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March 27, 2006 Fast Feng Shui Newsletter In
this issue:
The
"Vending Machine" Fallacy & the Importance of Intention I get a lot of emails from beginners asking questions such as, “I really need help with my financial situation, so I bought a Lucky Money Frog. Where should I put it to bring in some quick money?” While there are sometimes preferred placements for symbolic objects, it’s a mistake to think that a feng shui object alone will have a significant effect on your life experience. This is what Aisling D’Art calls the “vending machine” fallacy of feng shui: the belief that if you put the right feng shui object in the right place, you automatically get what you want in return. It’s a lovely idea, but the truth is that feng shui rarely works that way. First of all, feng shui involves a lot more than just adding symbols or objects to your space. It is a process of analyzing the layout and furnishings of your home, identifying any existing feng shui challenges or problems, choosing and implementing appropriate strategies and remedies, and – after problems have been addressed -- adding desired symbols and enhancements. Adding a feng shui symbol without first correcting any problems in that area is like applying a bandaid without first cleaning the wound. If underlying problems have not been addressed, the enhancement is unlikely to be effective. Secondly, feng shui works from the inside out as much as it works from the outside in. Sometimes we focus so much on how our home environment is affecting us that we forget that our own physical presence and emotional state are huge influences on the energy in our homes. This means that how you place your feng shui symbols and remedies is as important as where you place them. Feng shui symbols are visual reminders of the positive changes you wish to experience; the power they have comes from how you feel about them. If you are worried about money and decide to place a wealth symbol somewhere in your home, it’s important to do so with a positive outlook. A Lucky Money Frog should remind you that you expect improvements in your finances to be coming along any moment now. If you feel this with confidence, your confident expectation helps fuel the success of the feng shui remedy. Confident expectation means letting go of anxiety about your income or unpaid bills, and trusting absolutely that your situation is going to improve. If you place your wealth symbol while worrying about money, and every time you look at that symbol it triggers doubts such as, “Why isn’t it working yet?,” “How am I ever going to get out of debt?,” or “I really need this to work; our money situation is looking really bad,” your focus on worries and problems fuels the downside of your situation and keeps you in a state of lack. This is true no matter what your focus is. If you are placing romance symbols in your bedroom, for example, thoughts about how lonely you feel, how desperately you wish to meet someone, or how hurt you were by a past breakup will undermine the effectiveness of your feng shui by filling the space with the energy of loneliness, heartache, and regret. Many of the emails I receive are written from a state of anxiety or hopelessness – especially where issues of love or money are involved. “I really hope you can help me, because I am feeling desperate,” is a common refrain. The thing is, the best feng shui advice in the world can only do so much when your emotional atmosphere is polluted with worry and discouragement. Consciously focusing your energy on what you want to experience -- rather than on what you don’t want – with belief that it can and will manifest for you is critical to your success with feng shui. When life throws challenges your way, keeping this positive focus can be difficult. It is easy to get so caught up in worry that we forget that thinking and feeling positively is a choice. What has most helped me get through difficult times in my own life is the reminder that “Worrying is like praying for what you don’t want.” I’ve learned, when I feel anxious about something, to recognize anxiety as a sign that I have allowed my thoughts and feelings to pull me in the wrong direction and it’s time to refocus on intending a better future for myself. The addition of a feng shui symbol is only one part of the energy shift in your home; the rest comes from your attitude and expectation and from your willingness to make whatever behavioral changes might also be required. Remember, the foremost principle of feng shui is that everything is connected. When you hope that a feng shui object will solve problems for you, without requiring any other effort on your part, you abdicate your power to the object and leave yourself out of the energy dynamic in your home. A more effective approach is select feng shui symbols not for what they are supposed to do for you, but by how powerfully they encourage and inspire you. Then, place these symbols or objects in your home as reminders to maintain a positive outlook as you take inspired action to improve your circumstances. Each time you see that symbol or object, take a moment to visualize your desired outcome and imagine that it is already happening for you. When you imbue your own positive and optimistic energy into your symbols in this way, you empower them to assist you. This distinction between abdicating (giving up) your power to a symbol, and imbuing (saturating) it with your intention is one of the most important concepts in contemporary feng shui. The role of feng shui images and objects is not to do the work for you; it’s to inspire you to accomplish greater things, with greater ease, faster than you would on your own, by using your focused intention and optimism to create an environment that resonates with vitality, success, prosperity, and the joy and satisfaction of knowing your dreams have come true.
