WHILE THE SEVEN WONDERS IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS WITCHES, HEALERS, SHAMEN, AND SPIRITUAL ADVISORS… I HAVE TO CONFESS…I STRATEGICALLY PLANNED THE COURSE TO COINCIDE WITH A SERIES OF RARE, MAJOR ASTROLOGICAL EVENTS AND MOON CYCLES…IN OTHER WORDS, THIS COURSE ACTUALLY DOUBLES AS SPIRITUAL PREPARATION FOR THE AGE OF AQUARIUS, AS WELL.
WATCH CHAPTER 11: THE SEVEN WONDERS OF INTEGRATION NOW (click on image to play full video)
WHILE THE SEVEN WONDERS IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS WITCHES, HEALERS, SHAMEN, AND SPIRITUAL ADVISORS… I HAVE TO CONFESS…I STRATEGICALLY PLANNED THE COURSE TO COINCIDE WITH A SERIES OF RARE, MAJOR ASTROLOGICAL EVENTS AND MOON CYCLES…IN OTHER WORDS, THIS COURSE ACTUALLY DOUBLES AS SPIRITUAL PREPARATION FOR THE AGE OF AQUARIUS, AS WELL.
WITH THIS IN MIND, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS AN UNDERLYING SPELL ATTACHED TO EACH CHAPTER…BASICALLY, EACH CHAPTER WAS NOT ONLY RELEASED ON, BUT CHARGED BY THE ENERGY OF EACH FULL MOON, DARK MOON, AND NEW WITCH’S MOON, THROUGHOUT THE ORIGINAL,12-WEEK RUN OF THE SEVEN WONDERS. I DID THIS TO ENSURE THAT THE UNIQUE, AND POWERFUL LUNAR ENERGIES, WILL CARRY THROUGH THE SEVEN WONDERS, WHEN PRACTICED IN THE FUTURE.
I LAUNCHED CHAPTER 1 ON OCTOBER 31, 2020. LAST HALLOWEEN WAS VERY SPECIAL, BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO THE NIGHT OF A BLUE MOON…AN EVENT THAT HASN’T HAPPENED ON HALLOWEEN SINCE 1944. THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER INTRODUCED THE MYTH OF AQUARIUS - WE LEARNED THAT AQUARIUS IS THE LEAD AIR SIGN, AND THE BRINGER, OR BEARER, OF THE WATERS OF ENLIGHTENMENT. CHAPTER 7 WAS A PIVOTAL AND POWERFUL CHAPTER, RELEASED ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE - ACCOMPANIED THIS YEAR, BY THE GREAT CONJUNCTION OF 2020 - MARKING THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT…THE AGE OF AQUARIUS.
THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE-PRESIDENT HARRIS WAS THE FIRST MAJOR SIGNAL, THAT INTEGRATION WITH THE ENERGIES OF OUR NEW AGE IS HAPPENING…NOT JUST ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, BUT GLOBAL LEVEL.
PERSONALLY, I CREATED A BIDEN-HARRIS SPELL BOTTLE, WHICH I STARTED ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRST DEBATE, CONTINUED ON THE NIGHT OF THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, AGAIN ON ELECTION NIGHT…AND CONCLUDED LAST WEDNESDAY. I USED THE SONG “AQUARIUS” BY THE 5TH DIMENSION AS PART OF EACH CEREMONY. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE…THAT SONG WAS PART OF AN INSPIRING MASH-UP, DURING THE INAUGURATION PARTY, WEDNESDAY NIGHT. COINCIDENCE? MAYBE…I SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MY SPELL BOTTLE WAS A SMALL PART OF A GREATER, UNDENIABLE SHIFT…A SHIFT FROM HATRED TO LOVE…A SHIFT DELIVERING THE MESSAGE TO EVERYONE, JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME… “LET THE SUNSHINE IN.”
