Lose 10 Pounds in one hour!

Posted on April 5, 2016April 5, 2016 by Sugeet

If you thought – BS! You’re right – almost. This is a diet that’s not about not eating, Signature - 1 nor incredible exercise (although it does involve an exercise!) and, true enough, it only takes one hour. I’m posting useful hints and short bits about starting to get rid of your excess stuff. It is about losing weight – the cleaning, the storage $, the insurance to protect it, the stolen time justing thinking about where something is.

While I’ve run courses to help people lost their excess, I want to try now a slightly different tack. I want to help you enjoy yourself as you’re down to what’s really important. So the link I’m giving you here is just a very small start. But the reward can be so enjoyable that you’ll want to follow along and do more -bit by bit. So check out the latest newsletter.

And do leave a comment!

The Possibilities and Limitations of Feng Shui

Posted on March 9, 2016March 9, 2016 by Sugeet

As powerful and effective as Feng Shui can be, it is not a cure all. It’s important to know what this Key in book ancient art and science can do and what it cannot do. Some folks feel Feng Shui brings good luck.
If one’s fortunes change, I guess you could call that good luck. That’s a bit too indefinite for me. Others say the changes appear to be mystical. Yes, if by just moving furniture around, everything in the home goes better-it would appear to be mystical.

Anyone can move furniture around, but the energy of a place doesn’t always change -and sometimes not for the better! Yet, properly applied, the changes can be profound. With Creative Visions I try to pass along simple techniques that can affect your harmony, your prosperity, your health and your relationships. Then there also comes a point where you need professional help, and that’s when a complementary conversation determines if my services can effectively make significant changes in your life.

Where is your belief? Would you care to make a comment?

An Ode to the Overwhelmed

Posted on December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 by Sugeet

At a time when there is so much to do, so many little things to be taken care of, and solitude time, I wanted to pass along this wonderful poem from another Clutter Cleaner Coach (how’ you like that onomatopoeia?) Samantha Bennet. There’s a link to her site after the poem. Enjoy. And, of course, comments are welcome!

And as you stand there

Late again

Because you forgot to allow time to park

And the elevator was slow

And you left 10 minutes late to begin with

With your shoes that pinch

And your pants that are a little too small

Since you started eating white bread again

And as you paw through your bag

Looking for the suite number

That you’re not sure you wrote down to begin with

Let us now praise you.

You, the untidy.

You, the careless.

You, the easily distracted by sparkly things.

The money you spend on late fees alone

Could feed a family in Africa – Which reminds you that you meant to send in the kids’ Unicef money and

Forgot.

And that despite your best efforts,

You rarely eat a square meal,

You almost never get enough sleep

And exercise seems like a word that magazines have developed

Just to make you feel bad about yourself.

But you are good and brave.

You, flying by the seat of your pants

Making it work

Putting out fires

Saying your prayers

And dancing your dance of now and later and maybe and

I’ll-have-to-call-you-back-on-that-could-you-send-me-an-email-to-remind-me-to-call-you-back-on-that?

As innocent as each morning’s sunrise,

You are a fount of good intentions.

Your good humor is as graceful as a baby giraffe,

Even if that joke you were trying to make to the hotel clerk fell flat

And your toast at the wedding came out sounding a little…funny.

But you have gifts that no one knows about.

You have the strength to bend in the wind

You have the joyful spirit that loves a good belly laugh,

You have the wisdom to understand that everything will all come out all right in the end and

You have the faith to light a candle rather than curse the darkness.

That is, if you could find the book of matches from that romantic restaurant that you went to for your anniversary but since you didn’t have a reservation they made you wait at the bar for half an hour during which you had two appletinis and the rest of the night is a bit of a blur.

So much for the overpriced lingerie.

You are beautiful.

Frazzled and overworked and underpaid

You are the one who forgot your wallet

And forgot your receipt for the dry cleaners

And forgot your keys which you just set down five seconds ago, so where could they possibly have gone?

But you never forget to say, “I love you”

And you never forget to give a big smile to that nice parking guy

And you never fail to show endless patience when the

Too-tightly wrapped and overly-conscientious start to offer their

Oh-so-helpful suggestions about how you might feel better if you would just learn to alphabetize your spice rack.

You are beautiful.

So, wear the lingerie on Monday for no reason.

And why not just refuse to participate in the bake sale this year?

And give yourself a compliment for something you did well today.

Because you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever known.

