5 Feng Shui Tips for Holiday Happiness

As the holiday season rolls into full swing, we can get pulled in a number of directions, straining our energies and exhausting us at a time when we are meant to be living it up. Feng Shui’s focus on balance can be applied to our lives on every level to assist through this time. And in an effort to make the most of this holiday season, here are five tips centered on the Feng Shui concept of “creating space.”

Create Space Physically – Tip: Take one thing out for each thing added

A crowded space creates a slow, stagnant energy. Coupled with the slower energy of the winter season, this can lead to our feeling unmotivated, inert and even depressed. Many homes and spaces compound this problem by becoming crowded during the season with decorations and gifts. One way to balance the flow is to remove a piece of furniture in order to create space for the tree. Additionally, if holiday decorations are going up around the room, put away some of the every day knick-knacks, photos, and display items. Festivity adds good energy, but crowded bombardment can lead to heaviness and stress.

Create Space Mentally – Tip: Write out your to-do list

Worry increases over the things for which we do not have clarity around. It is easy to keep a mental list of things we need to do today, this week or before the end of the year, but without a bird’s-eye view of these tasks, we can easily feel overwhelmed. Clear mental clutter by writing out a to-do list. Just the act of writing things out allows our mind to stop trying to remember everything and gives us the space to focus on what we want or need to do.

Create Space Emotionally – Tip: Extend the olive branch

With all the season’s family and social gatherings come opportunities for honesty and healing. Clear emotional clutter by picking one person with whom you have had an issue and commit to resolving it. Resolution could look like apologizing or asking for their side of the story or just dropping everything and starting over. Creating space in our emotional world this way has a domino effect on every aspect of life.

Create space Physiologically – Tip: Take one exercise class each week

Given the season’s cornucopia of big meals, holiday parties, and sweet treats, create space in your body for this annual indulgence by adding in some exercise. If you are hosting a party, consider making it a physical one that gets the group moving – like a hike or roller-skating. In any case, create balance in your physical body and increase your own energy by taking an extra hike, yoga/dance/Pilates class, or whatever else you personally enjoy doing physically.

Create Space Spiritually – Tip: Take conscious breaths

Quietly listen as you take a single breath. When we are focused on our breathing, we do not drain our energy with concern about all the other temporary external things in life. We do not hold regrets about our past or worry about the future. We are in the moment, in synch with life. Set your watch to go off at some point during your holiday party, your holiday gathering, or your holiday shopping and when it does, stop, close your eyes, and consciously take three slow breaths – disconnecting from all the hustling and bustling and reconnecting with the present moment.

Five ideas with five possibilities for creating space in your life and as you do, creating an energy flow that keeps you moving forward, staying healthy and happy this holiday!

May all the abundance of the universe be yours!

Turkey & the Art of Abundance

Want to experience real abundance? Ask your Turkey!

In Native American traditions, the Turkey is the symbol of abundance, and it is said to embody the practice of “give-away,” which happens to be a Feng Shui technique for increasing prosperity. When we practice give-away, we raise our energy, express our gratitude and defeat feelings of depravity, and create space for more in our lives.

Whatever you vibrate – you will attract

Feng Shui operates on the rule that whatever vibration you send out in thoughts and feelings will automatically attract more of that same energy back into your life. You are a giant magnet! Whatever you put out into the world will come back to you.

One key to raising our energy vibration is through shifting our perspective. Do we perceive ourselves to be living abundantly or deprived? Two people can both have $100, and one will feel wealthy and the other feel poor. It’s a whole lot more fun to be around the person who feels wealthy!

Increasing Gratitude Exercises

• Make a list of 9 things you are grateful for and add to that list 9 things every day for a 9 days – and read your list out loud each morning!

• Start a gratitude jar and have everyone in the house write a daily thank you note about one thing they are grateful for and leave it in the jar – on New Year’s Day read all the gratitude notes aloud!

• Write down a list of compliments you’ve received and post it on your bathroom mirror – read it while brushing your teeth!

