Learning from the Art of Wabisabi
Do you ever suffer from perfectionistic tendencies? I recently came across this Japanese form of expression that has taught me a little more about how to let go and accept myself along with my flaws. Wabisabi celebrates and highlights the imperfections in an art piece. In fact, if a pottery piece is chipped or cracked, rather than throw it away, artists emblazon it with gold to highlight the flaw. It is actually the flaw or the imperfection that makes the art beautiful. So it is with us, we can't very easily get through this life without having a few chips and scratches --aka flaws--from living our life. This art also goes along with the Japanese philosophy that nothing is ever finished , nothing is permanent and everything changes: We are all a work in progress! And, if you really think about it, often we find beauty in the struggles that we observe in the lives of others. Every good movie has a plot that starts with a conflict that someone must overcome. And, in our lives, it's usually our weaknesses or flaws that cause us to dig a little deeper to find answers or to climb mountains that we would otherwise avoid. Look at your own life. What is unique about you? Can you celebrate your rich heritage? Can you appreciate the gifts that even your flaws have provided for you?
You may have heard the analogy of the beach ball. Similar to someone trying to hold a beach ball under the water to prevent it from being seen, we can expend a lot of energy trying to mask our flaws. If we simple let go of the beach ball--or stop expending energy trying to overcome, cover up or avoid our flaws, the flaws or "defects in our character" can rise to the surface and simply float away with much less notice and attention. Then the true beauty in us shines and we can spend our time living in our genius zone where all the magic happens.