Shine bright dear diamond

Shining bright like a diamond 
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky
Shine bright like a diamond 
Shine bright like a diamond
--Rihanna

I have a meme on my Instagram page with “Baby Yoda” (because, who doesn’t love Baby Yoda?). Under his picture reads: “When they say they love all your flaws and you weren’t aware you had any.” Can you imagine if you thought you had absolutely NO FLAWS? How would you act? How would you live out your life?

Am I a flawed individual? YES. But what exactly does that mean? You might think the following statements (which are all true) make me flawed.

• I live in an abundant body (More of me to love!)
• I have multiple scars on my knees (My scars show I’m a fighter! I’m still here!)
• One of my eyes is bigger than the other (My pictures are more interesting though!)
• My arms and belly jiggle sometimes from excess fat/skin (They jiggle when I’m working out and laughing - how awesome is that?!)

But are these flaws? No. While you may think so, I no longer see my physical features as flaws. I continue to work at changing my thought patterns on what I perceive as “flaws” and reframe them as my unique qualities (see the parenthesis statements above).

Now, here are what I consider to be some of my flaws:

• I can be impatient with myself and others. 
• I forget to plan ahead, then beat myself up for being overwhelmed for my poor planning
• I feel guilty when I put my needs ahead of others
• I forget how amazing I am!

Do you see the difference? Did you notice that not one of the above statements has anything to do with a physical attribute?

Do you allow yourself to be defined by what you consider to be your flaws? Take diamonds, for example. A diamond’s worth is partially based on the amount of physical flaws it has. Diamond Inclusions are about the flaws inside the diamond. The fewer flaws it has, the more it may be worth. A diamond’s worth is also based on the clarity of the diamond-- which makes it sparkle and shine. The “imperfections” inside a diamond are caused by the pressure that was placed on the diamond when it was formed. Have you ever seen a cloudy diamond? They aren’t very pretty, but they are still diamonds. They can be very dull-- but they are still diamonds. The physical flaws a diamond possesses are completely outside of the stone’s control. For whatever reason, the conditions they were in when they were forming under pressure caused them to be flawed. A diamond can also be completely clear (non-cloudy) but still have imperfections on the inside, such as dark spots (caused by carbon). There are many flaws a diamond can have. Most need to be magnified to see, but they’re in there. We have to sometimes magnify a diamond 10X to see even the tiniest flaw-- and yet when it comes to ourselves, we often broadcast our perceived flaws or let them define us. 

Unlike diamonds, flaws shouldn’t be about looks when it comes to a living being. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But what does your character say about you? How do you treat yourself and show yourself love? The mantra “So Hung” means: “I am that”, or “That I am”. Who ARE you? When you really know who you are, you think differently. You act differently. Your walk and talk is different. It resonates from every part of you and people will recognize that in you. You set the standard for how you want people to treat you. 

While a diamond can’t change once it is formed, we can. 

We continue to be placed under pressure, because that’s life. So, we continue to form. We continue to learn. We continue to grow. We continue to expand. We continue our practice both on and off the mat so that we can shine bright like a diamond, flaws and all. 

Here’s to love, light and shining brightly…

IzzyJi