• Write yourself a thank you note and send it to yourself.

Defeating Depravity Exercises

• Pay it Forward! - When you feel deprived of something, give to others that thing you feel you are deprived of, and soon you will be overcome by feelings of abundance. If you feel like nobody loves you, set your intention to give away 10 hugs, by the tenth hug, you are going to feel like the whole world loves you.

• Celebrate another’s successes! - As we witness someone’s abundance, it is easy to see what and how much others have and dampen our perspective. But, when we see others have the things we want, we can take it as a sign that it is available. If they have it, so can we! If someone has something that you desire in life, it is life’s way of showing you just what you can have. When this happens, take a moment to thank the universe for the affirmation of what is possible.
  
  

Create Space for Abundance

In Feng Shui, the Prosperity and Abundance area of your home is the furthest left area from the front door. Go to that area now and clear some space for the universe to flow in. Literally, give something away! Then, think of something you are grateful for – friends, family, health, career - and place an object that reminds you of that in this area to spark gratitude and increase your abundance.

Love, light and laughter be yours!

This Turkey day, I wish to express my gratitude to each and every one of you who have supported me in pursing my passion. And to celebrate, I’m giving away FREE mini-Feng Shui analysis of your Prosperity Area. Send me an email with a photo of that area of your house and I’ll share some Feng Shui advice for enhancing it!

Move your Trash, Change your Life!

If we can tell a lot about a person by their trash, imagine what we can tell about a person by WHERE they put their trash! The trashcan is an essential part of the modern home, but just where to put it is almost as befuddling as the question, “who’s turn is it to take it out?”!!!

We do need a way to recycle our unwanted energies and since the question I get most frequently is just where the best place is for the rubbish bin, I thought I’d share some compact thoughts on how to best create space for temporary waste…

Feng Shui your Bin

The best place for a trashcan is under the kitchen sink. The kitchen is a powerhouse of energy for the home so it can handle a bit of the dampening affects of the trash, and they are most functional in the kitchen as well. Second best place is the bathroom - hopefully one with a lid on it! Some other suggestions:

• Avoid placing it in the entryway or entrance area of your home as this is where fresh energy is coming in and we don’t want that to go right in the trash!
• Keep the bin out of eyesight. We want to be bombarded by positive imagery that uplifts and inspires, and trashcans don't usually do that.
• No open-top bins under your desk! This energetically turns your whole desktop into a trash funnel.

Best Bin Practices

Keep your litter from disrupting your chi flow:

• Keep a lid on it! Step-cans with a lid are best. An open top trashcan is the equivalent of leaving a drain open in a swimming pool.
• Size matters! A smaller can prevents that energetic tartar buildup, plus it keeps smells and decay inside the house to a minimum.
• Empty the can every Friday (instead of when it gets full), and wipe it clean inside and out.

The Trash Vortex

Maximize the functionality of the trashcan. We can consider the trash bin as our energetic recycling center, collecting and temporarily storing the unwanted items of our life. And with that in mind, we can creatively use it to clear out our minds, bodies and environment.

• When it’s time to take out the trash, grab a pen and paper and write down three things that you no longer wish to have in your thoughts or life, crumple it up and release them by throwing them out!
• When something goes in the trash, imagine it’s an anchor attached to any lingering stuck energies in the room and it is drawing them into the bin.
• As you’re cooking let the bits that go in the rubbish represent any physical unease, and release them.

If you’d like more specific Feng Shui advice, take a picture of your trash bin and send it to me at Salvatore@FengShuiLifeMapping.com for a free Feng Shui Life Mapping mini-analysis.

It’s been said that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and I can honestly say that helping you with your trash would be my pleasure!

Feng Shui Jack-o-Lantern

Ah, the Jack-o-Lantern – with its funky smell, seeds and goop, pumpkin carving is just about my favorite holiday activity. And although I’ve never won a pumpkin carving contest, I love the opportunity to use one at my entrance as a Feng Shui power tool and visual reminder of my receiving from the universe an abundance of money, health, relationships and success!

