Taking a Cue from Nature

Much of Feng  Shui comes from studying the way Nature works and utilizing the lessons learned.  So what does Fall tell us?  I want to suggest several things you can apply to your own life.

First, Nature is slowing down. She is bestowing her bounty on us during harvest. Lessons: First, slow down. speed:slowWe are so overloaded in a culture that pushes us to speed up faster and faster. You are a human being, not a human doing. You’ve heard that many times, but have you tried it for yourself?

Second: take gifts from the sumner and preserve them for the winter. Review your business. Take a look at your finances, especially your income and out expenses. Are they in balance? Make lists of things that need to be renovated, repaired or redecorated during the quiet time of winter. Get the items needed for your favorite hobby, i.e. scrapbooking. What about reviewing your photos with an idea of giving photo books for Holliday gifts?

More from Nature: Leaves are turning the most gorgeous colors. fall colorRich and deep.  Earth colors and rich metal colors of gold.. In Feng Shui, we use the Earth colors for grounding, and the golds speak of multidimensional wealth.  What are the portions of your life that are grounded, rich and vibrant? This is a time too look, reflect and evaluate such things both in your personal and your business life.

For me, fall has a bittersweet quality to it. I’m sad to see Summer pass. I’m reminded that change is the only constant in our world. Things are dying, and it’s time to let go. It’s time to slow down and reflect and meditate.  What are you holding onto that can be let go?

In many parts of the US, there is an ‘Indian Summer’ a time when nights are cool, days are perfect. It often shows up after a cold spell and is sort of a seasonal curtain call of summer passing. That brings me back to the bittersweet quality of Fall.

What is the shape that sums this all up? The symbol we see that even predates the Bagua energy map? It is the Tai Chi – the Ying Yan symbol where dark gives way to light giving way to dark. yinyangWhen it would appear that light is to become complete, a speck of darkness appears. And as the change continues, the dark begins to take over.  We see this in the natural world, where there is never a sharp delineation of dark or light. Rather one edges the other out only to have the reverse happen. Can you see this happening in your own life? Your own career?

And the takeaway? Harvest all the good things that have happened this year, and write them down. See how they contain the seeds for your future growth, future prosperity, further happiness. Nurture these during the coming months and be ready to plant them in new, fertile ground next spring.

Messy desk, messy mind?

You’ve seen the plaque “A messy desk means Genius,” and we know the dictum that if you clear the clutter out, your Office Worker with Mountain of Paperworkthinking will be clearer and more precise.  So what’s the truth? If you want to believe one (that’s 1) published study, the findings said that those with a messy desk tended to be more creative. They also tended to produce fresh and new ideas. So there!

On the other side of the coin, those who kept their spaces neat and clean? clean deskThey were more likely to “do the right thing,” like eating a more healthy diet or making a charitable donation. Maybe that’s because they don’t have such a crowd in their head, so they can be a bit more generous to others and to themselves.

Conclusions? If you feel your productivity is down, try cleaning up your desk (like I am doing right now – so I have time to pass along this helpful tip.) Better yet, try stetting one of two new habits: 1) pick one day a week when you clean your desk. Or, 2) take ten minutes each day before you leave the office (home or otherwise) and clean up the desk, leaving it fresh and clear. You’ll find you start each day with an uncluttered mind – and that makes a difference!

PS – It’s good feng shui!

PPS – how you doing? Share your comments by clicking on the title. It will take you to the comments section.

Losing weight – more than just pounds

As you may have noticed, I’m starting to refocus Creative Visions on a problem this society has BIG TIME: too much stuff. It comes in so many forms besides the physical . And what it’s doing is dragging our lives down. It stymies creativity. It causes unnecessary stress. It clogs up the gears of good relationships. And it costs us dearly financially.

OK, so what’s the answer? Obviously to see how to make out lives cleaner, smoother, more creative. And I’m passing along tips on my Facebook page [not what I had for dinner last night!] Things like how to get a better night’s sleep. A technique for gradually reducing the physical clutter that gather in almost all of our homes. Stop by www.Facebook.com/CreativeVisionsAshland and give me a like. I will not clog up your email with more useless garbage, just tips and tricks for you to use to make your life better. You’ll also be among the first to learn about my upcoming free webinar to help you get started.