If you’re chasing perfection, give yourself a break. Literally.
In my 20’s, I tried to do things perfectly. The more I tried, the more I failed. No matter how good things were, I thought they could be better. No matter how well I did, I thought I could do better.
Then a mentor told me that each of us are unique in our imperfections. That it is our failures that shape us. That it is our heartaches that make us human.
The Japanese have turned this idea into an art. Kintsukuroi is the art of “repairing with gold”.
When a pot breaks, instead of throwing it away, craftsmen repair it with a gold lacquer that celebrates its flaws. In doing so, the pot becomes more valuable than when it was “perfect”.
It’s the flaws that tell the pots story, and it’s your challenges that tell your story. So celebrate them, embrace them, and know you are all the more valuable for having them.
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