EACH OF US WILL INTERPRET THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS MOMENT IN TIME, IN OUR OWN, INDIVIDUAL WAY - AS THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF THESE TRULY HISTORIC TIMES, HAS TOUCHED ALL OF US, DIFFERENTLY. HOW WE CHOOSE TO INTEGRATE WITH THE IMPACT OF THESE CHANGES, WILL ALSO BE DIFFERENT FOR EACH OF US.
CHAPTER 11 LESSON: SPIRITUAL OPEN-MINDEDNESS, WITCH’S WISDOM
BEING RAISED CATHOLIC, AND NOW IDENTIFYING AS A WITCH, MAY APPEAR TO BE A FORM OF DRAMATIC, IF NOT TRAUMATIC, REBELLION. IT IS NOT. IT IS SIMPLY A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE THAT IS MORE APPROPRIATE TO MY SPIRITUAL IDENTITY. CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY DOES NOT INTEGRATE WITH, OR SATISFY MY FUNDAMENTAL, SPIRITUAL NEEDS. THAT BEING SAID, I EARNESTLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CHRISTIANITY DOES WORK FOR, AND INTEGRATE WITH COUNTLESS OTHER PEOPLE… ALL OVER THE WORLD…AND HAS DONE SO, FOR ABOUT 2021 YEARS.
WHILE THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WITCHCRAFT TRADITIONS, AND COUNTLESS DEFINITIONS OF THE WORD “WITCH”…THERE ARE A FEW UNIVERSAL QUALITIES THAT ARE SHARED BY ALL. IN MODERN WITCHCRAFT, WE GENERALLY AGREE THAT WISDOM IS THE MARK OF A GOOD WITCH. AS SUCH, HAVING SPIRITUAL OPEN-MINDEDNESS, IS THE MARK OF A GREAT WITCH. SAME IS TRUE FOR SPIRITUAL ADVISORS, TAROT READERS, SHAMEN, PSYCHICS AND SO ON.
JUST AS THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF THEORIES, TRADITIONS AND SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ABOUT WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT…THE SAME IS TRUE FOR EVERY OTHER RELIGION OR SPIRITUAL TRADITION ON THE PLANET. AND YES, WITCHES HAVE BEEN HUNTED AND PERSECUTED BY NEARLY ALL OF THEM.
HOWEVER, THERE IS NO DENYING THAT THE FOLLOWERS OF MAINSTREAM RELIGIONS THROUGHOUT TIME, HAVE COME TO US FOR SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE AND HELP. WHEN THEIR OWN HOUSES OF WORSHIP SEEM TO COME UP A LITTLE SHORT, THEY SHOW UP AT OUR HOUSES, FOR ANSWERS TO SPIRITUAL QUESTIONS AND DILEMMAS…THEY NEED OUR HELP WITH EXOTIC SPIRITUAL WORK… TO CONNECT WITH LOVED ONES WHO HAVE PASSED…THEY WANT TAROT READINGS, THEY WANT ENERGY WORK…THEY WANT THINGS THEIR CHURCHES CANNOT, OR WILL NOT DO FOR THEM. FOR THIS REASON ALONE, REMAINING OPEN AND UNDERSTANDING TO ALL SPIRITUAL BELIEFS AND TRADITIONS, WILL SERVE TO HELP US, HELP OTHERS.
MANY OF US PROBABLY HAVE EXPERIENCED A SELF-RIGHTEOUS BIBLE THUMPER. MANY OF US HAVE LEFT MAINSTREAM RELIGIONS BECAUSE OF HYPOCRISY. IT CAN BE PARTICULARLY DAMAGING IF THE SOURCE OF OUR REPULSION IS A PARENT, FAMILY MEMBER OR MENTOR. THESE SPIRITUAL INJURIES CUT DEEP, AND CARRY A PARTICULAR HARSH AND BITTER POISON. ONCE THE POISON SETS IN, IT CAN HARDEN US TO ALL RELIGIONS, AND RELIGIOUS PEOPLE…THEREBY BLOCKING US FROM EXPERIENCING THE BEST OF BOTH.
