The Level Up Letter - Vol. 12 - Kintsugi

Becoming stronger at our broken places

Author

Better Board Meeting
March 08, 2024

THE LEVEL UP LETTER

Hi All!

This week we’re doing something new with the Level Up Letter. We wanted to cover the Japanese concept of Kintsugi. Our dear friend, Reza Bavar, recently spent a few months in Japan studying at POJ Kintsugi. For those of you who don’t know Reza, he’s an entrepreneur, a yogi, a connector, a world traveler (this letter was written overlooking the sea in the Azores), and maybe the best description of him, a passionate student of life.

We hope you enjoy what he’s written about Kintsugi as much as we have and can relate it into your own life. As always, please share with anyone and everyone you think would enjoy it.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO SEE THE WORLD:

one, as it appears to be through our limited senses, and the other, that there is something vast and unimaginable beyond our ability to detect.  

Kintsugi (金継ぎ) is derived from the Japanese word for Gold “Kin” (金) and Joinery “Tsugi” (継ぎ).   Through Kintsugi broken objects can be repaired by using colored urushi lacquer that is often dusted with powdered metals like gold, silver, and platinum.  Kintsugi starts with an intent to finish the repair no matter how long it may take.  In this way it is a process that will cultivate patience, focus, and creativity. 

I studied Kintsugi in its birthplace, Kyoto, Japan, for three months.  As you will read below, I wasn’t only attracted to Kintsugi for physical repairs or art.  In my opinion, Kintsugi is a physical manifestation that speaks of a deeper philosophy rooted in the inherent value in experiences that break us, but that also make way for the Golden Essence within us all to heal the broken parts with its light.  

The reality is that being alive invites a certain amount of pain and suffering into us all, but our pain, no matter how precious it is to us, is always subjective.  We have unlimited opportunities to choose to continue suffering or to undertake the process of healing. 

When we embark on the road to healing, we are, in essence, performing a type of internal, metaphysical, Kintsugi on our Soul.  Much like physical Kintsugi, the finished piece is more beautiful, more valuable, and more resilient than the original.  For me the great Sufi Master Jalaledin Rumi summarized this idea best in a line from one of his poems where he writes “The crack is where the light reveals itself.”  

In physical Kintsugi, the crack is where the beauty of the break reveals itself.  In Life, the pain and suffering that breaks us is where the Light can reveal itself and offer a chance to expand, because if there is anything a Human Being is destined for, it is expansion.  

We are all living Life the best we can, and the process of expanding, though painful, brings with it new perspectives, new levels of Love, new chances for Gratitude, and new experiences in Peace rooted in a mindset of balance and harmony.  The opportunity to heal and expand are ever present.  It is worth remembering that no matter how broken the pieces appear to be, they are never beyond repair, and we are never beyond redemption and healing.  In this way, the things that break can make the world more beautiful.

We were originally introduced to this book by BBM Member, Laura Windell. It’s a practical guide when using Kintsugi as therapy or as a metaphor to resilience. The book will help you overcome rough times, heal your deepest wounds, and become whole again through the numerous stages, writing exercises, and testimonies.

Grab yourself a copy of it here.

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