In the practice of Feng Shui, the entrance of a home is called the “mouth of chi” because it is the opening through which the universal energies feed and nourish our home environment and our entire life. And it is the place where we can set intentions as to how we wish to interact with life.

With that in mind it’s as important our front entrance send a positive, inviting message out into the world, as well as create natural filters to repel unwanted energies. And here are a variety of tools to embody your intentions, in holiday times and out.

Tips for a Powerful Entrance

• Lighting – Porch lights are great, but a walkway or path that is lined with lights and well-lit is even better. Imagine the front walkway being an airport runway for incoming chi to land gracefully, and make an effort to assist that landing with landing lights.

• Trash bins – If the front entrance is the Mouth of Chi, then consider that we want to ensure we don’t have bad breath! Move the trash bins, recycling bins or empty flower pots and let the entrance set the stage for a world-class welcome.

• Color – Many people like to paint their door and each color represents something very unique. There is not right or wrong color choice as long as it is one you like and sends out a message that you feel confident in sharing.

• Chimes – Bells and other sounds help sooth energetic peaks and keep energy moving. Increase and generate energy through musical tools such as wind chimes to help create a harmonious feeling for all that comes near.

• Doormats – Everyone loves a welcome mat! Keep in mind that the style, color, and design is going to set the tone for how people feel when they come to your home.

• Guardians – In many cultures, statues, tiki gods, fu-dogs, gargoyles or other guardians are placed at the front entrance to protect the home against negative energies. If it suits your tastes and style, guardians can create effective energetic barriers repelling negative energies from your life.

• Bagua Mirror – The Bagua Mirror is one that is usually octagon shaped and has the I-Ching symbols around the 8 sides. This mirror is usually hung facing out from the door and used to repel negative energies.

Projecting & Receiving Abundance

This Halloween, carve out a pumpkin that represents what it is that you wish to receive in your life and place it at your entrance. And step back and observe your front entrance and see what it is saying to the world. Employ the use of these Feng Shui tips to ensure positive energies are coming into your life and negative energies are repelled.

This Halloween, let’s Feng Shui Jack-o-Lantern!

Feng Shui tips from my Mafia Grandfather

Like any good Italian kid, as a child, I entertained fantasies of being in league with a powerful Mafia family, my grandfather of course being the Don. One day, fueling my musings, my grandfather shared with me Mafia’s most sacred rule of survival.

We’d spent the morning making our rounds around town and decided to stop in at my cousin’s pizzeria, a local hotspot for those wanting to see and be seen. We parked in the back, next to an old dumpster and a half dead tree, and then entered unannounced through the kitchen door (hey, we’re family).

Corleone, I mean, granddad, took me over to our private family booth, a well-worn, leathery banquette nestled between the kitchen and the dining areas and smelling of cigars and tomato sauce, and whispered to me the golden rule of Mafia etiquette, “Never sit with your back to the door. Sit in a position so you can see everyone coming and going. It comes in handy if you know what I mean.” I knew what he meant.

The Command Position

In Feng Shui, we call this the “command position.” And like any good Mafioso knows, holding court from the command position allows you to keep an eye on the people coming and going from your space without having to twist and turn yourself do so.

The command position is usually diagonally across the room from the entrance. And what’s amazing is that this Mafia, err, Feng Shui rule can be applied to almost any area of the home or office, from the conference room, to the dining room, to the bedroom!

In the Office

The most powerful desk position is one in which you face the entrance, and far enough from the entrance that it is not hit by rushing energy from the door. Ideally, you want your desk and chair positioned so that you have your back to a solid wall (to give you support and backbone) and facing the room so that you can immediately notice when someone is coming in to meet or talk with you.

If this desk position is not possible, and you must sit with your back to the door or with your back to the traffic flow, it is highly beneficial to place a mirror in a position that allows you to see “behind your back” and thus eliminate any anxiety of having something surprise your from behind. A small mirror placed on your computer monitor, a mirrored picture frame on the desk, or a mirror on the wall you are facing reflecting to the entrance will provide you the comfort and confidence of a good Godfather.

