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The Organized Life archives
MARCH 2008
Volume 5, Issue #3
HOW FENG SHUI IS LIKE HAVING A CAR
Dear Subscriber,
I have been so immersed in Feng Shui recently that I’d lost sight of the fact that not everyone understands its benefits as well as I do. But just the other day I discovered my mistake when a good friend asked me, “What exactly is Feng Shui, anyway? And how can it help me?”
Feng Shui is about how energy moves in a space and how that energy reflects what’s going on in our lives. It identifies the imbalances that exist and “cures” them. Ultimately when you live and work in a space that’s balanced and where energy moves freely, life gets better. So Feng Shui is about enhancing your life by enhancing your space.
Using specialized tools and techniques, a Feng Shui expert identifies adjustments that revive, beautify and enhance your space, and, in turn, your life. But if you don’t feel like an expert yourself, you can still improve the Feng Shui of your home or office on a day-to-day basis with simple steps like the ones I outline below.
So Where Does The Car Come In?
Feng Shui reminds me of the people I know who lavish great care on their cars. They listen, they look, they feel what’s happening every time they go for a drive, so they know right away what kind of attention their car might need. If something feels or sounds unusual they can take care of it right away, enabling them to drive and enjoy their car for as long as they want. They're taking care of themselves by taking care of their cars.
In the same way it’s to your advantage to use Feng Shui as a way to perceive what’s happening in your space, and to make appropriate adjustments. Put yourself in the driver’s seat by following the simple tips below.
Nine Feng Shui Actions That Will Enhance Your Life Right Now
Nine is a propitious number in Feng Shui. Here’s to good ch’i!
1. In Feng Shui, your windows are considered the eyes of your home. So keep them clean and clear, make sure they open and close freely, fix broken panes, and take care that your views aren’t spoiled by clutter indoors or out.
2. If you want a healthy and wealthy life, does your home look like it’s thriving, or more like you’re living in a thrift shop? Think about the messages that are being sent by the belongings you have around you.
3. Similarly, consider your artwork. I’ve seen a number of instances of people who want to cultivate a love relationship but whose artwork of single people sends the opposite signal. An easy cure for this is to put pairs of things around your home – candlesticks, flowers, artwork of couples…
4. Hanging bells on your front door alerts you to when people come and go, increasing your feeling of safety and creating good Feng Shui at the same time.
5. There’s no hiding from “Feng Shui eyes”, so clear the clutter and dust the surfaces to get stuck energy moving right away.
6. Good energy thrives when plants are happy. Get rid of dead or sickly ones (including dried arrangements) and lavish attention on those you keep. If you don’t have a green thumb or would like to have plants in a place that can’t support them (a windowless office, for instance), brighten your space with beautiful silk flowers instead.
7. The bedroom, and especially the bed, are very significant in Feng Shui, so it’s important to be careful about the things you store here. Under-bed storage is best used for items related to sleeping (neatly folded sheets and blankets, for instance). Don’t use it for things you never use, or for "toxic" items like photos that hold unpleasant memories.
8. It’s just as important to be able to read in the living room as it is to turn down the lights in the bedroom. Set up lighting that’s tailored to the things you do in each room, and you’ll instantly improve the Feng Shui there.
9. If the energy’s really feeling stuck, shake up the ch’i by simply lifting up and setting down 27 things. Just moving them the tiniest bit will bring you into tune with your environment. But don’t be surprised if some of those things end up getting moved in a really big way!
I know these tips will steer your energy in the right direction! So rev up your engine – and listen to the messages your environment is sending you.
Until next month, Happy Organizing!
Sincerely,
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH
I’m sure you already know what a fan I am of lazy susans. I counted the other day and was fairly amazed to discover that I use 12 of them around my home (in the kitchen, bathroom, utility closet…). They're all the standard 10 ½” size that fits easily into standard-size cabinets.
But another use came to my attention recently when I worked with an artist who wanted a larger size for storing art supplies in her studio. Voila – here they are, in two extra-large sizes, 18” and 21”. They’re perfect, too, for storing cleaning supplies under the sink, or hardware in the garage or basement, or any number of other heavy-duty uses.
ABOUT Ann Bingley Gallops
Ann is a Feng Shui and Decluttering Consultant in New York City, specializing in improving the energy flow and organization of homes and businesses. She is the President of the New York chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO-NY).
GETTING IN TOUCH
Call or write to schedule a Feng Shui or Decluttering consultation for your home or office in the New York City area.
And please drop me a line with comments, questions, or suggestions for future newsletters.
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
646-382-3878
ann@theorganizedlife.net
www.theorganizedlife.net
Copyright 2008, Ann Bingley Gallops
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