5 Teachings From The Japanese Wabi-Sabi Philosophy That Can Drastically Improve Your Life — OMAR ITANI

Accept what is, stay in the present moment, and appreciate the simple, transient stages of life.

There’s a plethora of wisdom embedded within the very fabric of this age-old philosophy. Here are five of these Wabi-sabi teachings that can better help you to fully step away from the modern-day struggles of moving fast, striving for perfection, and chasing inorganic forms of success.

The first teaching of the wabi-sabi philosophy, is to practice gratitude and acceptance. It’s not about giving up. It’s about surrendering to the gravity of the situation at hand and then actively playing a role in deciding what happens next.

Will you accept the imperfect flow of life? Or will you fight it? Will you find peace in what is right here, right now? Or will you deny it and thus continue your struggle with it?

The idea is quite simple: As you continue to resist, so will you continue to compound your suffering.

If everything in nature is always changing, then nothing can ever be absolutely complete. And since perfection is a state of completeness, then nothing can ever be perfect. Hence, the wabi-sabi philosophy teaches us that all things, including us and life itself, are impermanent, incomplete, and imperfect.

Perfection does not exist because imperfection is the natural state of life—you are whole, the entirety of you, as you are.

Imperfection is not a compromise; imperfection is the only way because imperfection is the true nature of things.

In other words, simply do your best to be the best that you can be.

All things in life, including you, are in an imperfect state of flux. Change is the only constant. Everything is transient and nothing is ever complete. And that’s why perfection doesn’t exist.

The idea here is simple: There will be many times in your life when you will feel broken. There will be events that will leave you with emotional or physical scars. Do not hide in the shadow of your own sunshine. Do not dim your own light with the darkness of a cloud. Instead, let those scars be redrawn with gold.

Consider that your failures are there to teach you how not to do things, your mistakes are there to teach you the importance of forgiveness, and your wrinkles are there to remind you of your laughs that caused them.

Slow down and simplify your life. Otherwise, you’ll rush through it, arrive at the end and wonder, “what was the point?” This teaching is quite simple, but its immediate and long-term implications are profound.

Slowing down is the antidote to living in a rhythm of rush. Slowing down is what helps you become a more observant person. Which then helps you become more self-aware.

As you slow down, you begin creating the space for you to pause and reflect, to wonder and ask questions. You naturally become more present.

Simplifying your life is the antidote to living a complex one.

Slow and simple is the only way to feel the joy of what it means to be alive.

Only by doing so will you immerse yourself into the fabric of this universe and appreciate it for what it is.

Beauty is found in everything that is alive.

Slow down, simplify your life, and concentrate on what really matters to you. Become more intentional if you wish to experience the joy of everyday living.

The illusion that once we make it, once we attain our goal or reach our destination, we will reach lasting happiness. But of course, that’s not the case, because compulsive goal-setting does not lead to happiness, it leads to a mindless and stressful game of fetch.

The root of all unhappiness is born from being discontent with where you are and what you have. It really is as simple as that.

To be content with what you have and where you are is to be grateful. Through gratitude, intention, and action, you find happiness. 

“If we demand perfection from ourselves we are not living in the real world...The inherent problem in the relationship between the ideal & the real is that the ideal judges the real as unacceptable and brings down condemnation and wrath on the real. This sets up an adversarial relationship between the two and like all adversaries, they move further and further apart.”

-Henry Cloud

Wabi-sabi is a beautiful philosophy to embed and practice in your everyday life.

Wabi-sabi reminds you that life is fragile and temporary, it is as impermanent as anything else in nature, so why not give yourself permission to be just that, yourself? 

“The world is perfect, with all its imperfections.”

-Sahara Sanders