We can apply the command position while in the conference room as well. Sitting in a position so that you are facing the whole room and the entrance gives you the command position. Those sitting with their backs to the door are left most vulnerable. It is almost symbolic of someone who lets life sneak up on them. At the very least position yourself in a way so that, even if you’re not at the head of the table, you can still see the entrance easily.

In the bedroom

A command position in the bedroom means that you can easily see the entrance of the room without having to turn your head while lying in bed. Ideally, the headboard is against a solid wall opposite the entrance to the room, but preferably not in line with the entrance, as that can cause rushing energy from the door to crash into the bed and energy from the bed to roll right out the door.

Visualize yourself lying in bed and someone comes in. If you have to roll around or whip your head to see who it is, it can be disturbing and upset your sleep as well.

If you find yourself in this situation, place a mirror that allows you to see the door from your reclined position in bed, but does not reflect back on the bed (see the previous Bedroom Mirrors and Boogieman post for more).

There is amazing psychological comfort in being able to comfortably see the entrance of the room without having to struggle to do so.

Don’t let life sneak up on you!!!

Hopefully, the only people entering your space are friends, not warring factions of Sicilian families, but keep in mind that sitting with one’s back to the door can be unsettling. To help people feel comfortable, arrange conversation and dining areas so that no one is left in this vulnerable position of not knowing what’s coming up from behind. And if you wish to show someone the ultimate respect, give them the command position of the room. (Great first date suggestion Granddad!)

If it is not possible to seat everyone facing the door, use reflective surfaces and mirrors to provide a command position to everyone. When you think about it, why do you think there are always so many mirrors in Italian eateries?!?!

My grandfather was never actually in the mafia, I know, it burst my little Italian fantasy as well. But I have to thank him dearly for entertaining the idiosyncrasies of a crazy boy and teaching me the Mafia/Feng Shui rule:

“che può vedere lontano può vederlo tutto,

che può vederlo tutto può vedere lontano”

(“He who can see far, can see it all.

He who can see it all, can see far.”)

Rabbit's Foot v Reflective Feng Shui

Let’s take a look at the two approaches to Feng Shui: one I call the “Lucky Rabbit’s Foot Feng Shui,” and the other I call, “Reflective Feng Shui.”

Many people read Feng Shui books and start moving furniture around because the book told them to. This style is likened to carrying a rabbit’s foot because it is supposed to be lucky. In truth, moving furniture using Feng Shui principles will work to some degree because there will be an increase in energy flow and it will increase consciousness and awareness in our lives, which helps our lives improve. But for the most part, merely moving stuff is like wishing on a shooting star.

Reflective Feng Shui, which is what I practice, doesn’t rely on luck. First, it requires that we become completely clear about what it is that we wish to have, who we wish to be and what we wish to do. And then based on those intentions, create an environment that accurately and consciously reflects our goals so that every time we enter into our space we are reminded visually and powerful of where we are going, what we wish to accomplish.

My goal, and the goal of Feng Shui Life Mapping, is to help create clarity around intention and from that clarity, build a supportive environment that accurately and consciously reflects our dreams using Feng Shui, Vision Boarding and Creative Visualization. While there may be room for luck, it is the clarity and awareness of who we are and where we are going that will keep us on track to achieving our dreams.

Feng Shui, Bedroom Mirrors and the Boogieman!

“Can I have a mirror in the bedroom?” my client timidly asked during our Feng Shui consultation. The answer is also a question, “Ever been afraid of the boogieman?”

She asks a great question. And the short answer is that mirrors can be incorporated into the bedroom as long as they don’t reflect back onto the bed. If it does, there is a potential for it creating what I call the “boogieman effect.”

But before we confront the boogieman, let’s look at the affect of mirrors.

Mirrors are energy vortexes!

Mirrors are stimulating! They expand a room’s size, they increase light, they reflect our image (our self-image), they draw in positive energy, and they deflect negative energies.