A SELF-RIGHTEOUS CHRISTIAN HAS ALL THE CHARM OF A SHIT SANDWICH, FOR SURE…AND WE ARE ALL AWARE THEY ARE OUT THERE, AND WE GENERALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THEY CROSS OUR PATHS. HOWEVER…WHAT IS HARDER FOR ME TO SWALLOW, IN ALL HONESTY…IS A SELF-RIGHTEOUS WITCH. I MEAN, I EXPECT SOME LEVEL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HYPOCRISY IN MAINSTREAM RELIGIONS…BUT WHEN I SEE IT IN THE WORLD OF MAGICK AND WITCHCRAFT…WELL…SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE, WHO HAVE A LEGITIMATE INTEREST IN WITCHCRAFT, WITH PROMISING GIFTS IN MAGICK, MAY DECIDE TO WALK AWAY. THAT IS NOT ONLY UNFAIR, AND DAMAGING TO THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT IS UNFAIR AND DAMAGING TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE HONORING THE LEGACY OF WITCHCRAFT.
TO SMUGLY CLAIM EXCLUSIVE, “ALL KNOWING” SUPREMACY OVER THE CORRECT DEFINITION AND MEANING OF WITCHCRAFT…IS NO BETTER THAN A HYPOCRITICAL, ARROGANT, SELF-RIGHTEOUS BAPTIST DEGRADING A PRESBYTERIAN. IN FACT, I PERSONALLY THINK IT’S WORSE…BECAUSE IT GOES AGAINST WHAT I KNOW TO BE THE MARK OF A LEGITIMATE WITCH.
SPIRITUAL OPEN-MINDEDNESS - THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT EVERYONE IS AT A DIFFERENT PLACE, ON THEIR OWN SPIRITUAL PATH…IS ONE OF THE BEST PRACTICES OF A WITCH, HEALER, OR SPIRITUAL ADVISOR.
THE WISDOM TO RECOGNIZE, AND RESPECT ALL SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS…ESPECIALLY WHEN WORKING WITH THOSE WHO HAVE LOST SOME, IF NOT ALL FAITH…IS A GIFT OF AN INSPIRED, AND INSPIRING WITCH.
CHAPTER 11 TASKS/ASSIGNMENTS & SPELL WORK:
SEVEN OF HEARTS, SEVEN ACTS OF SERVICE, SEVEN STEPS IN SEVEN SHOES
SEVEN OF HEARTS
OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO A STEADY, DAILY FLOW OF DISCOURAGING NEWS AND DIVISIVE HATE. EVEN THE MORE SPIRITUALLY EVOLVED, GROUNDED AND CENTERED AMONG US, HAVE SUFFERED FROM THIS DISHEARTENING PERIOD.
BEFORE WE CAN BEGIN THE INTEGRATION OF OUR HEART WITH THE ENERGIES OF ENLIGHTENMENT, WE MUST FIRST FIND THE ENERGY TO ENLIGHTEN A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT, IN OUR HEART.
GRAB A PEN, AND YOUR SHADOW PAGES JOURNAL. NUMBER 1-7. NEXT TO EACH, CAREFULLY CONSIDER, AND WRITE OUT SOMETHING THAT HAS ENCOURAGED YOU. THIS CAN BE IN THE FORM OF PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS (HOWEVER BIG, OR SMALL), ENCOURAGEMENT FROM ONE OF YOUR INTIMATES, OR SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE WORLD AT LARGE. A MIX OF ALL IS GREAT.
EXAMPLE:
I AM FINDING RITUAL TO BE MORE REWARDING LATELY.
I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE HOME TO GET THE CAR WASHED, WITH LESS ANXIETY.
MY BOSS WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY I HANDLED AN ASSHOLE WHO CAME INTO THE STORE LAST WEEK.
WRITING IN MY SHADOW PAGES JOURNAL, HAS HELPED ME BE KINDER TO MYSELF.
MY ANGER ISN’T AS STRONG, (NEAR THE SURFACE, EASILY PROVOKED, HEATED, TURBULENT) AS IT USED TO BE.
