Hey guys, how are you doing…?… so… I learnt a new word today. It’s of the Japanese origin and pretty cool I must say. Wabi Sabi is the combination of the two respective words put together to coin a term.

Wabi is said to be defined as “rustic simplicity” or “understand elegance” with a focus on a less- is -more mentality. While Sabi is translated to taking “pleasure in the imperfect”.

Perfectionism, they say is a fairly innocuous word but I think it goes beyond that. The facts are it makes us miserable, neurotic, play heinous tricks on our psyche. But in general terms, it makes us sick, it makes ME sick.

It’s a dangerous game which on few occasions turns tragic. Won’t you have it a better way ? Am I good enough ? Don’t wear this, it makes you look fat. Don’t do that, people would talk and mock you. This are statements we all, once in a while, struggle with. I think it’s good to struggle with something you love, and maybe suffer to get it at its best but I find it hard and obsessive that people tell you that you ain’t good enough and most of us just go with it.

For instance, women or girls I’d say are inundated from an early age with ads and posters that gaunt, curved bodies are the ideal. Anything outside the perimeter of that ultra thin, half emaciated ideal is stamped as inferior, and thus, most of us go around dissatisfied with – or even ashamed – of our bodies. And thanks to this tyranny, many young talented girls are pushed to eating disorders, while a whole lot are pushed to aliments affiliated with excessive weight loss.

So finally I come up with my own observation, white girls use darker foundations, black girls be snacking around for creams that make them lighter, some want big lips and dark girls don’t like their fat nose. People start bleaching their lips pink – the so called ideal and others be waist training to have that perfect hourglass figure. Many starve in the name of weight loss training and some develop aliments like stomach cancer.

And for a taunt free life, many go about looking for perfections. It doesn’t only stop at changing the body image but moves on to infiltrating the whole personality.

Chasing after this elusive ideals : where does it come from ? Who can we blame for the tormenting power of perfectionism that blights our peace of mind ? Our parents ? Our culture ? Our super-egos ? Maybe. But here, I’m going to be blaming Plato. Yes, Plato. Afterall he was the philosopher who brought about the foundation for Western civilization that drew perfection with it. Plato taught us through the Socrates how to think critically and examine live. True he did us a favour but I’m starting to think it was a monster in disguise.

You know it’s easy to blame others for the mistakes we ourselves are the breeder of. But today I’m going to blame you, you,you…… And me, not Plato. Plato, himself may have brought the idea of perfection but he also thought of every imperfection as a great deal of uniqueness.

And that’s where wabi sabi comes in. Richard Powell, in a book, explains wabi sabi as nurturing all that is authentic by acknowledging three realities; nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect.

So like the Japanese would say, why not ask what that person beside you wants, or what that friends really wants to wear to the party or even try to compliment that look before ever criticising their decisions or views. It’s their life afterall.

There’s beauty in our differences, like the different notes of a chord of music, each notes with its own integrity – together spilling out into the air in clusters of colour, in turn together we make the colours of the rainbow.

I live my life in a widening circle, as a beautiful garden where rocks and flowers grow aside.

– Rike (poet)

The day we choose to love our unfinished selves, our bodies, our works, our behaviours, personalities, or relationships – all in their natural “imperfections” and unique differences is the day we become truly happy.

So dear you, my wonderful reader, you have gotten this far and got alittle bored on the way but we reached our destination. All I have to say is love you always, because you will never abandon you. You are just simply imperfect and unfinished like the rest of us but cheer up. Even as we declare you to be flawed, we pronounce you ever beautiful.

Happy wabi-ing sabi-ing, I totally made that up😆 lolzz.

Xoxo,

Kantierbee 🐝❣️