As our goal is to have our bedroom be calm and peaceful, all that energy being transmuted by mirrors may activate chi flow and all that energy will likely disturb our sleep. For this reason, I recommend that mirrors (and all reflective surfaces for that matter) in the bedroom minimized. I’ll share specific suggestions for mirrors in the bedroom later, but first, let’s tackle that legendary creature of terror…

The boogieman!

As a child, I was afraid the boogieman! I never thought of him as the boogieman and would have denied any of this had you asked, but I did have an irrational, childish fear there was something under my bed or in the closet. It started at night when my eye would catch the slight movement of something, a curtain blowing, a shadow moving, or a light being reflected. Quiet, invisible, quick, it had to be the boogieman!

This is what happens when we catch our reflection while in our bed. Out of the corner of our eye, we glimpse another being. And in our semi-conscious state, unable to fully focus, our unconscious mind is alerted to there being an another presence, seemingly right in the bed with us!

With this, our reflexes peak and we can’t sleep soundly as our nervous system will be primed to respond to the slightest noise or light. It is unsettling in the least and in the long term can lead to our creating imaginary fears and unpleasant suspicions. In the case of partners sleeping in a bed together, the reflection can even plant the suspicion of there being a third person in the bed, and thus in the relationship, leading to stress around infidelity.

This “boogieman effect,” as I call it, was explained in the old days by the belief that as we slept our souls would leave our bodies. When they did, if they saw their reflection, they would get spooked, and this would cause the person to have nightmares and restless sleep. Another explanation is that as we sleep, our bodies recharge, filling up with positive energy and releasing all the negative energy. But, if a reflection is facing the sleeper, the negative energy cannot leave, it bounces back into the sleeper and may even become compounded.

Whether it’s negative chi expelling from our bodies, our soul startled by its reflection or our unconscious mind convinced of another presence, reflective surfaces towards the bed disturb sleep and need to be addressed.

Solutions:

The ideal situation is to move the mirror that reflects back on the bed. But if that is not possible, such as when a dresser has a mirrored back, place a vase with flowers or other decorative item in such a way as to block and create a barrier to its reflecting back onto the bed.

As for mirrored closet doors, it may open small spaces and ad great ambience, but at night it can be too much energy. My suggestion is to hang a sheer or light curtain across the closet doors that can be closed at night and opened in the daytime.

Televisions and computer screens also reflect back at the bed. At night, these items are best hidden under a cover, a decorative or simple cloth. Ideally, a TV would be in an armoire completely closed away. These solutions help to mitigate the electronic emissions from these devises as well.

As for mirrored headboards, well, they just need to go. And sleeping under a mirrored canopy is not advisable if for no other reason than the chances of it falling. Ouch! Save such set designs for impromptu hotel stays, like at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

Your bedroom is your nest!

Treat your bedroom as a sanctuary, your sacred space where your conscious mind can rest and your body can regenerate. Look around your bedroom and identify what items promote a calm, safe energy that will grant you the possibility of a sound sleep. And remove, cover, or minimize items that are stimulating and energetic.

Bottom line, you don’t have to believe in the boogieman to be affected by too much reflection in the bedroom. If you decide to use a mirror in the bedroom, place it somewhere that ensures you can’t see your reflection from the bed.

Sleep well!

Salvatore

Objects in your Fame Area

Place items in your Fame Area that represent what it is that you wish to accomplish...

The Fame Area is the area opposite the entrance of the space. The area is reflective of the things for which you wish to be famous and aspire to achieving. In the most general way, this area represents your reputation, both your current and your desired reputation.

When you place an item in this area that represents what you wish to accomplish in life, you activate the law of attraction and start the metaphysically balls rolling towards achieving that goal, earning that reputation, manifesting your dreams!

Plant a forest!

A seed is not just the beginning of a new plant, it's the start of a whole new forest! Plant the seed of your intention today!

