A ritual.
When we are overwhelmed with the demands on our time. When we feel our grip is slipping, we can take a moment to gently, little by little, shift our perspective on the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete parts of our lives.
In Japanese tradition, wabi sabi is a concept typically applied to objects. Wabi sabi celebrates, paradoxically, the imperfection in objects, as being innately perfect and beautiful.
In business – and in life – it’s about shifting our perspective: polishing the mirror of our minds and seeing ourselves more clearly to lead happier, more successful lives. Appreciating chaos and unpredictability as great teachers, which opens us to the creative possibilities available in each moment. Even when the kids are sick, the inbox is overflowing, and the deadlines are pressing – wabi sabi is just a breath away.
Each week, on Wednesday, we make a some space to practice stepping back and looking at some part of our beautiful, crazy life that is making us, well, crazy. We take a compassionate look at the friction and how we might find the perfection and beauty in the middle of the mess.
This week, I share my “one-crappy-thought-a-day” project with you and invite you to join.
The whole point of wabi sabi is freedom through a shift of perspective. And, whether you own a business or not, crappy thoughts are not your friend. Earlier this year, I decided to question and let go of (at least) one crappy thought per day and let me tell you that 1. It’s freeing and 2. It’s shifted my perspective dramatically. It’s going so well I decided that I wanted to share.
A random sampling of my very own crappy thoughts would be, “Boy, that sucked. I can’t do anything right.” “Why did I eat that? I’m such a pig.” “Clara is going to be a nightmare when she’s a teenager.” “No one likes me.”
It’s more than a tad bit embarrassing to admit the sheer volume and nature of my crappy thoughts, but someone recently told me that we have an average of 80,000 thoughts per day and that something like 80% of them are negative.
And since I deeply believe that our thoughts in large part determine how we feel and how we act, I am committed as a coach (and as a Mom and wife and business-owner) to awareness and elimination of as many crappy thoughts as possible. Hence, the practice of eliminating at least one crappy thought every day.
Here’s what I do and you can, too.
Before bed (or any time that works for you) get out your journal
- Write down a brief summary of crappy thoughts that have permeated your day.
- Pick the one that upsets you the most.
- Run it through either Self Coaching 101 or The Work of Byron Katie
- Feel the relief and lightness that comes from letting go of crappy thoughts!!
After this, I typically take a few minutes to write a list of what went right during my day – my successes and accomplishments. Letting go of negativity and embracing success at the end of the day is a sure-fire way to appreciate life, as it is, in this moment. And, honestly, to sleep really well.
Join me in letting go of one crappy thought a day.
You will be so happy that you did. Share in the comments, or, email me, if you like. I love to hear about you and your practice of wabi sabi.
If you enjoyed this post and it seems like your thing, subscribe to the newsletter to get the latest scoop delivered right to your inbox. But not too often.
