Today, Feng Shui

Well over a decade ago, my good friend Dolores, who I have known since Junior High, introduced me to the wonderful world of Feng Shui.  Feng Shui translates literally to “wind-water”. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal of Feng Shui is to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance, first in ones environment and then in one’s life.  Dolores began this very subtle introduction by moving a red plant in my yard so it sat between my home and my small above ground swimming pool.  Too much water was no good and I needed some fire (red) to absorb some of the water in order to improve my finances.  Seemed kindof quirky at the time, but it’s important to know that this woman has a master’s in library science and is married to Ted, otherwise known as Dr. Ted, a successful, Manhattan podiatrist.  They are not really what you would call anything close to quirky, people.  So we kept the red plant right where it was.  After returning to his office after the weekend, Mitch called to let me know he had a bonus check of some sort sitting on his desk.  He suggested we keep the plant right where it was.  This began our love affair with the art of Feng Shui.

Though delving deeply into this art, we learn much about where we should place what in each room and trust me this can get very detailed.  We work to balance all the elements of the earth to create a peaceful, harmonious environment that allows us to flourish in all aspects of our lives.  To me,  the first step in this process is the most important and costs absolutely NO money.  This is cleaning out and getting rid of things that are just taking up space and cluttering our homes and lives! Today, I will be doing just that.  From showering my dog and getting rid of some of his old toys, to cleaning out my closet and donating some things I have worn in a while,  my main goal will be to create more space so positive energy can flow more easily around my home.  My good friends Debbie and Jeff were on vacation this week and cleaned out, all their closets as well as the files in their office.  Debbie commented that even though you can’t see what’s in the filing cabinet draws, it feels cleaner just walking in the room.  That is a perfect example of Feng Shui in action!

I recently read the 25 tips to lose and maintain weight loss, sent to me from Weight Watchers.  On the list was the tip to clean out the closet.  Get rid of the clothes that are too big on you.  You don’t need them anymore and should NOT give yourself the option of gaining back weight because you already have the clothes!  Make it a financial burden to gain back weight.  Move your smaller clothes to the front of the closet where you can see them first to help stay focused on your long term goals.  For all of us, when we actually go through our closet item by item, its amazing what we might find!  My client and friend Jane has an organizing business.  She says every time she organizes a closet with a client, the client ends up making money.  This is because they find items they didn’t know they had.  That might be clothing but it’s often actual money, unused gift cards, or items they purchased but forgot about when they became “hidden” in the closet.

Jane contends, just as the practice of Feng Shui does, that organizing our closets, pantries,  homes, cars  and offices, makes us happier, healthier, wealthier and more at peace with ourselves and our surroundings.  If you would like more info on Feng Shui, take a walk through the bookstore or google it and you will find more than enough to get you started! Remember that your discards are someone else’s treasures, so make sure to donate your no longer needed items to friends, family or a charity of your choice.  You’ll feel doubly good!

Let me know what you find when you clean out your closet.  Last time through I found that I actually fit into some of those jeans I moved to the front of the closet and it doesn’t get much better than that!