WABI-SABI
I looked around in my home to see if I could find any wabi-sabi photo ops. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of them... These withered daffodils, that I meant to throw away days earlier, ended up winners in the wabi-sabi photo contest. Especially as they stood so sadly in front of a tilted frame...
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic concept and philosophy centered on the imperfect and impermanent nature of things. Wabi-sabi means to see beauty in flaw and to understand the magnificence in the incomplete.
Wabi-sabi speaks strongly to me. I’m so tired of wanting to be perfect, tired of the own high expectations I put on myself. I’m tired of feeling that I have to be so good at everything, tired of the need to prove myself. I’m enough as I am. Strangely often, we humans lack the ability of self-love. Because that is what it’s all about. The constant search for approval from others is a sure sign that we haven’t approved ourselves. Therefore, others have to do it, in order for us to feel good. Such a preposterous way to live!
I’m going to stop focusing on how good or bad I am at things. Damn it! I just want to feel good. To do something just for the fun of it, not to be the best, is the motto for my new blog. I’ll do my best to balance the perfectionist inside me with some good ol’ wabi-sabi philosophy. The things I do don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to postpone releases just because I’m not finished, I’ll never be anyway. I don’t have to overdo things, instead I can let the naked truth be more important than a perfect result. I’ll try to embrace what is, as it is. Above all, I’ll remember the joy, and try not to stray too far from it for too long. (And when I fail to be an imperfectionist, because I will, I’m not going to beat myself up. And if I do, that’s fine too.)
This week’s music is called ”Sunrise”. Not for any fancy, pretentious reason, but sunrises are beautiful and it seemed like a good title to use. ”Sunrise” is not perfect, and not finished. What it is though, is an exact reflection of who I was when I wrote and recorded it. Wabi-sabi. The perfect in the imperfect and incomplete.
Do A Little Soul-Searching …
1) In what areas in your life can you focus less on accomplishment and perfection, and more on joy?
2) Think of an area where you now see trouble. Can you switch angles and see if you have missed any beauty hidden in that situation?
3) Do any other thoughts or insights appear?
