An old woman carried water from the river to her home every day in two buckets that were attached in a yoke across her shoulders. One bucket was strong and sturdy and always came back full of water, but the other was usually only half full by the time she got home …. it had a crack and it leaked. The leaky bucket was ashamed of its defect and apologized to the old woman for being broken. The old woman smiled and told the bucket she was very much aware of the crack. She suggested taking a look at the path they traveled every day and the bucket saw that on one side of the path were beautiful flowers, grown from seeds the woman had planted that were watered every day through the leaking crack.
This story invites us to consider that our flaws can open doors to beauty. They can teach us about love, perception, acceptance, deeper truths, and other ways to look at the world. We all have broken places, and the mistakes and mishaps we have experienced can be used to increase our vision and wisdom. Alternatively, we can live inside our flaws ( I can’t do anything right, I’m not good enough, I’m too fat, I’m too clumsy, I’m not smart enough, I’m lazy...) and project those beliefs on our experiences in the world and interactions with others. It is a very painful way to allow your ego to run your life (notice that all of the flaws start with “I”) and it can sap confidence, happiness and energy.
As poet / songwriter Leonard Cohen expressed in Anthem:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
We can look at our imperfections as wounds in need of healing, opportunities for learning new ways, paths to forgiveness, acceptance, or spiritual awakenings. Ignoring them, blaming others, or insisting on perfection perpetuates discontent. Owning and befriending a part of yourself that you do not like actually allows for greater healing and compassion, opening doorways to positive growth and change. Perhaps instead of seeing ourselves as broken, we can find fresh opportunities to stretch and flourish in the light provided by our flaws.
This story invites us to consider that our flaws can open doors to beauty. They can teach us about love, perception, acceptance, deeper truths, and other ways to look at the world. We all have broken places, and the mistakes and mishaps we have experienced can be used to increase our vision and wisdom. Alternatively, we can live inside our flaws ( I can’t do anything right, I’m not good enough, I’m too fat, I’m too clumsy, I’m not smart enough, I’m lazy...) and project those beliefs on our experiences in the world and interactions with others. It is a very painful way to allow your ego to run your life (notice that all of the flaws start with “I”) and it can sap confidence, happiness and energy.
As poet / songwriter Leonard Cohen expressed in Anthem:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
We can look at our imperfections as wounds in need of healing, opportunities for learning new ways, paths to forgiveness, acceptance, or spiritual awakenings. Ignoring them, blaming others, or insisting on perfection perpetuates discontent. Owning and befriending a part of yourself that you do not like actually allows for greater healing and compassion, opening doorways to positive growth and change. Perhaps instead of seeing ourselves as broken, we can find fresh opportunities to stretch and flourish in the light provided by our flaws.
RSS Feed