyond your limitations? In our thoughts we have limitations controlled by our emotions that can be often biased. It takes that extra help to cross that bridge to reach the shore of reasonableness.

Even this is an achievement. The only difference is everyone prepares you to get into the mode of achieving from childhood to schooling to higher studies and career. We are taught how to qualify and never want to be thought of being disqualified. Yet there comes a time when even health is looked into consideration as part of qualification for jobs. If only the corporate world would learn more about Kintsugi and let people enjoy their life and companies benefit from their skills. Being in the competitive labour market maybe this is the time when one feels like being part of the elimination round.

But it is never too late. It is only the mind that needs the touch of Kintsugi and thoughts that are creative and positive.