By DANIEL STEWART
The best thing about having it all, is knowing you already do!
When something breaks we throw it away. After all, it’s broken and no longer valuable. It’s no longer perfect. From cups to cars, we seem to let the value of things drop to zero as soon as that thing gets a bit busted-up. But there’s a 400-year-old Japanese tradition called kintsugi that might provide us with another, more empowering alternative.
Kintsugi is the art of putting broken pieces of pottery back together by filling their cracks with molten gold. Instead of hiding the pottery’s imperfections, they embrace, accentuate, and celebrate them as part of the object’s history. By repairing the broken pieces they create brilliant scars that make the object more unique and valuable, and give that object even greater strength and beauty than before.
So why am I telling you about an ancient Japanese tradition? Well, I believe this philosophy can also help us get through whatever stress, struggles, and setbacks we might be going through. Instead of feeling embarrassed and trying to hide our broken pieces (everything from our mistakes and mess-ups to our fears and failures) maybe we should just consider accepting them; and in doing so, allow them to become the gold bonds that will ultimately make us stronger and more valuable.
We’re all a bit damaged in some way. We all struggle from time to time. We all get a bit overwhelmed or feel underprepared. But if we can summon the courage and confidence to accept our imperfections, we can become stronger and even more valuable than before. We need to remember that our riding potential is built upon our experiences—both good and bad—and that both contribute equally to helping us achieve our true potential.
Struggles and setbacks will always be part of our life stories, but if we feel bad about every bad experience we’ll end up spending way too much time feeling bad! Instead, remind yourself that your broken experiences, much like the cracks in the pottery, don’t diminish your worth or potential, but enrich your character and strength. Rather than viewing those experiences as weaknesses, recognize them as the bonds that will help you grow bolder, braver and brighter in the future.
Kintsugi can also teach us about the value of patience and perseverance. Mending pottery is a meticulous and time-consuming process. Let’s learn to accept that our growth and success will also take time, effort, and dedication. It won’t happen in a day or at a clinic or competition, but over a lifetime of continuous effort and dedication. Growth is, in fact, a time-consuming process, but the habit of continually striving to improve, even in the face of adversity, is what will eventually help us to build the best versions of ourselves.
In kintsugi, the cracks aren’t hidden. They’re bonded with gold to highlight their brilliance. This month, why not consider highlighting your struggles and setbacks so you can use them as the bonds that help create your own brilliance? Why not accept and embrace your broken pieces as a history of experiences that’ll ultimately help you become more knowledgeable and valuable? Remember, each and every setback is a chance to rebuild with newfound understand and determination. In the end, always remember: Of course you’re cracked. How else will all your brightness come out!
I hope you enjoyed this month’s Pressure Proof tip. If you’re a visual learner and enjoy my mental coaching messages, please consider signing up for my self-paced online equestrian sport psychology course. It contains 30 uplifting and motivational videos, each with its own written recap and quiz to test your understanding. The program costs $250, and you can register here: https://daniel-stewart-s-school.teachable.com/p/equestrian-sport-psychology
Daniel Stewart has been an equestrian for over 35 years and has coached riders all over the world for the past 25. Combining his knowledge as an equestrian with a degree in physical education, he created an empowering series of clinics that help riders develop strong minds and bodies. As the internationally acclaimed author of Pressure Proof Your Riding, Ride Right, Fit and Focused in 52, and Bolder Braver Brighter; he’s widely considered one of the world’s leading experts on equestrian sport psychology, athletics, and performance. He teaches clinics to thousands of riders each year, is a sough-after keynote speaker, has published countless magazine articles, and is an equestrian sport psychology and rider fitness contributor for many other equestrian associations.
A father of two, when not teaching clinics, he runs four-day equestrian athlete training camps, produces weekly mental coaching and rider fitness videos and hosts instructor certification classes and college lectures.
