The Most Dangerous Idea in the World
The idea of brokenness. That you, personally, are broken. That anyone could be broken on a fundamental level. This idea is not only dangerous, it’s also completely false.
Yes, it’s a myth. You are not broken. And yes, I mean you, as you read these words while you sit at a desk or a kitchen table or on a bus, worrying about bills and deadlines and the hole in your sock.
You are not broken.
Yet, the myth of brokenness is pervasive. We habitually think of ourselves as incomplete, lacking, or in need of repair. At some level each of us internalizes the myth of brokenness so completely we can’t and don’t see it as the fallacy it is.
When you believe you’re broken, you feel insecure in the world. And where there is insecurity, there’s fear and anger. There’s self-judgment which leads to blaming yourself and/or others. When you see the world through the lenses of insecurity, fear, anger, judgment, and blame, you miss the reality around you. The reality that you are perfect just as you are.
I’ll say it again: you are perfect just as you are.
On Tuesday our election was decided by the belief in imperfection and lack. Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” plays directly to insecurity and fear. We voted based our brokenness.
For many of us, the election results are devastating. Believe me I’m not happy about the result, but I believe there’s an opportunity contained in this unexpected outcome. A chance for each of us to examine where the concept of brokenness got us, then cast off that story so we can embrace our innate perfection. We can discover our greatness, not because of Trump, but despite him.
Your perfection is so close to you, you can touch it with the tips of your fingers. In fact, it is the tips of your fingers. Even though all you see when you look at your hands are hangnails or chipped polish. Practice looking past the brokenness and you’ll find you’re already whole.
