A Millionaire Mindset

Feng shui can be applied to many things – even finances. When combined with a shift in perspective, your pocketbook will feel the difference

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I heard that feng shui could help bring in more money. Is this true? If so, how can I use it specifically for this purpose? I sure could use more money!

The discipline of feng shui addresses all aspects of our lives, including our wealth and abundance. When it comes to bringing in more money, I have found it most successful to match the “outer” feng shui of the home with the “inner” feng shui of the mind.

In other words, feng shui is not a magic wand, where you add a fountain in the right place and voila, you win the sweepstakes. If your money mindset is not healthy, it does-n’t matter how good the feng shui is, money will continue to elude you.

Richard’s situation comes to mind

When I read your question, I remembered a consultation I did years ago with a gentleman named Richard (not his real name), who had called me to assess his house to see if the way it was set up was somehow “blocking” his money flow. When I questioned him, he sighed and said, “Alice, when I was a young man, I was so successful and money came easily to me.

Many people told me that I would one day be a millionaire. It seemed that I was on that track, but here I am, 65, and I have nowhere near a million dollars. I began wondering if there’s something wrong with my home, and that is why I called you. I am interested in how to better align it, if it’s not too late.”

Our quest for wealth

Most people have a quest for wealth, because financial independence provides the freedom and opportunity to choose what you want, when you want and how you want it. More than good feng shui in one’s home, the first step toward abundance is recognizing where your wealth already exists.

What I’ve learned over the years

We tend to spend money on things that are most important to us. For example, once your basic needs are met, if personal growth is most important to you, you will spend your extra money on classes and books that will assist you. If you value status in the community, you’ll spend your money on expensive name brands, and likely, a luxury car.

If you value traveling to see the world, you’ll spend your money on travel and using companies like private jet charter and private jet rental company Jettly to get the best experience possible. If you value your reputation as a generous guy, you’ll treat others to dinner often. If you value saving and having money in the bank, you will put your money into your savings account.

The point I am trying to make is that many people I encounter say they want more money, but their actions show that they value more what money can buy. Those who have a lot of cash generally place a high value on saving money.

Where is Richard’s million?

Knowing these money principles, I asked Richard where his wealth existed, because I knew it was in a form that he was not aware of. We found that his “million” was in his home, which was paid off, and his three children’s educations. He wanted his wife to be home for the children, so she was a stay-at-home mom during their entire marriage. He valued travel and seeing the world, and made sure his family travelled regularly.

As I was talking to Richard, he began to see where I was going with all of this. If his wife had worked and he had cut down on the family vacations, sent his children to public school and made them pay for their own college education, he would have had a lot more money in the bank. I asked him if he would have given any of that up to have money in the bank. As understanding dawned on him and he wiped away a few tears, he shook his head no. He saw that he was a “millionaire,” it just wasn’t in the form that he was looking for all of his life – meaning cash in the bank. So, where is your million?

Feng shui “power” tips for your home’s power spots

To complement a healthy money mind-set, create a supportive wealth environment. Stand at the front door facing into the house and identify your wealth area: the back left hand side of the house. Then, in key individual rooms, find the power spots: the left corner farthest from the door. Now, do the following:

• Clear out the clutter from these areas. Clutter is a sign of stagnant energy. Merely moving the clutter out of the financial power spots will help to activate a shift in energy.

• Fix or remove anything broken in the power spots. Is a window stuck?

• Enhance these areas with prosperous symbols. Symbols stimulate our subconscious. In your power spots, place a lucky bamboo plant, jewelry box, photo of your dream car or anything that symbolizes wealth to you, including a piggy bank that you can add loose change to each day.

Most people do not realize that feng shui has just as much to do with one’s mental and emotional states as it does with arranging their environment. When you are willing to look within and make some changes, the results are always optimized.

Alice Inoue is the founder and Chief Happiness Officer at Happiness U, a friendly educational establishment at Na Lama Kukui (formerly known as Gentry Pacific Design Center) on Nimitz Highway. At Happiness U you’ll find dozens of inspiring classes all geared toward personal growth, helping you live a more purposeful and ease-filled life. www.YourHappinessU.com