Understand your money’s worth

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I heard that feng shui could help bring in more money. Is this true?

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 start 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 doesn’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 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, “I thought one day I would one be a millionaire, but here I am, 65, and I’m not. Is there something wrong with my home?”

I’ve learned that 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, you will spend your extra money on classes and books. If you value status in the community, you’ll spend your money on expensive name brands, and likely, a luxury car. If you value your reputation as a generous person, you’ll treat others often. If you value having money in the bank, you will put your money into your savings account and give up the above.

The point I am trying to make is that many people say they want more money, but their actions show that they value what money can buy more. Those who have a lot of cash generally place a high value on saving money, not spending it.

Where is Richard’s million?

Knowing this, I asked Richard where his wealth existed. We found that his “million” was in his paid off home and his three children’s private school educations. Additionally, his wife was a stay-at-home mom during their entire marriage. Richard also made sure his family travelled yearly.

As I was talking to Richard, he began to see where I was going. If his wife had worked, they wouldn’t have travelled; and had he 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. 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.

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. So, where is your million?

Do you have a question for Alice? If so, send it to alice@ yourhappinessu.com. Alice Inoue owns Happiness U, a lifestyle studio located at SALT Kakaako where anyone can find positive inspiration and high-level guidance to minimize stress and optimize modern day life! YourHappinessU.com.