The Cracks within our Heart and Spirit”

It did not feel right. It was a story of a crack that had suddenly appeared within the most beautiful diamond in the kingdom and how it was “fixed” by a poor man as he made the crack appear as the stem of a beautiful rose. The story simply did not seem accurate even though I was aware of the positive message it was attempting to convey.

After listening to many individuals speak of their reflections of the story and what it meant to their lives, it hit me as to why I felt so uncomfortable with the story. Though the crack was made to “look” like a stem of something beautiful and thus not a crack anymore, the truth was that the crack was never changed from what it was… a crack. The fact that the crack was made to look like the stem of a beautiful flower could not hide the fact that it was indeed a crack.

Perhaps it is it a merely a matter of one’s perspective as to what the crack is. Is the crack a flaw or is it a change in what simply has been that should be seen for what it has now become?

Is the crack something that needs to be “fixed” as the poor man came to do, meaning that it is something bad that needed to be eliminated or is the crack something that has added value?

Is it possible that the crack is not a flaw that needs to be fixed at all but something that shows simply that all things are fragile and will show wear and tear over time?

Do I pretend the cracks within my own heart, mind, body and spirit are stems of flowers and thus “fixed” or do I see my cracks a part of who I am and at the same time accept, love, and respect that which they represent… all of who I am after my struggle with the challenges of life?

Perhaps the cracks are not flaws that need to be made to look like something beautiful but are simply symbols that we have lived.

Perhaps the cracks are a beautiful symbol in themselves just as they are as they remind us of the struggles the experiences and the learning we have gained through our struggles with life.

Perhaps the cracks we see and feel within our hearts, mind, spirit, and body are wonderful reminders that all things are fragile and over time, life itself will create cracks where eventually we will all become once again the dust from which we were created by our creator.

Perhaps it is in the seeing the cracks as they truly are that we are reminded that our lives are far too short and that each moment of every day counts.

Perhaps if we see our cracks as they truly are, with no decorations or pretending that they are something else, that we begin to fully understand the only time that is important is “now”. And with that realization the knowing that if we are to create meaning and purpose in our lives,we must take this moment and those to follow to act in ways that will create that beautiful dream that is within is… a dream that is still whole and as perfect as it was the moment it was placed within us at our creation.

Perhaps the cracks when viewed with respect and love for what we have become will lead us to ask the critical questions as we sense the fragileness of our lives, “What shall I do today to make a difference in the world? What change am I going to become in order to bring about the changes I would like to see in the world? What action am I going to take in these moments that are in alignment with my core values and purpose to create that dream that is within me?”

And perhaps, when we choose to act from our core values and purpose, it is in that moment we feel the joy, commitment, passion, and the wonder of what our lives can be. For it is then through our actions of making a difference and creating a life of meaning that we become that which the creator intended us to be.

Perhaps, when we choose to not hide our beauty and our cracks, we teach by our example that true beauty is in loving and being each moment who we authentically are.

And perhaps it is only then that the true beauty of the diamond which is us can be seen and appreciated for the wonder that is has become and will continue to be… cracks and all.

David Bernard-Stevens, Initiative of Change Conference Nakuru, Kenya – May 28th 2011