While hiking through the redwoods today I saw this young sapling stretching up through a thicket of huckleberry and I was at once caught by how brave and strong it seemed to be attempting a life amongst an already crowded area. It was such a young sapling, I couldn't tell what type it was but I studied it's leaves and tips closely and wondered on pondering how plants don't plan their lives.

Then I stopped a view point and next to me was a HUGE tree of with the same leaf structure. It had tiny little cones just forming on the tips of the branches and I imagined one of them had fallen a year or more before and rolled down the hill to star the young sapling.

In a flash, the whole forest appeared different, related, connected. And I immediately recognized that my planting a seed of intention to start a new project is not really just the start of a new project, but the start of a whole new forest of projects.

Today, I'm looking beyond even the long-term to the whole life term and I'm planting seeds of intention that won't manifest until centuries after I'm gone... but will make a great forest for whomever is here!

Full Moon Shift

Full Moon Today! Energies are peaking & shift our focus to harvest what we have worked towards and release what we no longer need.

At the full moon, the energies are climaxing and all that we have worked towards in the previous two weeks are at their peak point for review. This review may mean harvesting the benefits of your work, may mean pruning, may mean replanting to a larger spot! This is also a time when we can shift our attention to releasing all the things that we no longer need in our life. Take a moment to review where you are now and see what you can re-align to bring about more abundance in your life!

Today, I celebrate all that I have accomplished and I release all that I no longer need!

Big thoughts - small steps

Think big, and celebrate each small step.

I was working on my to-do list today and felt a little overwhelmed. My ambition is exceeding my caffeine intake at the moment. Luckily, the program I use for my to-do's allows me to break down the lists into categories and smaller categories so that I realized I had already started whacking though my to-do's like a weed-whacker machine. Note to self: keep the big picture in mind, but remember to acknowledge even the small steps I take.

Today I will celebrate each small step on the path to living large!!

Freedom from lacking

When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. ~Lao Tzu

Releasing the feeling of lacking leads to a sense of freedom, freedom to appreciate all that there is in its abundant form. The trick is in seeing all of the world as inter-connected and free flowing. In such a state, we can see other's accomplishments as affirmations of our own. We can see other's belongings as a part of our own. We can stretch our minds eye wide to see that all the world is filled with connectedness and all the world belongs to us!

Today I embrace the joys of others as my own. I am lacking nothing!

Honor the Pause!

The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause. - Mark Twain

When I first read the quote, I thought about how pertinent it was to leave the pauses in our dialogue, both to allow the other person to speak and allow what we've said to sink in. But taking it to a Feng Shui level, it dawned on me the importance of letting the energy pause as well!

It could be said, the right object may look great, but no object was ever as effective in allowing the universe to bring something new, as the perfectly placed empty space.

I'm leaving space today for the universe to bring in the new!

Less energy to fly!

At some point it takes more energy to stay put than to shift, and that is when we learn we can fly!

There is a point where we find that holding onto our current position requires more of us than letting go. The trick is being able to recognize when that point comes, because shifting never looks like it is going to be easier than staying put. But a secret I learned is that it is ALWAYS easier to shift than to stay put! Ha!

Today I let go of saying put and open my wings to fly!

Look back and laugh!

You will look back on the times you laughed and you will cry. You will look back on the times you cried, and you will laugh. - anon

Going through tough times is never easy. And it's too cliche to make light of the pain while we are experiencing it. But today as I was facing a difficult challenge, I thought back to the last time I was in a similar situation... and I laughed! I remembered how intense I became and how my life seemed to come to the point of giving up. And I laughed at how soon it was forgotten, until today! So today, I stepped back and objectively looked at my tough spot and recognized that one day, I'd be laughing about this as well.

Today I release the attachment to the intensity of the pain, and choose to ride the emotion to the next level of my life evolution.

Blooming Fruit

Remember, when the bloom of the flower fades, it means the fruit has starting to grow!

