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June 18 , 2004 In
this issue:
Announcements New Book Announcement
Congratulations to Joyce in Bellport, NY, winner of our May give-away of a feng shui Relationships poster! We'll announce a new raffle in the next issue of this newsletter.
Feng
Shui Tips for Your Home Office - Part 2 This is part two of a two-part series. If you missed Part One, you can read it here. Part II: Setting up Your Work Space The furnishings you choose for your home office - especially your desk and chair - can have a powerful influence on your ability to succeed and prosper. When setting up a home office, it can be tempting to use whatever extra furniture is on hand around the house or to economize with second-hand furnishings. Neither of these is a very good idea. Ergonomics - how well the shape, size, and other design features of your desk, chair, and lighting work for you - is a very important consideration for any work space. Sure, using that extra kitchen chair is a lot cheaper than buying a new "executive-style" office chair, but if it's not comfortable it is not helping you get your work done. A lamp that's fine on a bedside table in the bedroom may be woefully inadequate as task lighting for your workspace. If you are going to work from home, make sure your home office is working for you by investing in furnishings that make it easy and comfortable for you to focus on business. Second-hand office furniture requires special consideration, as it often has terrible "predecessor chi." Never buy used furniture from a business that went bankrupt, no matter how cheap it is - it will fill your home office with the energy of failure, anxiety, and disappointment. On the other hand, if you absolutely positively know for sure that the previous user of your second-hand desk chair made a zillion dollars in a legal and ethical manner and is now living a life of ease in Acapulco, go ahead and take it! All those good success vibes will help you prosper as well. Family furniture hand-me-downs will have good or bad energy for you depending on the quality of your family relationships. If you have a great relationship with your Dad, for example, and consider him a good role model, using his old desk and chair in your office can help you feel looked after, supported, and inspired. In general, a large desk provides energetic room for expansive thinking and growth. However, too much large furniture in a too-small room will stop chi cold, and you may discover that there's no new business coming in. A good desk chair can be adjusted to the correct height for your body and work-surface, is stable, and provides good back and arm support. Your desk chair represents your support and foundation, so make sure it is in good shape for the job. Remember that the work you do is a form of self-expression. Although it is important that your office furniture be ergonomically suited to the work you do, don't feel you have to give this space an "office" look unless it helps you concentrate on business. THE VIEW FROM THE TOP In the corporate world, successful entrepreneurs are often described as being "visionaries," in reference to their ability to conceive and implement dramatically new ideas that transform entire industries. In feng shui, "vision" - both physical eyesight and imaginative power - is symbolically associated with the Fame gua, with lighting of any kind, and with the windows in your home or office. An office that lacks windows - such as a home office stuffed into a corner of the basement - keeps you out of sight of others and can lead to feeling isolated and out of touch. For an entrepreneur working from home, a windowless office implies you could be out of touch with your clients and that you are unable to foresee where your entire industry is headed. If your office has small, high windows or no view at all, use posters of landscapes with a far horizon to create the illusion of being able to see into the distance. If you overlook something unattractive - such as grubby garbage bins -- keep the blinds closed (it's best if you can use material that will allow light in while blocking an unattractive view). If you are fortunate in having a beautiful, inspiring view outside your office windows, a large wall mirror can reflect the view into the room and fill the room with positive chi. Be aware that mirrors can be tricky in a home office. A mirror that reflects your desk can symbolically double your work. In terms of your income, this could be good. But how well will you handle the increased workload? Sometimes more work means more stress, contributes to family problems, and leads to physical or emotional exhaustion. And unless you keep your desk very tidy, that mirror will be doubling your mess and clutter as well! To be in command of your business, sit in the Command Position: where you have a clear view of door, but are not directly in line with the door. If you are not in the Command Position in your office, this can mean that you are not in control of what's going on in your business, and that new developments (and problems!) often take you by surprise. If you can't place your desk in the Command Position, use a mirror to provide a reflected view of the doorway. And keep in mind that a desk in the Command Position is only helpful if you are able to get in and out of your chair with ease, otherwise you may feel "backed up against the wall" by business situations. Wherever you sit, make sure that you look at something inspiring: a photograph of your spouse and/or kids, a brochure for that exotic vacation you hope to take by the end of the year, or a mock-up of the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award you intend to win someday. Excerpted from “The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui” by Stephanie Roberts (Alpha Books, 2004) © 2004 Stephanie Roberts
