<div align="justify">The Japanese believe suffering some kind of impairment and having a history, a story to tell, augments the exquisiteness of an object. This is the reason why when they restore broken objects they glorify the impairment by filling the cracks with gold. The object then becomes more valuable as it carries in its realm a story, a lesson, a dignity that would have paled in its initial brilliance.<br /><br />I wonder what we see when we perceive broken objects or effects rendered worthless with time. Do we see wasted beauty, faded glory, an imperfection in our otherwise seemingly perfect world? Or do we see a capsule in time, a joyful memory, a poignant moment?<br /><br />Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder they say, however, if the eye is the window to the soul then our soul/psyche is in some way connected to the beauty we perceive around us. If our inner being is elevated, is beautiful, we will find ourselves in a plane where nothing is ugly or meaningless. Each fallen leaf will talk of sagacity and experience. A wrinkled face will be a map to known and unknown destinations.<br /><br />A torn page will be a part of a story that has fed the imagination of generations. A puddle of water will be a celebration of rain and a rough terrain will be an opportunity to experience new vistas. Our perception changes it all.<br /><br />Still waters run deep. Appearances can be misleading and our attachment to them will make us live shallow lives. To find depth and meaning we need to look beyond exteriors. When we find extraordinary in the things that seem conventional we live unusual lives. The splendour we determine around us percolates into our own lives and we find beauty inside us, in our very existence. This then starts a benevolent circle that energises the heart and minds and helps us create exquisiteness in and around us. An anonymous writer says "The way to love someone is to lightly run your fingers over that person's soul until you find a crack, and then gently pour your love into that crack."<br /><br />Next time you see impairment, don't turn away from it. Instead see the beauty, the story, the wisdom and the wonder it hides in its crevices.</div>
<div align="justify">The Japanese believe suffering some kind of impairment and having a history, a story to tell, augments the exquisiteness of an object. This is the reason why when they restore broken objects they glorify the impairment by filling the cracks with gold. The object then becomes more valuable as it carries in its realm a story, a lesson, a dignity that would have paled in its initial brilliance.<br /><br />I wonder what we see when we perceive broken objects or effects rendered worthless with time. Do we see wasted beauty, faded glory, an imperfection in our otherwise seemingly perfect world? Or do we see a capsule in time, a joyful memory, a poignant moment?<br /><br />Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder they say, however, if the eye is the window to the soul then our soul/psyche is in some way connected to the beauty we perceive around us. If our inner being is elevated, is beautiful, we will find ourselves in a plane where nothing is ugly or meaningless. Each fallen leaf will talk of sagacity and experience. A wrinkled face will be a map to known and unknown destinations.<br /><br />A torn page will be a part of a story that has fed the imagination of generations. A puddle of water will be a celebration of rain and a rough terrain will be an opportunity to experience new vistas. Our perception changes it all.<br /><br />Still waters run deep. Appearances can be misleading and our attachment to them will make us live shallow lives. To find depth and meaning we need to look beyond exteriors. When we find extraordinary in the things that seem conventional we live unusual lives. The splendour we determine around us percolates into our own lives and we find beauty inside us, in our very existence. This then starts a benevolent circle that energises the heart and minds and helps us create exquisiteness in and around us. An anonymous writer says "The way to love someone is to lightly run your fingers over that person's soul until you find a crack, and then gently pour your love into that crack."<br /><br />Next time you see impairment, don't turn away from it. Instead see the beauty, the story, the wisdom and the wonder it hides in its crevices.</div>