Announcement
• UPCOMING TITLES? Several people have asked when my next books -- "Fast Feng Shui for Your Home Office" and "Fast Feng Shui for Artists and Writers" -- will be available. The short answer is: “When I get them done.” :-) And yes, they are long past when I first thought they’d be completed. Writing projects can be like that, unfortunately. If all goes well the ebook edition of the “Home Office” book will be available by late summer. That will depend in part on how quickly we get through the upheaval of moving to a new home in early April. I’m looking forward to having a home office of my own in the new place, and will be arranging it to support greater creativity and productivity so I can finish these overdue projects quickly! The “Artists & Writers” book is next on the projects list after that, but I’m not planning to start on it until the “Home Office” book is done. As newsletter subscribers, you will always hear about new books here first. Thank you!
Feng
Shui Q+A Q+A Policy: If you are a new subscriber, I recommend reviewing past Q+A sections in the newsletter archives before emailing me, to get a sense of what kinds of questions are appropriate. You may even find that your question has already been answered. Last but not least, please be aware that many others are also hoping for some of my time, and that asking multiple questions limits my ability to respond to everyone equitably. Due to the high volume of email I receive, I am often unable to respond promptly; please be patient while awaiting a reply. --------------------------------------- (Questions have been edited for clarity and length, and identifying details have been changed..) Note: This question is a follow-up to the article, “The Compass or the Doorway?”, in the Feb. 27th (’06) issue of this newsletter. If you missed the original article, you can read it here Q: : "Which takes priority, the ba gua
for the whole house or the ba gua for each room? I have recently decided
to try and feng shui each room but have run into issues like the fame
area in a room being in the career area of the house. What should take
precedence? Is it better to feng shui each room or is it better to do
the whole house?" Certainly you want to look at the ba gua of the entire house to identify any specific challenges or advantages that may be present. The room ba guas are important because they can enhance whatever feng shui strategies you are using with the energy of that particular space. For example, romance cures are stronger in the romance area of the bedroom than in the romance area of the house, because the bedroom is the space most closely related to your romantic relationships. If an area of the ba gua is weak for the overall house, you can enhance that area within individual rooms to counteract the weakness of the overall layout and bring the house energy into greater balance. For example, if the wealth corner of your house is “missing”, you can add feng shui enhancements to the wealth areas in your living room, kitchen, dining room, home office, and bedroom to remedy the imbalance caused by the missing area.
Recommended Resources
Clutter
Clearing Tip SOUVENIRS AND MEMENTOS The bottom line is that keepsakes are precious not for what they are, but for the memories and emotions that they bring to mind for us. Those feelings and memories are already present in your mind and heart; do you really need to keep every memento and souvenir as well? Clutter-clearing doesn't mean getting rid of all your treasures, but sometimes it requires redefining with more precision just what qualifies as a "treasure" to you. "My husband (who really resists cleaning
and de-cluttering) on his own, started removing things from his computer/hobby
room."
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A hui ho! (until next time),
Feng
Shui Books & eBooks
Miscellaneous AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND EDITIONS Softcover editions of "Fast Feng Shui" and "Fast
Feng Shui for Prosperity" are available in AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND
through Fast Trak Direct Pty. Ltd. ••• Newsletter Archives This newsletter is published approximately twice a month. If you missed our previous issues, you can read them here. ••• We also invite you to visit our sister 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. Feng-Shui-Ebooks.com - Our popular Fast Feng Shui book series is now available in ebook version for your immediate download. BIOPRO EMF Protection - Watch special video report on "The Invisible Dangers of EMF Radiation." Learn the facts about electromagnetic fields (EMF) and how they affect your health. Find out how you can create an electropollution-free zone in your home and office with the Home Harmonizer. Amazon Rainforest Herbs - Wild Foods Nutrition from virgin soil of the highest concentration of life energy on the planet - the Amazon Rainforest. Save your health while helping save the Rainforest.
(c)
2006 Stephanie Roberts. All rights reserved.
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