Have you ever said these words, silently or aloud? Have you ever held the belief that “there’s something wrong with me”?

Throughout my life, I am sure that I’ve said something similar, at different times, in response to a challenge that I was experiencing. I didn’t pause to question the validity of this thought nor think about its damaging impact. 

The damage is both simple and far reaching. If we internalize the belief that something is wrong with us, based on the challenge(s) we are facing, we undermine ourselves. We create an impression of our brokenness which then spills over to our self worth.  

In reality, we are separate from our challenges. What happens to us is not who we are. How we react to the challenge is where we can influence our self-perception and grow our self worth. 

So, how does all of this relate to these pictures? I chose these images to illustrate a simple yet powerful truth. 

I ordered this table and it came with a break in it, a major break that traversed the entire length of the surface. For several weeks, I focused on the brokenness of the table, pondering how to return it or dispose of it. Make it go away and get a fresh one…

Life had other plans though…the vendor never responded to my inquiry and, to get a refund, I would need to ship it back at my own cost, The cost of shipping would be more than the cost of the table. So, I was stuck with it, one way or another. 

Then, I remembered Kintsugi, the Japanese art form of filling in a cracked piece of ceramic with gold. The art of calling attention to the beauty of the crack vs the crack itself…the chance to turn something ugly into something of beauty. They say that the crack is where the light shines through.

And as it is with us…not brokenness but, rather, places where life has touched us and created a place for the light to glisten and shine through. If WE choose to see it this way…

PS We didn’t use gold though… just gorilla glue and pink glitter. 😂