I FINALLY STARTED READING THAT BOOK I’VE AVOIDED FOR MONTHS.
I NO LONGER DREAD TURNING ON THE NEWS.
HAVING THE HEART TO FIND ENCOURAGEMENT, WILL INITIATE YOUR GENTLE INTEGRATION BACK INTO THE WORLD.
SEVEN ACTS OF SERVICE
WHEN SELF-ENCOURAGEMENT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO SUMMON, IT’S A SURE INDICATION THAT WE ARE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME IN OUR HEADS. NEWCOMERS TO AA ARE CAUTIONED - “YOUR HEAD IS A DANGEROUS PLAYGROUND.” THIS IS BECAUSE ALCOHOLICS SUFFER WITH A MENTAL IMBALANCE, WHICH TRIGGERS SELF-DESTRUCTIVE THINKING…ULTIMATELY LEADING TO SELF-DESTRUCTIVE DRINKING.
THE ANTIDOTE…SERVICE WORK…GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD, AND INTO HELPING OTHERS. EVEN GETTING OUT OF YOUR HEAD FOR 20 MINUTES, IN THE INTEREST OF HELPING A FRIEND, YIELDS AN IMMEDIATE RISE IN WELL-BEING.
ONCE AGAIN, MAKE A LIST NUMBERED 1-7 IN YOUR SHADOW PAGES JOURNAL. LIST SEVEN ACTS OF SERVICE YOU CAN COMMIT TO, IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
EXAMPLE LIST;
TAKE MY ELDERLY NEIGHBORS GARBAGE TO THE CURB ON TRASH DAY.
CALL MY FRIEND, JAY, WHO IS QUARANTINING ALONE.
COOK DINNER FOR MOM, AND DRIVE IT OVER TO HER.
PLAN A SOCIAL DISTANCE GET-TOGETHER WITH MEGAN.
CALL KATHY…IT’S BEEN TOO LONG.
SEND JILL A CARD…JUST BECAUSE
VOLUNTEER FOR A COMMUNITY PROJECT
SEVEN STEPS IN SEVEN SHOES
INTEGRATION INTO THIS NEW WORLD, WITH NEW SELF-PERSPECTIVE IS GOING TO REQUIRE BASIC RESPECT. KNOWING WHO WE ARE, HOW WE FEEL AND HOW WE CHOOSE TO REACT IS POWERFUL MAGICK. BUT THERE ARE MORE STEPS TO TAKE, IN ORDER TO TRULY CONNECT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
WE’VE ALL HEARD THE SAYING “WALK A MILE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES.” AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. BUT I WONDER, HOW MANY OF US ACTUALLY CONSIDER EXPERIENCING IT?
WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF MY YOUNG SOBRIETY, ONE OF MY MENTORS TOLD ME TO GO TO A DIFFERENT AA MEETING. AS A YOUNG, STRUGGLING SONGWRITER IN AUSTIN, TEXAS….I FOUND MY “HOME GROUP” AT A FUNKY LITTLE PINK HOUSE, IN SOUTH AUSTIN…WHERE SOBER MUSICIANS AND YOUNG GAY MEN TENDED TO GATHER. I WAS COMFORTABLE THERE, AND A CRITICAL PART OF ALL SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION, IS KNOWING THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE. WE HEAR OUR STORY, OUR FEARS, OUR GUILT AND SHAME, FROM ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. THAT IS THE TRUE MAGICK… THE TRUE MIRACLE OF RECOVERY. MAYBE LIFE ITSELF.