May you get through this holiday season flying high and filled with gratitude!

Taking a Cue from Nature

Posted on October 23, 2015October 23, 2015 by Sugeet

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. We 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. Rich 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. When 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.

Beauty is Good Feng Shui

Posted on October 5, 2015October 5, 2015 by Sugeet

Positive Feng Shui can be strengthened using beauty when working with any environment. Yet everybody has their own idea of what beauty is, but not all spaces that an individual thinks beautiful have positive chi. What makes the difference, what makes one space work while another does not? Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder, how do we know when it’s working and when it’s not?

The answer lies in the principles of Feng Shui. Negative energy, or sha chi can remain on a site, and an energy clearing may be qrequirede. No matter what school is followed, the overarching guide is one of balance, harmony and the flow of positive energy. Engage the guidance of Feng Shui and any space can be made prosperous and peaceful.

A client approached me having purchased a long time dry cleaners and laundry business. It was being sold because the cash flow wasn’t sufficient.
We looked at the location and found it was good, but needed to change the look and feel from industrial practical to efficient and beautiful. This was accomplished by changing the front end of the business. The awning was replaced with one that balanced the yin and yang. Healthy plantings were added along the display windows. Inside the clutter of hundreds of clean garments was taken from public view and the counters covered in hammered brass formica. Interior colors were kept to earth tones.

The results made each customer feel not only welcome, but quietly showed them this cleaning service was going to be of the highest quality. The simplicity of the public area made the customer feel individually important. Soon after the completion of the renovation, the business became the profit center of the new owners, even though they had other branches in other towns nearby.

As time went by, the wife passed, and the widower began to become tired of carrying the whole load of the business. Many of the little touches, like the plants in front of the store, began to be neglected. The strip of ground between the sidewalk and the curb became full of weeds. In other words, the ‘face’ of the business started to reflect the owner’s fatigue. He would finally decide to sell the business and retire. However, he was unable to attract a buyer and finally had to let the property be sold at a loss.

It was an unfortunate ending for the owner was a good man who had high standards for the quality of cleaning. But had had he paid the same attention to the physical appearance of his business he did to the cleaning, he would have potentially realized a profit not only the property but the business as well. Mies Van der Rohe, the famous architect, said ‘God is in the details.” A master Feng Shui practitioner keeps that in mind, bringing balance and harmony to each project. A refined sense of beauty is most often the result.

Windows – through a glass darkly

Posted on September 6, 2015September 6, 2015 by Sugeet

Who wants clean windows?

We all do, that’s who. I was just sent the following article with “7 ultimate” tips for clean windows. http://tinyurl.com/q6fuujj Go ahead and read it if you want, but I’m here to tell you you do not need any of the tips. In fact, you only need a certain cloth and plain water.

A friend gave me a “Mystic Maid” cloth months ago. It looked like most any other microweave cloths, so I put it away. She had told me it was an incredible invention. Yeah, sure. But later, for some obscure reason, I got it out and looked it up on the net (http://tinyurl.com/oh8sx7t) and thought, “worth a try.”

Was I surprised by the ease of no streaked clean windows? Oh yeah. Yes, I had to rinse the dirt off the cloth, but that’s not beyond my skill level! I went back to their site to explore a bit more and found the “press reviews.” http://tinyurl.com/px5v6ex. I am now a believer, for windows, porcelain, stainless. Because it costs $15, I treat it with care and don’t go after the really nasty stuff.

How much have I spent on squegee, mop, cloths, and cleaner? More than $15. But $15 is certainly worth it when I can, in 8 minutes, clean the slider to the patio, the kitchen windows inside and out with a single cloth and water. I now have clean windows and can keep it that way with no bother.

This was NOT a paid commercial. Simple is better. And this is good Feng Shui!

Interior Design vs Feng Shui

Posted on September 3, 2015September 3, 2015 by Sugeet

Interior Design, by it’s very nature, is client centric. The designer takes the client’s requirements and creates an environment which pleases the client. There’s nothing wrong with that and it works for many people, especially those who have very specific ideas about how they want things to look but don’t know how to get there.

Feng Shui, good feng shui, is more holistic. The best feng shui creates a space that is balanced. Not just for the client, but for everyone who enters the space. Feng Shui creates an enveloping energy that is both positive and supportive of everyone. In that sense, the path feng shui takes can incorporate the ideas of the client but goes far beyond. Sometimes good interior design can get there also, but the feng shui practitioner knows exactly how and where the path is.

