Is your home office a spare room full of whatever doesn't fit
anywhere else? Does your daily commute end with winding your
way through a corporate maze to your own crowded cubicle?
Do you sit down at your desk and push piles of papers aside
to create a little workspace?
If this sounds familiar, and you know that your productivity
is suffering, maybe you want to try a little feng shui in
your workspace.
Feng shui (pronounced "fung schway") is the ancient art of
placement and design that balances and enhances the energy flow
in an environment. This can be placement of a home on a piece
of property, location of an office building on a city block,
orientation of rooms in a house, arrangement of furniture in
a room or objects on a desk.
For a complete feng shui evaluation, you need to consult with a
professional. It's far too complex to address completely in an
article. I'll just give you a few examples of techniques you
can try so you can see if feng shui is for you.
In any situation, there will obviously be believers and
non-believers, and this is true of co-workers as well as
spouses. To effect change in the corporate environment or at
home, you have to start with yourself, and realistically this
may be all you can accomplish.
At the center of this belief system is a powerful reality
that you need to be able to embrace: There is an energy flow
that BRINGS abundance to all of life. Using feng shui to
attract things to you means removing blockages and enhancing
this natural flow. This doesn't mean you only need to move
the furniture around and then sit back and wait for the money
to arrive; it removes the suffering and struggle and leaves you
working from a place of peace at the center of your being.
Clutter is stagnant energy that leaves no room for growth. The
tendency to save things because "someday you might need them"
indicates a lack of belief in the energy flow that brings
abundance to you. Your message to the universe is that you don't
trust that it will provide for you. The flow stops.
This energy flow, called ch'i ("chee"), enters through the front
door of any building or room and is then dispersed. It also
enters through windows. It exits through doors and windows too.
During the day, it enters through windows, at night it exits,
hence a reason to close curtains. Think of it as air or water
flow; it's like that.
If you want more opportunity in your work environment, make
sure the path to the door is as wide as the door. This goes
for paths, hallways and outer rooms. The easiest way to attract
ch'i is to get rid of clutter; no toys scattered on paths to the
house, no shoes strewn in the middle of the hallway or piles of
boxes between the world and your desk.
If the ch'i entering through your door immediately meets a wall,
you can compensate with mirrors. If the ch'i enters and there are
windows directly opposite, it enters and leaves again quickly.
A partition or some other object, or even curtains, can slow or
diffuse the flow.
Next is the orientation of your desk within the office space,
and placement of objects in the room and on the desk. When you
enter your office, stop and face the interior. Divide your office
into 9 equal-sized areas. Each area represents an area of your
life, and also relates to a color and an element. The front
three, from left to right, are skills/knowledge/wisdom;
career/life path; and helpful people/travel. The middle three are
family/foundation; health; and creativity/children. The back
three are abundance/prosperity; reputation/fame; and
relationships/love/marriage.
The idea is to locate your desk, if possible, in the area "where
you work". Are you an artist or an teacher? A travel agent or
a marriage counselor? A banker or a work at home entrepreneur?
A few rules of thumb:
1) Never put your desk directly in front of the door, and don't
orient it so your back is to the door. Either face the door
directly or so you can see the door without turning.
2) Place things in each section of the room that enhance the
meaning of that area of your life. For example, the obvious
choice for the knowledge area is books relating to your work.
A not so obvious addition would be an empty vessel, symbolizing
openness to new knowledge. In the career area might be milestones
of your career such as diplomas or awards, or business cards and
brochures, etc. Your phone, rolodex, and photo of your mentor
might be in the helpful people area.
Family would be photos, or maybe religious objects if your
foundation is your faith; the health area stays open and
uncluttered; and something you've created is placed in the
creativity area.
Water is a universal symbol of abundance, so an aquarium,
fountain, or even a picture of a waterfall would be appropriate.
The reputation area would contain whatever you would like to be
known for. The relationship area would contain momentos of
loved ones, or symbols of love. You can put pairs of objects
in this area: two roses, two photos or photos of pairs of
friends.
3) Do the same with the arrangement of objects on your desk.
Use the same areas, but keep it simple. Balance out the presence
of electronic equipment with a plant or bouquet.
You can also enhance a particular area with color. There are
colors that soothe (blue/greens), stimulate (reds), invite
collaboration and social gatherings (oranges and browns), enhance
mental activity (yellows), suggest oppulence and abundance
(purples, maroons, reds). There is an element and color
associated with each area also, but that is way too much
to get into here.
Bottom line, though, is that your office has to feel good to YOU.
Follow your instincts and you'll create a more productive,
abundant space. Let feng shui and common sense be your guide.
Glenn Beach is an entrepreneur creating abundance in his
home office with: www.work-at-home-business-opportunity-canada.com
