QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Finances are constantly top of mind for me. I can’t afford expensive changes. Can you suggest specific things that I can do feng shui wise that won’t cost a lot?
Concerns about finances, love, career and health are at the top of most people’s list. When I read your question, Elena immediately came to mind. She received a personal consultation as a gift, and when I saw her, the first thing she said was, “If you are going to tell me to purchase anything, I can’t afford it.” Elena was overwhelmed with life and felt hopeless, and, although happy to have me there, she thought that nothing I could suggest would help her situation.
“Inner” feng shui
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 the environment. Feng shui encompasses everything in the environment, including the people who occupy it. When you look within and make some changes, the results are always optimized.
Start with gratitude
I asked Elena to make it a habit to take some time each evening to appreciate the good things that happened to her that day, no matter how insignificant. By doing so, it would help her open up the energy to receive more of what she wanted.
Although her focus was on money as the desired abundance, to get the energy moving, she needed to enjoy the abundance that already was present. I explained that if she kept focusing on all the financial challenges she faced, she would attract more of the same, and offered some suggestions for her home.
Find your financial “power spots”
To start, 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 equipped with this information, do the following:
• Clear out the clutter from these areas, and fix or get rid of anything broken.
• Enhance areas with prosperous symbols such as a plant, photo of your dream car or anything that symbolizes wealth to you.
• Open your eyes to abundance. Take time each day to notice the amazing array of plenitude around you, from produce at the market to gracious people you encounter.
• Let abundance flow through you. Like time, appreciation and love, money is a form of energy, and hoarding works against a greater flow of energy (or, in this case, money) coming in.
Send questions to alice@ yourhappinessu.com. Alice Inoue is the founder and Chief Happiness Officer at Happiness U. YourHappinessU.com.