Oh hey! Happy Monday! Continuing our thread of differing perspectives, this week we will focus on imperfection, and a way to find joy in our mess.
Not to be confused with wasabi, which is a spicy Japanese horseradish, wabi-sabi is a Japanese term that means "the view or thought of finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature." Born from Buddhist teachings, wabi-sabi has three main tenets: impermanence, suffering and emptiness. Some characteristics of wabi-sabi include asymmetry, roughness, intimacy, and simplicity and is prevalent in Japanese art and culture. The concept of wabi-sabi also reminds me of the art of Kintsugi, which repairs broken pottery with ribbons of gold, making the repaired object stronger and more beautiful than before.
Over the last week, conversations with family and friends about the messiness of life got me thinking about how wabi-sabi can be applied in different ways to gain a different perspective. Perhaps the messiness and stress of work deadlines, schedules, KPIs (key performance indicators), family and financial responsibilities, relationships, etc., could be reframed a bit more light-heartedly by applying the principles of wabi-sabi. Employing a wabi-sabi mindset could help us to slow down, to find more joy and to embrace the beauty of imperfection that hides right in front of us. In the mess.
Speaking of hiding right in front of us, a Google search for wabi-sabi returned over 12 million results for sites and books. I encourage you to explore more when you have the chance.
This week's reflection: Using your wabi-sabi lens, where can you see the beauty of imperfection in your life? Where can (and has) wabi-sabi brought you joy? Feel free to share!
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