I have spent years on the quest of keeping the number of emails I have down, only to discover every day it rises again. They are relentless. They keep arriving in my inbox! I once thought it was so nice that so many people and organizations thought about me when hitting their send button. Now I wake up each morning, turn on my computer, only to find myself inundated with mail to read. I even stopped my daily newspaper. Reading emails was all I could handle in a given day before I head off to work.

People from as far away as Nigeria write to me being most kind in wanting to leave me vast amounts of fortune. Knowing that my current situation is precarious I do welcome fortunes even from afar, but I just do not feel right taking money from one’s I do not know, so I sadly hit delete. I have thought that it might be ideal to connect these persons from Nigeria with all the political email I receive as every one of those emails are asking for donations and wouldn’t it be wonderful if those people could fill each others needs, especially with all the good that could transpire from it.

For now I will continue my struggle at the deletion process of clearing the clutter in my inbox. I am rather proud that I once had close to five thousand emails and now it is down to 1,833. I welcome any and all suggestions as to how I may accomplish this monumental task of deleting at a faster rate. One FSIM member informed me that she never has more email than her age. Good advice I believe, except that as I am no longer a spring chicken this may not be the best answer for me. I have put emails into folders only to discover that those too are filling up fast and isn’t this just moving clutter from one place to another? Not truly the Feng Shui remedy.

Please help!

Originally, Feng Shui was used in ancient agrarian China at a time when the understanding of nature and its processes was critical to survival. It can be argued that understanding and respecting nature remains critical to our survival, even today.

Compatible with the principles of the ancient art and science of Feng Shui is Earth Day, coming up April 22^nd. Created to motivate people to begin to think differently about life on our planet, it encourages respect for nature. Recycling, improving energy efficiency, walking or biking instead of driving, when possible, planting trees and supporting our local farmers are but a few ways we can participate in demonstrating respect for nature and our planet.

Margaret Mead stated,  “Earth Day is a day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrates, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space.”

As Feng Shui practitioners, this practice has become inherent in our way of life. Let’s celebrate Earth Day as a reminder for all who choose to listen that nature remains our model.

This time of year we’re focused on clearing clutter.

Clutter Expert Peter Walsh makes a great case for this in Enough Already! Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You. “Just like your home,” Walsh warns, “your head is filled with clutter that interferes with how you live your life”.

In this book, Walsh lays out the process to go “beyond thinking about what you think you might need for your home or your life to understanding what you want from your life to make it truly and uniquely yours”. He focuses on six key areas:  relationships, work, family, finances, health and spiritual well-being. By dissecting what mental clutter is making things “stick” in these particular areas of your life, and obtaining his guidance for how to move on, you can “regain your balance, focus, energy, and purpose”.

I enjoyed this book, largely because I appreciate Walsh’s straightforward, no-nonsense style. It’s a book I can see myself coming back to over time, because we all know–we’re never “done” with the job of clutter management.

So much of Walsh’s approach seems rooted in foundational feng shui principles–it did mystify me that he never uttered the words once. It would be a good one to recommend to anyone who shies away from feng shui because of stigma. Its basic principles can be conveyed, even if the reader doesn’t acknowledge them as “feng shui”.

Have you read the book? Do you think you might? Share your thoughts below…

Whatever no longer serves me is not only of the physical world, but also of the mind. Negative thoughts, clutter in the mind… joyfully I am releasing them as I welcome Spring.

Lisa Rock

And we have the exciting opportunity to hear her in person, April 17, 2012.

Gloria Steinem (born March 25, 1934) is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women’s liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s. A prominent writer and political figure, Steinem has founded many organizations and projects and has been the recipient of many awards and honors.

She was a columnist for New York magazine and co-founded Ms. magazine. In 2005, Steinem worked alongside Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan to co-found the Women’s Media Center, an organization that works to amplify the voices of women in the media through advocacy, media and leadership training, and the creation of original content.

 Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. Gloria Steinem

This is the second year FSIM is proud to be a promotional sponsor for the “Inspiring Minds’ series at Beth El Synagogue. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Hinda

When I work with clients on decluttering, the most frustrating thing I encounter is them not following through. When I come back and either see that little-to-no progress is made, or that things are even worse, my heart sinks. I know in my logical mind that the direction I’ve given makes sense.

But I also acknowledge that each person has free will. They don’t have to do anything I’ve recommended they do. Even though they’ve paid me to tell them what to do. Even though I’ve made it clear WHY we’re focusing on decluttering. It’s their choice.

But emotionally, I question whether I’m adequate as a professional. Am I doing enough? Am I doing the right things? What else can I do, so that we achieve results according to our vision?

Reflecting on this, one thing that comes to mind is how I’ve been successful in moving past my own negative patterns and self-limiting – through coaching. For one thing, the most impactful results I’ve experienced while working with a personal coach are due to being held accountable. It’s simple – if you don’t do the work, you’re not going to see the results.

I wonder if coaching could help feng shui practitioners push clients past their blocks to get better results. Would I be a better practitioner if I got some coaching skills under my belt?

Please share YOUR thoughts on the subject by leaving a comment below…

Do you have coaching training? In what ways do you coach your clients that produce results?

After my position of 15 years was eliminated from the corporate world, I found myself being drawn inward in absence of being employed. No more long days in the office; I was now home, in my own space, with my own thoughts. While it is perfectly natural and part of our human process to locate our sense of self in externals, any time those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to our core, which is the only truly safe place to call home.

Fortunately for me, not only has the same 15 years of practicing Feng Shui giving me the benefit of an external home in Feng Shui tip-top shape to weather the unemployment storm; Feng Shui practices continue to give me the silence, to listen to the core within my internal home for guidance on my next journey in life.

If we find ourselves feeling like the whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold onto anymore, close your eyes, take deep breath and count your blessings in deep gratitude and say nine times, ”There is no place like a Feng Shui home”.

My blessings and Peace,

Cheryl Larson
Peace by Piece Feng Shui

This is an exciting year for our organization! We have a new logo and a new website, a new streamlined way of paying dues online and many ideas to come for enhancing your membership.

There has been a lot of buzz about 2012. The anticipation is a year of major transitions, both supporting and challenging. We know from Feng Shui this is the natural flow of life, the Yin and the Yang. We also know how critically important it is to take especially good care of ourselves during any transition, big or small, global or personal. So we begin our year with Cyndi Dale, our guest speaker, sharing ways to care for ourselves and those we care for both personally and professionally by creating energetic boundaries.

With the Chinese New Year close at hand on January 23, Carole Hyder will tell us what to expect in the year of the Water Dragon and which Chinese animals benefit from the dragon energy and which ones are challenged. She will provide suggestions for shifting the energy in our homes to mitigate any challenges this Dragon year might bring.

Actually, as I write this, I’m beginning to think of the 2012 “shift” so talked about as a big energy makeover, imposed or otherwise. FSIM is looking forward to providing ways we can share our own personal makeover stories and learn from each other as we navigate this year together.

I look forward to seeing you this Tuesday!

Hinda Abrahamson