...The Art of Feng Shui and the Necessity of its Incorporation into Your Life...

The art of Feng Shui is a complex body of knowledge that originated in China over 3,000 years ago. The information that is contained in that knowledge could profoundly affect the way you chose to furnish both your home and your life. I discovered Feng Shui many years ago when searching for assistance in de-cluttering my life from disorganization so that I could be sure to create in a timely manner instead of swimming through piles of papers and unusable objects to try to find them. I would end up spending more time riffling through things than I would getting anything done.

I bought a book on Feng Shui and began to understand the concepts that have everything to do with everyones life, based on what they keep in their homes and their hearts.

I began to throw things away or give them to those who would like or need them. I am still doing this today and have found the insight to say no to things given to me that appear to be useful but truly, if I needed something other than a really good food processor, I would have it already.

Renovations to the house proved to be both painful and freeing as a flood (the element of water as an agent of devastation) turned every cardboard box into a black moldy mess that needed to be tossed. As a writer it is horrifying to see a box full of papers saying who knows what covered in smelly soggy moisture. I have since learned that Rubbermaid is my best basement friend.

Water is the element of emotion as wind of spirit and intellect. How does this tie in with Feng Shui? I draw my own associations to why it works continuously for me. Although living in a home with a lot of masculine energy and traffic has its challenges, I have explained why things are in certain areas have gained some kind of respect in the area of interior design.

As I am getting ready for the final week of the year I have all the decorations in and out of the basement which is the main storage area of the house. Much better organized than it was last year, still my head sets itself on fire when I go down there to find certain items, or papers like warranties and instructions for the oven that I need but cannot find or begin to know what box it got stuffed it. Taking a deep breath and walking away is sometimes the only organization I can handle.

I surface back up on the main floor and literally sometimes sit crosslegged with the computer in my lap. I write about the Labyrinth and the Chronicles of the Mermaids and I see threads of my longing for structure and grounding throughout them, of course. Then I see a pile of papers out of the corner of my eye or books or streaks on a window. I struggle to sit still and continue writing no matter what. The clutter laughs at me from the corner..."Ha ha ha I am still here and I get bigger everyday..." SHUT UP I say. STOP. I will get to it but I won't give it that power anymore while I am sitting here being distracted by it.

I think about my book, my one book on Feng Shui. It's a nice hardcover that I read in sections and has lots of great diagrams to study so you can begin to "Feng Shui Your Life". (by Jayme Barrett)

I begin to make lists and start throwing out things that physically drain me even if they were gifts of antiquity that were priceless to the previous owner. If I look at it and it upsets me or angers me, it has to go. I know that I have items begging to get back to their owners or to new ones who will appreciate and love them more than my dusty basement does.

Everything in your home affects you on some level, be it the people, the words, the thoughts and of course - the items. Things that are handed down to you retain the energy of the previous owners so if you are holding onto your dysfunctional family heirlooms, perhaps you may want to rethink their real value in your life.

Maybe someone was moving and dropped off a bunch of things to you that interested you. Think about that person. What kind of life does he or she live? Was the person plagued with insecurity and drama or was there abundance and prosperity surrounding their personality?

Feng Shui is based on the idea that everything is made up of energy. We are all made up of energy and everything around us that started as a thought manifested as something we attracted into our lives as something that appears solid. Do you like what you see around you?

One of the things that is on my mind as a result of researching Feng Shui is the effort to always keep something alive and green in every room of the house. This is a minimal move on my part because I find it challenging to make the changes I read about become part of a healthier environment for my family to exist in. I feel chaos tumbling down the stairs laced with teenage angst and defiance and I want to put a plant in their rooms...dare I ask them to water it? Would it survive and for how long?

Right now I am rereading the book because now that the artifical tree stands overpowering the living room, I am able to get into spaces that are exposed and see what to toss or not toss. I feel like this is the best resolution for the New Year to start out with more new and less old and that makes for better energy for everyone. Then I will also have more room to Feng Shui My Life!