When Comparison Makes Life Feel Small
Comparing ourselves to others on social media often leaves a quiet ache - a sense that something essential is missing.
I used to feel that way, too.
Scrolling, measuring, wondering if I should be doing more or owning more.
But the moment you shift your perspective toward living simply and staying grounded, something soft begins to change.
You start to enjoy who you truly are - without the pressure to keep up, compete, or prove yourself.
The Moment “More” Becomes “Too Much”
At some point, you realise you don’t actually need endless clothes, bags, cars, or a bigger house.
You don’t need accumulation to feel alive.
Because the more you chase “more,”
the further away “enough” becomes.
Fulfillment begins when comparison ends - and gratitude quietly takes its place.
Where This Wisdom Comes From
The roots of wabi-sabi began to spread in the 15th century, during a time when most people lived with very little.
Life was simple, sometimes harsh, and people were searching for ways to find beauty and meaning within their everyday reality.
Tea culture at that time was mainly enjoyed by the upper classes.
But with the emergence of wabi-cha - initiated by Murata Jukō, who blended Zen philosophy with the tea ceremony to create a simpler, more contemplative style - tea practice began to flow gently into the lives of ordinary people.
The Heart of Wabi-Cha
In my interpretation, wabi-cha teaches the beauty of not dressing things up.
The beauty of noticing what is quiet, imperfect, worn, or aging — because those things carry stories.
A chipped cup, a faded textile, a weathered bowl:
each holds time, and time holds tenderness.
Wabi-cha planted the seeds for an aesthetic that values inner richness over outward luxury.
It’s not about having less.
It’s about seeing more in what’s already there.
What This Means for Us Today
We live with too much now- too many things, too much noise, too many expectations telling us to be more, do more, buy more.
But the wabi-sabi philosophy reminds us that a fulfilling life grows from simplicity, presence, and appreciation.
Not from excess.
Not from comparison.
Not from perfection.
A Quiet Invitation
Maybe what we truly need today is not another purchase or achievement. But the inner richness to notice the beauty that’s already here.
The softness of morning light.
The texture of something handmade.
The imperfect thing you’ve kept for years.
Your own breath, steady and alive.
Fulfilment isn’t far away.
It’s right in front of you - waiting to be seen.