As I was passing by a bush today, I noticed some of the flowers were fading and it made me sad. But as I looked closer, I noticed there were some little fruits appearing on other stems where the petals had completely fallen off. It was inspirational! It is all to easy to see the bloom as the climax, but it is just the beginning!!! Once the bloom fades, the flower loses its petals and begins to produce the fruit for which the bloom was only an advertisement for.

Today I'm going to let things in my life fade naturally knowing that the fruit is still to come!

Play in the puddles!

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain! - anonymous

It's raining here and I find myself wanting sunshine. I realized that this creates a state of unrest as I desire something I can't have. Then I remembered times when I've run out in the rain, jumping through puddles and laughing with friends. Moments later I began enjoying the rain, surrendered to the possibility of it bringing as much happiness as sunshine.

Today I'm going puddle-jumping, gonna find something to love in any situation.

Surrender

Surrender the present and invite the possibilities of tomorrow!

When we hold on to what we have, we miss out of what we can have. Simple principle, but difficult to maintain letting go, surrendering, in all aspects of our lives. We may be able to let go of the things we don't like, or focus on one particular aspect and consciously let go, but to achieve the maximum FREEDOM and ABUNDANCE in our lives, we need to let go of everything that IS what we ARE, HAVE, and DO in the present... in other words, surrender the PRESENT, allowing for the infinitie possiblities that come in the next moment.

Today I surrender the present moment, and invite the universe to amaze me!

Heart-felt answers

Following your heart requires we first be quiet for a while - asking and then feeling the answer.

It's easy to let the logic brain work out our questions and find solutions. My brain is going a million miles a minute to keep on top of everything. But I find the best answers are those that come from the heart. And unlike the brain, the heart requires a bit of quiet and patience before it answers. I imagine it is just a matter of learning the process and once it becomes routine, it is as easy to ask the heart to answer a question as the mind.

Today, I quietly ask my heart the question and patiently allow it to send me its answer through feeling.

Longing without Conviction

Longing without Conviction leads to neediness. We need to believe we can or our desire will lead to frustration.

When I recognize that I have a desire, it is my job to discern if believe I can achieve it. When the desire is beyond my conviction, I need to let it go. If I can achieve it, the desire becomes a healthy part of moving me towards my highest good. Manifestation becomes a mere matter of patience.

Today I look at my desires and release those I do not believe will bear fruit so as to give my fullest to those that I believe will.

letting go

In the process of building something new, we often have to let go of something old.

For me, letting go of my paste is a daily challenge. And while I am in the period of growth, attempting to stabilize the foundation and leap to the next destination, I am hesitant to throw anything out! I usually want to get to the next place and then look back and discard what I don't want.

But, sometimes, I have to let go in order to leap as that thing that I think is a part of my stability is actually a weight around my shoulders!

Today, I let go and release the past and open up to the new.

Shock and Spirit

Shock separates the ego from the spirit. The ego retreats in fear, teaching that the spirit is stronger and a more capable leader.

Many times over the past month, I've been shocked. Shock comes from both pleasant and unpleasant surprises. And the result is that I feel myself thrown off. If it is a pleasant shock, I dread the thought of returning to normal life, and if it is an unpleasant shock, I swing to the other extreme of not wanting to face the issue.

In both situations, it is the ego which has retreated from being the lead, directing the boat, calling the shots. When pleasantly surprised, the ego snaps back in denial, and in unpleasant ones, it snaps back in fear. And in both cases, what I am left with is pure spirit exposed and left alone to face the shock.

What happens in time is that the spirit learns that it is stronger than the ego. It is able to remain steady in the storms of life and stops letting the ego take control.

Today, I respond with grace to the shocks of life. My spirit has taught me to be at peace in all situations.

Intentions are like Butterflies!

Intentions evolve through stages like the butterfly, transforming from egg to caterpillar shedding skin to cocoon to winged miracle!

We start to manifest new realities through stages. We begin with the egg stage, where the desire and intention is sparked. We progress to the caterpillar stage where we shed many layers as we grow - attracting nutrients and digesting them and expelling them. And then we go into the cocoon stage where the most amazing transformation takes place. Then, bursting forth, we take flight as a butterfly, the metamorphosis complete, our intention made manifest.

