The Spiritual Feng Shui newsletter Issue No.2, December 2006 Announcement: Upgraded Feng Shui consultation is ready for you! Rearrange your workspace for higher efficiency Freedom from Clutter - Breathing Space Also… Feng Shui Tip Inspirational Quotes ........................................................................................... Page2 Dear Friend, Welcome to The Spiritual Feng Shui newsletter for December, 2006; we are glad to have your company! In this issue, we’ll look at how to get the most out of your time at work, whether that is in your home office or your work away from home. We will also deconstruct the excuses that many of us use for not clearing out our clutter - you can do it, and we promise you’ll feel better! As usual, we also have inspirational quotes and Feng Shui tip. May peace and harmony reign for you in December. Announcement: After several month preparations, upgraded The Spiritual Feng Shui consultation service is ready for you! For more details, please go to http://www.thespiritualfengshui.com/consultation.php. To show appreciation for you being our subscriber, hereby I give you $20 off for the service. To claim it, please go to http://www.thespiritualfengshui.com/consultationvipentrance.html This special offer is valid until Jan. 6th, 2006. 03 Feature article: Work, Rest and Play - Your working environment affect your efficiency, what should you do 05 Q&A: No More Clutter ‘But’s! - Clutter Clearing Excuses and Solutions 06 Feng Shui Tip: Keeping Plants Indoors 07 Inspirational Quotes Enjoy! Mike Z. Wang Author of The Spiritual Feng ShuiTM Thespiritualfengshui.com Unit 616,220 Lake Promenade, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, m8w1a9 ........................................................................................... Page3 Feature Article: Work, Rest and Play Feng Shui is such a versatile lifestyle tool – you can set your home up for positive Chi flow for relationships, money,reputation, and creativity. One of the areas that most people are interested in is their career and success Gua. The Chi in this area is traditionally affected by the north Gua, as you can see on the Bagua map. Did you know that the exterior of your home, your home office and workspace, your computer, and pictures of yourself also play a part? You can do heaps of things to these areas to get that Chi going, but we going to focus on your workspace and computer. Don’t forget, all of these tips can be applied to your situation, whether you work at home or in a business setting. Rearranging your space at work gives you clarity of thought and purpose. You’ll get those reports done in a jiffy, and the boss won’t know what to hassle you about! The first step in remaking your workspace for good Chi flow is removing clutter. Some people see their messy desk as a sign that they are working hard,when really, it takes more work to keep your desk clean than to leave it messy! We know that every object has its own particular energy, and that when there are hundreds of things thrown together, the flow of Chi is impeded. Things which are broken or just unorganized radiate conflicting energies, confusing you and hampering your efforts. All this swirling Chi gives a sluggish feeling to the area, bringing down that bottom line… So what do you do about it? One of the biggest hurdles in clearing clutter is being honest with yourself about what is necessary and what is extraneous. No, things that you may possibly use, in a month’s time, do not count as necessary! A good way to start is by getting a big garbage bag and taking away everything that is not necessary, recyclable, re-saleable, or donate-able. Once the garbage is out of there, you will probably find that this becomes addictive… it is like peeling off layers of clothes on a hot summer day… Put other unnecessary items to their best use (recycling, sale, donation – even just giving some of those hundred pens back to the stationery cupboard!). Then look for things which keep like with like. Put your pens in a pen-holder, or with all of your other stationery in a stationery tray. Put papers in ‘in’ and ‘out’ trays. Put magazines in racks. Go crazy! ........................................................................................... Page 4 The ruling and producing elements in the career Gua tell us that good colors to enhance Chi in this area are dark or metallic colors – blue, black, purple, gold and silver. You could look at in trays or pen holders in these colors. Another easy way to incorporate them would be in a painting or wall hanging, or by choosing furniture or rugs in these colors. Crystal, glass and mirrors are also good – they are like metallic colors. The shape associated with the career and success Gua is wavy lines, or undulating shapes. So, using objects with flowing lines and wavy aspects can be great for this area. This includes water – you might remember from our October issue that flowing water is the symbol for your wealth and prosperity Gua. However, still water would represent stagnant Chi. It would be best to have an aquarium with an aeration system, or a water feature which renews itself, in the area. Finally, use the power of positive thinking along with the principles of Feng Shui – display workrelated certificates or trophies in this area to remind you of your successes. Put up advertisements or articles about companies you’d like to work for where they are visible, to remind you of your goals. And place pictures of yourself in your work area – this is a good Chi enhancement, and remembering where you are helps keep your mind on the job! ........................................................................................... Page 5 Q&A: No More Clutter ‘But’s! How do I clear clutter, when all of the stuff in my home holds memories? One of the fundamental principles of Feng Shui is that Chi is allowed to flow freely through your home, and that the objects in your home should exude positive energy. If you have piles of junk … even if you are not admitting to yourself that they are junk (!) … you are not following either of these principles, and it won’t matter how many lucky coins you hang, or how many plants you add, or how color-coordinated your home is. According to Feng Shui principles, it just won’t work for you. You just have to get off your behind! There are some common excuses that we make to avoid getting rid of unnecessary or toxic objects from our homes. We will be writing a series of these Q&As on clutter-clearing excuses and solutions – here is the first part. For starters, let me convince you that the functioning of your brain is not dependent on the clutter that you are surrounded by! Do you lose your memories of the past when you are in the car, or at work? Of course not! You have the power to remember whatever you want to. But when you hang onto junk or otherwise from years ago, the energy of your home is filled with stagnant memories of the past, and not joy from the present, or even hope for the future. To get the full benefit of Feng Shui, you need to embrace it as a lifestyle, letting go of old habits and attachments. Getting rid of the objects associated with these has a real effect on the quality of your home’s chi. Another point I must make is that some objects, with many happy associated memories and no negative attachments, have a great place in your home and can improve its . At this point, many people are confused. ‘But I thought stuff from the past was just stagnant?’, I can hear you exclaim! You will find the key differences if you are honest with yourself. Are the objects you are hanging onto relics of past relationships, which broke up long ago? Do you save mementoes from romantic or platonic relationships that ended badly, perhaps a way of hanging onto hurt or anger? Or are your keepsakes full of memories of love and happiness – an old pet’s collar, or photographs from the start of your relationship with your current partner? These bring positive energy to your home and should be carefully placed. Create new memories, while keeping only the best from the past. ........................................................................................... Page 6 Feng Shui Tip: Keeping Plants Indoors Plants are a great enhancement for any area of the Bagua. They bring life and energy to your home, and science has even shown them to be beneficial to your health – they exchange your used up air for fresh oxygen. While silk or plastic plants are acceptable substitutes, nothing beats the real thing. If you have a home where not much natural light gets in, or which is shut up all day; you can do several things. Place plants on the windowsill in the Gua you most want to enhance. Make sure keep your curtains open as much as possible. Most importantly, choose plants which survive well in shady conditions – this will be designated on their tag. Then, love is all they need… ........................................................................................... Page 7 Jotqjsbujpobm!Rvpuft: “Find a job you like and you add five days to every week”, H. Jackson Browne “The number one sign you have nothing to do at work: The 4th Division of Paperclips has overrun the Pushpin Infantry and General White- Out has called for a new skirmish”, Fred Barling, “Humorscope” “The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size”,. Oliver Wendell Holmes