When did something break for you?
That was the question we explored during one of the sessions at Open Connect, the Unconference organized by ICF Italia.
In a workshop on Reflective Practice, Carlo Perfetto introduced us to Kintsugi: the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, not to disguise the cracks, but to valorize them, making the object even more valuable for having been broken.
And this was one of those wow moments! Why?
Because many of us are taught to perfect, to be fixed, to hide when something is wrong or broken. But what if we pause long enough to look at what broke, not with shame, but with curiosity? And to see what we take and learn from it?
During the workshop we did exactly this; we stopped and looked at something that broke for us and we reflected on our own Kintsugi moments. These were some of the questions we asked ourselves:
- What cracked open?
- How did I begin to repair it?
- What did the process teach me?
- What part of me is now stronger than before, because of that?
And the deeper invitation was:
→ to see the very thing that broke not as the end, but as the beginning of a transformation.
→ the pain of losing a job becomes the gold of rediscovering purpose and try a new path.
→ the challenges of stepping into leadership becomes the gold of finding your new voice.
→ the experience of being misunderstood becomes the gold of learning to truly listen.
Growth happens when we revisit those moments, to reframe the story from a more helpful perspective.
Not: “I broke there.”
But: “That’s where I began to become the person I am today.”
So, take a moment. Think of a time you felt something broke, at work, in a relationship, in your confidence and reflect on your Kintsugi moment.
ASK YOURSELF
What did I learn from that experience?
What strengths did I develop that I didn’t have before?
How can I use these strengths today?
Maybe you’re still in the midst of it. Maybe the cracks are still tender.
But what if this is the beginning of your Kintsugi story?
Image: AI generated by Silvia Foglia