Today I embrace the stage in which I am creating my intentions, some as eggs, some as butterflies!

Seeds of Desire

Just got off a great conference call with Maria Cristini and her Keys to Living tele-course, "Sparking Desire."

The phrase, "Seeds of desire" came up and really sparked something for me. Desire is a seed, with a whole lotta potential. We can choose to ignore it or give attention to it and plant it. And once planted, we can ignore it or choose to nurture it. And if planted and nurtured, we can then tend to the plant or let it strive on its own. We always have the choice of bringing life energy through focus or not.

What is one thing I can do to bring life to my desire? What is stopping me from doing that today?

Plant the seed of desire in your mind and it forms a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment - Collier

Share!

Share your hopes and dreams! Two minds are infinitely better [at manifesting intention] than one!

As a child, I was always struck by the pastor quoting the bible about "two ore more are gathered in my name..." I had a feeling there was something powerful about that principle. It wasn't until decades later in a yoga class I felt the powerful calm energy of the entire class chanting "om" that I recognized what it meant.

Focused minds create powerful realities. And when a group of people, two or more, are focused on the same intention, the power increases exponentially, not just multiplied by two, but more along the lines of being squared.

Today, I share and pass on the hopes and dreams I have knowing those who join me are accelerating their being made manifest.

It's raining today...

Rain cleanses and nourishes - today's showers give us the chance to release the past and feed the intentions we have planted.

The rain is often associated with our emotions. And a rain shower represents our emotions being cleansed. Today's rain in San Francisco is a huge downpour and an opportunity to see the universe as energetically clearing us and preparing us for something far greater.

Today, I let the rain cleanse my soul. And let the water nourish the purified intentions I have set forth in my life.

Redwood Seed Sized Intention

An intention is like an itty-bitty redwood seed... the universe will nourish it and let it grow into a 300-foot TITAN!!!

When a seed is planted it begins to change, both itself and everything around it. It begins to draw to it the water and nutrients in the ground. The water and nutrients were already there, the seed simply attracted them and used them to create something new.

Our intention is like a seed being planted. All that it needs to be made manifest is already there, and by making our intention, we begin attracting all the elements it needs to become reality.

I plant a seed today and trust the universe to bring it to life!

imagination leads to reality!

Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions. - Albert Einstein

Our imagination goes beyond what is realistically possible to dream up new realities. As the imagination immerses itself into this new reality it magnetically calls out to the energies that eventually begin to bring that vision into reality.

Today, my imagination is previewing a whole new world of positivity!

Every intention sets into motion a new reality.

Every time we set an intention, we are planting a seed. The seed, like those of a redwood tree, may be very small indeed. But once planted, it begins to change. It begins to attract water and nutrients and begins to sprout into a tree. That tiny seed becomes the tallest of all living organisms on the planet.

So too is it with our intentions. Like tiny seeds, planted in our subconscious, they begin change. They begin to attract the energetic forces necessary to sprout and given time will grow into the most magnificent realities of life.

Plant a seed today - set an intention!

Change thoughts - Change realty!

By changing our thoughts and images we literally change our reality!

Our brain creates neural patterns to match our thought patterns. This is why we eventually begin doing things on auto-pilot. We don't have to think how are we going to put on our jeans, we just put them on. The thought habit had been established.

Some of these thought habits are negative, contradictory or at best, confusing. "I can't", "I donno", "I don't believe it", are some of the common thought habits that we follow unconsciously in life.

The good news is that we can change our thoughts at any time. We can create new thought patterns and new thought habits. New neural connections are made simply by repeating an affirmation, "I think I can," said the little train.

Change our thoughts, change the images we hold, and we change our reality!

Ring in the new year!

Ring in the new year!

Bells have the unique ability to clear the energy of a space. Their tone literally vibrates the agitated energies into alignment and create a calm and clear energy.

So let's ring in the new year with a few real bells and clear the air and space to start the new year in peace!