How do you face challenges that come up in your home, health and happiness? Are you left feeling depleted and defeated or are you able to pull yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps and begin anew? How you face these obstacles impacts the level of satisfaction you have with your overall life. In this weeks article we will look at the concept of Wabi-Sabi and how it can be used as a Home in Harmony Simple Solution to help you leap over the hurdles that come up on the course of life.
Have you heard the term Wabi-Sabi? It comes from the Japanese teaching that explains that one should accept and appreciate the beauty within the impermanence, transience and imperfection of life and all things. Living from this vantage point, that nothing is perfect or permanent, can give one relief in a world that projects perfect images of lives and homes on social media, TV or the Big Screen.
Knowing that life wasn’t meant to be perfect can help you release the valve from the pressure cooker.
We moved to Boston a few years ago and I had the opportunity to “play” and create the house of my dreams. The structure we chose was ideal for my grand vision; it just needed magic tweaks to make it our home. I began and gave the kitchen window treatments that incorporated fabrics, colors and trimmings that I had been swooning over, the bathroom shimmered & glistened with a metallic faux paint and in the master bedroom I designed a fireplace with moldings and tile work that captured the serenity and glamour that I adore. And then, the winter of 2015 hit… hard…
For the past month and a half the contractors have been demolishing the inside of the structure because of ice dams, water leaks and snow load that began in January. Now, roughly 8 walls remain intact. All the other walls are gone including all of the ceilings and floors.
How would you cope if you watched your dream home being demolished nail-by-nail and board-by-board? When challenges occur in your life, how do you react?
In my business and life I have noticed one thing to be true—how you do one thing is how you do all things. This isn’t a new idea; Aristotle alluded to it in his lifetime (384-322 B.C.) This idea has stood the test of time and you can use it to improve your life. So, begin to notice how you react to challenges that come up in your life.
Leaning on the concept of Wabi-Sabi has helped me wrap my head around the unfortunate situation with our home. Yes, it is exceptionally disappointing to watch something you love erode before your very eyes. But, holding on to the notion that nothing is meant to be permanent or perfect helps one to gain perspective in challenging situations.
A Wabi-Sabi perspective coupled with 3 things allows me to jump the hurdles in life with strength and inspiration: (1) A strong conviction that everything happens for a reason, (2) The Universe gives us Life Lessons exactly when we need them and (3) Acknowledging that when we are open to the next stage something beautiful is on the other side of the darkness.
How do you react to the challenges that come up in your life? Take a minute to think about your initial reaction to the last obstacle in your life. Typically how you reacted in that situation is how you respond in all areas of your life. Can you move into a positive outlook? Or, do you end up getting stuck?
Happy Soaring!
XOXO
Thanks Christa, hope things a moving smoother now.