A Broken Vessel

Do you sometimes feel like a broken or cracked vessel who just wants to feel whole again? Just notice how this makes you feel and allow yourself to feel comforted as you begin this month’s journey with me…

Firstly… I would love to introduce you to what inspired this month’s broken vessel topic…

My love of creating…

This love reached a new height and a disappointing low this month. 

Last weekend, after procrastinating for a whole month… I took up my recently gifted hollow mandrel for the first time in my life and blew air into hot molten glass!

Initially I had trouble blowing my breath down into the non wielding blob of glass, even after watching videos upon videos of how to do this scary piped piper activity!

Being very careful and doing everything I had learnt, I continued to play and learn for myself, the feel of the right temperature of glass, the force of the blow, having a whale of a time, then…

…POP!!!… a massive hole blew out the bottom of my lovely split second vessel!

I could have responded very differently… Screamed, jumped, gasped, dropped it, thrown it, cried, got angry, etc etc.  However, this giggle reflected how I was feeling at the time, like a little kid playing with a new thing/toy, exploring a new skill.

I was able to be in this mindset because I was ready… I waited until the time felt right, until I felt the emotion I wanted to feel when I thought about having a go. 

There was no expectation to perform in a certain way, no time pressure, no ideal in my head to force the glass to become. 

It was just the glass and me getting to know each other, allowing curiosity like an innocent child as they explore their new environment or skill.

How often do we give ourselves the freedom to play and explore a new skill, to take things slowly, to let things unfold when the time is right?

Good news… I watched in awe as I was able to reform the mess into a solid blob once more (I love the way glass has no memory, no expectation of what it “should” become!).  I then blew it out again carefully, and was able to make a gorgeous little vessel, which I was very surprised to be able to do on my first go!…

I carefully snuggled my vessel into the vermiculite, allowing it to cool down slowly, reducing its’ risk of breaking, and crossed my fingers hoping the base wasn’t too thin…

8 hours later… I remained hopeful that it was still intact as I fished out the hollow mandrel… and… yes, it was still a vessel!  Yay, it was beautiful, looking gorgeous in its transparent purple glory.

I then soaked it in water in preparation to twist it off the mandrel, thanks to the bead release solution…

I very gently twisted… and CRACK!.. it fell into 3 pieces…

I acknowledged feeling my initial tinge of sadness, which then easily allowed me to receive much pleasure out of seeing the vessel for what it was, and what it was showing me.  I could clearly see how thin the walls were due to the way it broke, pretty much exactly in half for me to see exactly what I needed to see to be able to learn from it.

In its broken state, this vessel is very special to me.  I will not be throwing it away, because it shows me something important to learn by, and it represents the start of a wonderful new journey for me with lots of practise opportunities.

Afterall, all journeys are part and parcel in life from which to learn…

Life is all about experiences, making mistakes, knowing there may be more broken vessels and a variety of emotions experienced as we learn and grow.

It is about trusting our instincts to do the right thing at the right time, when it feels right to get the optimum results. 

Its great to know that through making mistakes, great learning takes place.

The action of taking part is all that is needed sometimes, as a wise person once said…

It’s all about the journey, not the final destination.

Which reminds me of a story I was told at College by Ondrej Bursik, an inspirational teacher who like me, loves teaching with metaphors, movie quotes and stories.  I am sure he won’t mind me retelling it, even though I know I won’t remember it exactly how he told it…

In a small village lived a kind gentleman called Alfred. 

Every day, Alfred needed to go down to the well to collect his family’s water for the day. 

Every day, he would gather his 2 large vessels up, one in each hand and carry them to the well.

He would slowly walk the long way to the well and back without fail every day.

One of the vessels however, had a small crack in it.  Every time Alfred returned with the water, only half the water remained in this vessel.

One day, this vessel spoke up and asked Alfred “Why do you keep taking me to the well to collect water in when you know I am unable to hold onto it?  I try my best, but the water just drips out of me, I feel like a failure, I am no good.  Why don’t you throw me away and replace me with one that can do the job better so you don’t waste your time with me?” He asked.

On hearing this, Alfred bent down and lifted up the vessel.

He carried it out side, then paused.

“Look towards the well and what do you see?” he asked the vessel.

“I see how far you have to carry me along the dirt road” the vessel replied remorsefully.

“What else do you see on the path?” he asked.

The vessel look down at the dirt path but could see only dirt.

“Have a look along the side of the path.  Do you see those flowers all along the one side of the path?”

“Yes!” he said as he gazed down at them winding a colourful line into the distance.

“Well” Alfred continued… “can you see how they are only on one side of the path?”

“They are all on the side of the path that I carry you when we return from the well… your crack is a blessing to those flowers.  The water that drips out of your crack as we pass them every day, feeds them and enables them to grow, which provides joy to everyone who travels this path.  That is why I will never replace you.”

When we do our best, that is all we can do at one time. 

Our best is what makes us who we are.

It is inevitable that we may feel broken at times and fall apart with whatever may be happening around us. 

As Dumbledore says, “it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” (J.K.Rowling).  When we make the choice to pull ourselves back together, give life a go, do our best at that very moment, which make us who we are, and gives us the ability to see the signs to how to do this.  I hope you know or will one day know how important you are.

Now all good story tellers know… it is not about being a perfectionist and getting every little detail right.  It is about the ability to connect with and transport the listener to use all their senses and fully immerse them to understanding the overall message to reflect on and enjoy for themselves.

Maybe now is the time to ask…

• Is my vessel full?
• Are there any cracks?
• Can I learn or have I learnt from my cracks?
• Can I acknowledge my cracks by being honest with myself, to then find supported ways of piecing myself back together and feel stronger?  Like the metaphor of the Japanese art of ‘Kintsugi’ where broken, chipped and cracked pottery is repaired with gold and lacquer?
• Do I view my learning and growth as gold or dirt?
• Am I able to cherish myself?
• Can I love myself for who I am?
• Do I nourish, value and care for myself?  

Remember… our bodies don’t lie, look in the mirror, see what they reflect back to us, to show us how we are treating them, ourselves, and be able to explore what is putting us out of balance.  

Are you ready to really see what it is you are needing…

Physically?
Biochemically?
Psychologically?
Electromagnetically?

Ask yourself & feel how your body responds to these questions, you have the ability to be master of yourself, you know the answers…

Would you benefit from taking an Epsom Salt, Bentonite Clay and Young Living Essential Oil bath to relax, cleanse and detox?

Are you curious to explore your best way to ‘repairing your cracks’ and wear your learnings as gold and feel strong as yourself?

Is it time to stand strongly on your own 2 feet without getting constantly knocked over by others words?

Are you ready to take the most empowering journey ever… the journey within?

Online sessions are a simple and effective way to start or continue your empowering journey.  I would love to help you explore how to heal your ‘cracks’, to find ways for you to be the best strongest vessel you can be.  X

For more documented information on the magical benefits of the wonders of Nature… Bentonite Clay… https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5632318/