“The direction of our actions creates the direction of our lives. The direction of our lives creates the direction of our world.” – from Living Wabi Sabi, the True Beauty of Your Life by Taro Gold
by Annamaria Geresdi
Most people are endlessly chasing the perfect life, the perfect partner, the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect car, and so forth – hoping to find joy. But joy is not a result of a ‘perfect life’: joy comes from a place of contentment. Every one of us can experience joy, regardless of who we are, where we come from, what we do, and what we have. Wealth, fame, power, and possessions are irrelevant to experiencing joy. Joy comes from within. It is rooted in acceptance. When we make peace with our imperfections, when we accept ourselves, our lives, and others as they are, we can feel joy under any circumstance.
Perfection is just a figment of your imagination. We are not perfect: we are perfectly imperfect individuals in a perfectly imperfect world – just how we were meant to be. Life will never be perfect; life simply is. When we accept life as it is, when we find beauty in the imperfections and lessons in the challenges, when we recognize the potential for good and growth in every unfortunate situation, then we can discover true joy and peace in every moment of our lives.
Happiness is a choice – one we all can make for ourselves regardless of our conditions and outside influences. In fact, by shifting our focus from the conditions and external influences we have no control of to the simple beauty of life, we can feel a sense of peace and contentment. We are constantly surrounded by miracles. We just have to keep our eyes and heart open to perceive them. Recognizing the wonders and blessings that are all around us will instantaneously awaken gratitude and bliss in our hearts.
There is beauty in simplicity. The more we overcomplicate life, the harder it gets. Living a simple life is about finding joy in the simplest things. It is about being content with ourselves and the choices we make, giving less attention to material possessions, embracing solitude, enjoying stillness, and savoring each moment. In order to invoke peaceful simplicity, we can choose to let go of our struggles, attachments, clutter, toxic relationships, distractions, and mental habits that complicate our lives. Choosing a simple life can help us create balance and inner peace.
However, life is not always filled with smiles. Some things we just can’t control. We all experience worry, pain, loss, and hardship of some sort in the course of our lives. Small or big, internal or external, fixable or not, problems are an innate part of life. But we can choose to see the opportunities or lessons in every situation, instead of dwelling on our misfortunes. We can transform our difficulties into empowerment: we can use our imperfections to enrich our lives. Our weaknesses can become sources of insight and strength. Our challenges can inspire and motivate us to become who we want to be, provide valuable lessons, and help us grow.
Every hardship we encounter could lead to personal empowerment, profound inner journeys and finding our greater purpose. When we embrace life as it is, when we recognize the beauty and the value of life’s imperfect aspects – including our own flaws, mishaps, setbacks, and uniqueness – then we’ll be able to experience the true joy of living in this very moment.
SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: Living Wabi Sabi, the True Beauty of Your Life by Taro Gold
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10 Simple Things you can do to find true joy in Life
(Based on Living Wabi Sabi, the True Beauty of Your Life by Taro Gold)
- Seek always progress rather than perfection.
- Celebrate the perfectly imperfect uniqueness of you and me and everything.
- Start valuing the whole of your life here and now, just as you are.
- Channel your energies into more productive and enjoyable endeavors.
- Remember that the flow of destiny is yours to change.
- Feel the greatness of the little things inside yourself; and you will feel the littleness of great things outside yourself.
- Recognize the value of your flaws and imperfections – they can bring forth strength and empowerment.
- See your life as a fertile field in which you can plant any seeds you wish, creating a harvest of your own design.
- Align your intentions with those of the Universe and your life will naturally move towards your greatest purpose and noblest dreams.
- Appreciate this and every moment, no matter how imperfect, for this moment is your life!