IN MY SELF-EVALUATION PROCESS, THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF “ME, ME, AND OF COURSE, POOR, POOR ME.” WHEN NEWCOMERS ARRIVE AT THIS PHASE OF SOBRIETY, OLD-TIMERS USUALLY STEP IN WITH ABRASIVE REALITY, RESPONDING TO THE NEWCOMER WITH “POOR ME, POOR ME…POUR ME ANOTHER DRINK.” IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT’S THE POINT OF REFRAINING FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE, IF YOU STILL ENGAGE IN ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS? THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS IN MY LIFE, AND I’LL NEVER FORGET IT. MY MENTOR TOLD ME TO GO TO THE MOST HARDCORE, ROCK BOTTOM, AA GROUP, IN THE SKECHIEST PART OF TOWN. THIS IS WHERE STREET PEOPLE GO. THIS IS WHERE REPEAT OFFENDERS GO. AND THIS IS WHERE I WENT, FOR MY DAILY AA MEETING, ONE AUGUST DAY, IN 1997. IN GROUP SESSION, EVERYONE IS INVITED TO SHARE…PERSONAL STORIES OF DAILY EXPERIENCE, STRENGTH, AND HOPE. BUT ALL I DID WAS LISTEN. IN WAYS I HAD NEVER LISTENED BEFORE. AND HEARD THE REALITIES OF TRUE HUMAN SUFFERING…BEYOND ANYTHING I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED. AND YET, I ALSO WITNESSED THE HOPE, THE SERENITY, AND FRANKLY THE TOWERING WISDOM, FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVED OUT OF A GROCERY CART. SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I WALKED OUT OF THAT MEETING CHANGED.
THIS FINAL TASK, IS PROBABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF THE COMPLETE SEVEN WONDERS PRACTICE. THIS WILL TRANSFORM YOU FROM BEING EMPATHIC, TO BEING AN EMPATH. IT HELPS TO REMEMBER, EMPATHY IS A FUNCTION OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION. JUST AS THE CAPACITY FOR LANGUAGE IS BUILT INTO ALL OF US AT BIRTH, THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE AUTOMATICALLY KNOW HOW TO READ AND WRITE.
ONE MORE TIME, TURN TO YOUR SHADOW PAGES JOURNAL. MAKE A LIST, NUMBERED 1-7. NEXT TO EACH, YOU’RE GOING TO WRITE THE NAME OF SOMEONE YOU EITHER DON’T KNOW, PERHAPS ANOTHER PERSON YOU STRONGLY RESENT, MAYBE SOMEONE YOUR CONCERNED ABOUT, OR FOLKS YOU JUST PLAIN “DON’T GET.”
EXAMPLE:
THE STREET PERSON AT THE CORNER
THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT
THE GUY WHO CUTS MY HAIR
THAT CRAZY WOMAN WHO RAGED IN THE MIDDLE OF WHOLE FOODS
THE UPS GUY
MY BITCHY FRIEND, KIMBERLY
MY 70 PLUS YEAR OLD FRIEND, TIM, LIVING WITH HIV
LOOK AT YOUR LIST, AND CAREFULLY CONSIDER EACH. TRY TO IDENTIFY THE PERSON YOU FEEL THE MOST RESISTANT TO. DO YOUR BEST NOT TO JUDGE YOURSELF HERE. WHEN YOU’VE MADE YOUR CHOICE, TAKE YOURSELF OUT FOR AN HOUR’S WALK. THIS IS A MODERN, MINI VISION QUEST, SO YOU WANT TO BE ALONE WHILE YOUR WALKING. NO FRIENDS, NO SPOUSES, NO KIDS, NO PETS, NO GHOSTS, AND SO ON. AS YOU WALK, IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE THE PERSON FROM YOUR LIST. HOW DID THIS PERSON START THE DAY? WHAT DOES THIS PERSON DO ALL DAY? WHO DOES THIS PERSON ENGAGE WITH ON A DAILY BASIS? WHAT MAKES THIS PERSON HAPPY? WHAT MAKES THIS PERSON SAD? START WITH THESE BASIC QUESTIONS, AND LET YOURSELF WALK DEEPLY INTO THIS MEDITATION. WHEN YOU’RE DONE, REFLECT ON YOUR EXPERIENCE IN YOUR SHADOW PAGES JOURNAL.
THAT WRAPS CHAPTER 11: THE SEVEN WONDERS OF INTEGRATION.
