Guest blog #5

It’s guest blog time, and this month’s comes from a very special person – Jenny from @hellolovelyplanners (with help from Daisy the dog!). I’ve known Jenny for a loooong time and we have talked about countless ways to help improve health and well-being – always being open to new ideas, no matter how alternative or niche. Jenny is artistic and creative, and her Etsy shop is beautiful (to which she has offered all blog readers a generous discount!). Do have a look after you have read her lovely words about Wabi-Sabi.
 
“How often do you find yourself chasing perfection? Whether it’s wanting to look younger, feeling that you should be happier, comparing yourself to others, having to achieve a certain lifestyle, or whatever pressure you consciously or unconsciously put upon yourself. When you base your perceptions of life through this idea of perfection, you miss out on the beauty that lies in the imperfections.
 
The Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi allows us to consider that anything we perceive as wrong, a failure or not being at a good enough standard, can actually contain a wonderful sense of peace, acceptance and joy.
 
It’s about understanding that life can never really be perfect because it’s impermanent and ever-changing. We are all on a journey of growth, and growth at its essence is imperfection in motion. 
 
When you make this mindset shift, you’ll notice a reduction in stress, anxiety and depression. So, take a little time today to think about what pressures you’re putting on yourself to be ‘perfect’ in all areas of your life. Allow yourself to reconsider that the beauty lies within the chaos, the incomplete or the in-between stages of life which are all perfectly (or imperfectly!) OK.
 
If you’d like to explore this concept further, I’ve created a Wabi-Sabi Journal that you can find in my Etsy shop, available in digital format for printing or using in your stylus-friendly tablet.”

Shop Link: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HelloLovelyPlanners
Discount Code: CLEANWB30 to use at the checkout.