Feng
Shui Q+A (Most questions will have been edited for clarity and length, and any identifying details have been changed. Please note that due to the high volume of email I receive, it is no longer possible for me to respond to every question personally. I still welcome your questions, and if I cannot provide a personal response I will try to address your issue in a future Q+A column.) Q: I've heard that it is not good feng shui to sleep in the basement, and I am concerned because my daughter's bedroom is in the basement of our house. How much of a problem is this? A: Without seeing the room for myself, it's impossible to know how much of a feng shui problem it might represent. I can say that there is the potential for trouble. The key is to understand why a basement room could be less than desirable in feng shui terms, and then see how your daughter's room matches up. There's a huge difference between an underground storage area and a finished basement level designed to be lived in. Basements intended to house the water heater and whatever odds and ends of stuff have not found a home elsewhere in the house tend to be low-ceilinged, poorly lit, damp, dank, dirty, cold, cobwebby, generally unattractive spaces into which we delve as briefly as possible when looking for that half-used can of paint in order to do a touch-up upstairs. This is not an appropriate space for anyone but mice and spiders to dwell. Many such unpromising spaces have been converted into more livable quarters with carpeted floors, improved lighting, finished walls, etc. Unfortunately, all the sheetrock and carpeting in the world can't fix the low ceilings and too few, too small windows placed too high on the wall that are typical of basement rooms. Basement windows do let some light in, but are not large enough or low enough to provide a good view out. In feng shui, windows represent our ability to "see" with our hearts and minds as well as with our eyes. When the only windows in a room are high up on the wall and don't allow much view out, the effect is energetically and emotionally limiting and depressing. The other problem with basement rooms is that you have to climb up a flight of stairs to get out. That makes it symbolically more difficult (compared to going down a flight of stairs, or being on level ground) to get out into the world every day, with the result that success, fame, fortune, and all that good stuff are more difficult to achieve as well. There's feng shui behind the stereotype of the "loser" adult child living in his/her parent's basement; growing up and moving out is harder to do when you are underground. And, since basement rooms are so often depressing to be in, anyone spending much time there will probably have low energy and aspirations. If your daughter is young and her room is attractive -- and, most important, if she's happy to be there -- these issues may not be a big problem. If your daughter's in high-school, however, she's at an age where she's starting to find her place in the world as an independent adult, and a basement room could hinder that. "Walk-out" basements, by the way, are not as much of a problem, since they are only half under-ground. In a house built on a slope, the uphill end of the basement is underground, while the downslope side is at ground level. Here you'll often find a large sliding glass door, a nice view into the yard, lots more natural light, and easy access and egress.
Featured
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Featured
Charity
Helping Hungry Families Feed Themselves One of our favorite charities. This wonderful organization provides livestock to families and communities in need around the world. Families gain a means of producing a steady source of food and income, as well as new skills and self-esteem from the training and support they receive in caring for their animals. Children have the chance to grow strong and healthy from better nutrition. Many families use income from their animals to educate their children, offering hope for a better future for all. The next generation of animals is passed on to other families in the community. For more details, visit Heifer International.
With warm aloha,
We also invite you to visit our other sites: All About Prosperity - Articles and resources for developing Prosperity Consciousness and Wealth Building skills: creative visualization, goal setting, emotional intelligence, as well as affiliate marketing, money management, and more. Clutter-Free Forever Home Coaching Program - Is a cluttered, messy, disorganized home slowing you down, stealing your energy and depressing your spirit? Our highly acclaimed program will help you reclaim your space and your life! Feng Shui Ebooks.com - The popular Fast Feng Shui book is now available in ebook format for immediate download! Learn the 9 simple principles for transforming your life and your home. EMF Protection for your Home - Computers, cell phones, cordless phones, TVs, microwave ovens, etc. emit EMF (electromagnetic fields) that are known to be an invisible cause of stress and fatigue. Reduce the effects of electropollution with the QLink EMF pendant and QLink Ally or Clearwave clocks. Miscellaneous Whitelisting our Newsletter If you have been receiving our newsletter issues rather sporadically, your ISP' or email provider's sp(am) filters may be screening them out. To make sure this doesn't happen, we suggest adding our sender addresses into your whitelist, safelist, address book, contact list or something similar. For more information, please read our whitelist information page. Thank you. ••• Newsletter Archives This newsletter is published approximately twice a month. If you missed our previous issues, you can read them here. ••• (c)
2004 Stephanie Roberts. All rights reserved.
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