IN ADDITION TO THE TASKS AND SPELL WORK OF THIS WEEK, DON’T FORGET TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR SHADOW WORK. THE BASIC TOOLS ARE DAILY SHADOW PAGES, 1 SHADOW DANCE A WEEK, PLUS YOUR WEEKLY VISION QUEST.
ALL OF THIS WEEKS SPELLS & ASSIGNMENTS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE BLOG POST FOR CHAPTER 11: THE SEVEN WONDERS OF INTEGRATION ON DANIELLINK.COM. BUT ONLY FOR A LIMITED TIME. AFTER FEBRUARY 6, THE SEVEN WONDERS VIDEO AND BLOG SERIES WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
YOU CAN ALSO FIND BONUS MATERIAL, ADDITIONAL VIDEO CONTENT AND VISION QUEST IDEAS IN THE “DIGITAL WITCHBOX” SECTION OF THE SEVEN WONDERS BLOG.
I WANT TO EXTEND A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO MY HUSBAND, RALPHIE, AND TO MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND JILL, FOR EVERYTHING BOTH OF YOU HAVE DONE, SINCE CHAPTER 1. I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!
JOIN ME NEXT FOR THE FINAL EDITION & CONCLUSION, CHAPTER 12:THE SEVEN WONDERS OF DIGNITY.
UNTIL THEN, BE KIND TO YOURSELF AND I’LL SEE YOU AT THE RAINBOW’S EDGE!
DEEP PEACE, DANIEL
Kintsugi is an old Japanese art. It is the craft of repairing broken pottery using seams of gold. Instead of trying to hide the object’s cracks, it accentuates them. The message is simple but meaningful: Our trials and flaws are not scars on our character — they are the very fabric that makes us human. Each obstacle, each mistake becomes a building block of a better tomorrow, thus making us a little more unique and beautiful.
In the West, we tend to throw things away when they break. Each year, millions of perfectly usable products end up in landfills. To some extent, we do the same with people. This is sad but unsurprising, given the perpetual message in our education and media: If you struggle in even the slightest, you’re not good enough. You can buy some Spanx, muscle supplements, or an online course to fix it, but until you have, don’t bother, and definitely don’t bother others with your problem.
But what if our mistakes are just for learning? What if our flaws aren’t flaws at all — just puzzle pieces that make us different and, thus, lovable?
There’s a difference between fixing and integrating: One is done to compensate, the other to move forward. When we obsess over correcting our flaws, we may succeed, but we’ll never feel content. It takes a general appreciation of life’s transience to focus on learning, accept what we can’t change, and even see beauty in our little imperfections.
The Japanese call this appreciation “mono no aware” — an empathy toward things, a sense of impermanence. Mono no aware is at the heart of kintsugi, and it can make the difference between a laid-back, joyful pursuit of growth and a never-ending spiral of self-flagellation — just like a golden thread can make a repaired plate look more beautiful than it was before it broke.
From your skin to your mind to your bank account: A desire to improve your life is a wonderful thing. It’s less wonderful if that desire leaves a constant taste of “I’m not good enough” in your mouth.
Not always but often, Western self-help wants you to feel self-conscious. The industry points out your problems, twists the knife, and then happily sells you a plethora of quick fixes to combat them. Whether they work or not, in the long run, this will damage your self-image.
While it’s good to confront our problems head on, the Japanese aim to do so without negative connotation. They stress consistency and effort in their marketing, parenting, and education. Mistakes are a valuable source of learning for everyone, and our flaws are not just not so bad, they make us unique and beautiful.
The next time you spot a pimple or give the wrong answer, remember the art of kintsugi: Don’t fix. Integrate. As long as you make them steps to something bigger, not a single one of your obstacles will go to waste.
© 2021 Niklas Göke
BE KIND, song by Daniel Link - from his 2005 release COLOR OF RAIN
Walking In This World by Julia Cameron
THE TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS of Alcoholics Anonymous
Video production, Selfie-art, Photography & Graphic Design copyright 2021 by Daniel Link Music
COLOR OF RAIN album photo by Skip Hunt Photography, Austin, Texas 2005