TIP 15
FENG SHUI YOUR HOME AND OFFICE
No money is better spent than what is laid out for domestic satisfaction.
Feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”) is an ancient Chinese art of arranging your environment so that it is most favorable to your well-being, physically and financially. Word is getting out in the Western world about feng shui, which has been practiced for thousands of years in the East. A feng shui master knows what you need to do to create a harmonious environment that will increase your energy and success in every area of your life.
After attending a course on feng shui, I discovered that I needed to move my office desk to the opposite side of the room. Since moving my desk, my business has grown exponentially. In addition, this particular furniture arrangement turned out to be the best yet. The room feels more spacious than before even though there is more furniture. This is the magic of feng shui.
Anne, a psychiatrist, was worried about her business and always felt financially strapped. She hired me to help her increase her business and make more money. She had recently moved into a new home, and I suggested that she hire a feng shui master to really make it the best for her. The week after the master’s visit, Anne called, ecstatic with the results. She had made some minor, relatively inexpensive changes in her home, and they had made a huge difference in how she felt. In one week, she had three new therapy clients, and they were all on the intensive program, which meant that she would be seeing each of them three to five hours a week. This was a tremendous leap in her business practically overnight. She felt prosperous, successful, and happy. Her new feeling of prosperity and success has given her a burst of energy, which she is using to create a marketing plan for her business.
Here are a few practical tips that come from feng shui:
• Make sure all your doors open and close easily without obstruction. This includes closet doors that might not open fully because of clothes hanging on them. If you do not have a window in your bathroom, put a mirror on the opposite wall facing the vanity mirror.
• Make sure there are no cracks in the ceiling above your bed, and do not sleep under any exposed ceiling beams.
• Eliminate all the clutter in your home, office, and garage. Make sure there is always room for more—space on your bookshelves for new books, room in your closets for new clothes, and so on.
• Put wastebaskets wherever you might need them around your office and home and empty them every day.
• Repair, replace, or discard anything that is broken or damaged in your home or office.
These are just some basic tips that do not do justice to this ancient art. For a thorough evaluation of your home and office, find a feng shui master (see Appendix D). The right environment will energize you, increasing your ability to attract new opportunities.
If you work in a cubicle, then your back will be exposed—always a vulnerable feeling and certainly not a power position. Try moving your computer so that you face the side and can see people approaching with your peripheral vision. Hang a small mirror on the cubicle wall next to your computer so that you can see easily anyone who might be approaching your desk. Given the small amount of space, be ruthless with papers. Discard everything and keep only the reference materials you use regularly. Archive everything else in a central storage area or discard.
One client is running a thriving consulting business out of her small apartment. When she hired my coaching company, she not only wanted to take her business to the next level, but she also wanted to start dating again. She was a vivacious and attractive young woman who could easily attract a man. I asked her what was under her bed, and sure enough, since she had used every available space in her apartment for storage, she had bed boxes filled with business supplies and mailing envelopes. She was literally in bed with her business. When she realized this, she immediately cleared out the business supplies and moved them to a closet in her office. By the next week she was dating again. The amazing power of feng shui—try it for yourself and see what happens.