Finding joy in the process and celebrating every day through wabi-sabi

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Finding joy in the process through wabi-sabi

It’s March and I am hoping that you’ve stuck to the resolutions you would have made at the start of the year?- be it to exercise every day, explore new skills or just fight the urge to hit snooze in the morning. This time next year, I trust you can say (with honesty J) that you saw your promises through and made a positive change.

…but what if you don’t?

To be honest, a lot of us break resolutions early. But when that happens, do we try again the next day? Unfortunately, one slip-up is all it takes for a lot of us to give up entirely.

?I’ve spoken a lot about resilience recently. While we’re infinitely stronger for braving the past two rollercoaster years, the most important takeaway may be that not everything is under our control. Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t try. Many times, we’re too scared to attempt things that are even slightly unfamiliar. Most times, most consider mistakes as failures and not an integral part of the human experience..

?Wabi Sabi

Recently, I came across the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. While there is no direct translation, it can be described as the opposite of the modern idea of success. In a world where we’re used to chasing perfection, wabi-sabi draws focus to imperfection, celebrating it as a source of inspiration and joy. It serves as a gentle reminder that nothing is permanent, and beauty lies in effort, perseverance, and experience.

?By practicing wabi-sabi in our daily lives, we can see the world under a fresh lens and view our professional lives from a radically different perspective.

?Ideate, innovate, make mistakes, repeat

The concepts of innovation and perfection are inherently opposites. If we believe that our service is perfect, then we will never be forced to improve upon it. While we innovate, we fail; we create imperfections. But by looking at these imperfections as a source of inspiration, we’re only moving closer to becoming brilliant disruptors.

Making big things happen through mindfulness

I recently came across this saying, “The process is the present”. We spend most of our time at work dealing with different creative processes. If our happiness relies solely on results, isn’t a lot of our time being wasted away? Maybe, this should be a reminder for us to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

?A culture that brings out the best in us

They say it’s our mistakes that make us human; so when we penalize mistakes, we create a culture that lacks empathy and purpose. To make any workplace productive, we need honest communication while being open to feedback. By embracing wabi-sabi we rise with empathy and understanding and foster a more inclusive, dynamic workplace for all.

?Like I’ve said in the past, sometimes the bravest thing to do is to be kind – and that includes being kind to ourselves and our experiences. So, let’s set our eyes on the horizon and RISE by leading with courage.

?And most importantly, if you falter with your resolution, I urge you to hit reset and try again tomorrow.

?Wishing you audacious determination and wabi-sabi in 2022!

CP