Are you wanting to change a home? A business? A room? Look at the work for both the feng shui practitioner and the designer. Talk with the friends of those folk and see where your scale balances. Feel unsure about this? You can give me a call and I will be glad to help guide you to your best decision. 541-488-1777.

5 Keys to Effective Lighting

Posted on August 29, 2015August 29, 2015 by Sugeet

It’s amazing how much light affects us, yet most people have little awareness about this important element. Surprisingly, light is not included as one of the 5 elements in Feng Shui, yet it’s affects on us can be just as significant as the other elements. So here are 5 tips to make light work for you.

1) Try to get at least a half hour of real sunlight a day. If you can’t, take Vitamin D3.

2) Don’t place lights sources in back of you. Often kitchens and offices just have overhead lights and people stand at a surface casting a shadow on their work. Under-counter lights to correct this. The less you strain your eyes, the less likely your eyesight will diminish with age.

3) Visible light comes in a full color spectrum. Though most of us can’t recognize the different between a 2500K light source and a 5K source, it affects the colors we see and how we feel about them. Many people say “use daylight, or full spectrum lights. That’s fine, but the light feels cold and impersonal. It can do the same thing to many colors, making warm color feel cold. We are used to a warmer light. So before you replace bulbs (anywhere!) go to a dealer who has a series flight boxes with the same photo in each. You’ll quickly see which one looks the best to you. That’s the amount of Kelvin you want to get. [Kelvin is the measurement of the light wave length.)

4) If you’re converting to LEDs you are being kind to the environment and using electricity wisely. But make sure you know what you’re getting. Ever notice some new cars have piercingly blue/white headlights? You don’t want that inside. Look for warm white LEDs for inside use.
5) Want to draw attention to something? Put lots of light on it. If you’re in business, you’d be surprised how that can bring people into a store. Likewise, if you want your party to be mellow and casual, keep the lighting soft.

One fellow I know made his entire lucrative business lighting restaurants so that women look really good. He laughed all the way to the bank while his cynics thought he was cracked. How and were you use light is more important than you think.

Want to solve a situation with light? Call Sugeet. He’s not only a Feng Shui expert, he also was an art gallery director for 12 years. Talk about lighting!

Start to eliminate overwhelm. Here’s a key

Posted on August 24, 2015August 24, 2015 by Sugeet

You may know you are in overwhelm or that you become overwhelmed from time to time. How bad does it get? How often? If you’ll take the time to look at you desk (if that’s where you spend most of your time) or your office, or you shop, or you home, and you see clutter, you have a thermometer for overwhelm. It’s a well known fact in Feng Shui and in business circles that if you have a lot of clutter, your thinking will reflect that back.

It’s an ego trip to think of “how busy I am, look at everything I need to get done…” That’s the perfect cue to go into overwhelm. You probably aren’t getting that much done and what you do get done may not be your best work. So take the baby step, clear everything off your desk and only outback things that are used everyday. Keep it simple. Then notice that you are thinking more clearly about what you have to get don. Try it! You’ll like it.

A Feng Shui tune up – Windchimes!

Posted on August 11, 2015August 11, 2015 by Sugeet

Too often I hear people disparaging wind chimes as just another gewgaw to annoy the neighbors. Beg to differ. Here’s a brief story to help you understand how the ancient art and science of Feng Shui uses wind chimes.

A client loved her new home, but soon realized that she was unable to relax and recharge. The home had a beautiful view of the valley, had lots of light, was room, and not cluttered. She called her Feng Shui practitioner wanting it fixed.

Here was a home that welcomed you, inviting you in. Yet once in the front door, all the energy zoomed out those gorgeous picture windows overlooking the valley. As far as the energy went, you could have had 3 or 4 big fans making wind in the home. No wonder she couldn’t relax!

The fix was to use strategically placed wind chimes to disperse and slow the energy. A visual metaphor is possibly a better illustration of what a good wind chime can do.

Picture a tray or plate with sand mounded on it. When wind meets the sand, it picks up grains of and takes them where the wind goes. This is the situation when the home’s chi is lost – right out the beautiful picture windows. Now quietly vibrate that same tray and what happens? The mound dissipates and the sand becomes flat, level. The chi enters the home, gets dissipated by the wind chime and only later leaves.

Choosing the right wind chime is critical. We’ve all been on vacation where every craft shop and garden center has many, many to choose from. Some are crafts gone mad. Come are downright clever. Others cute. You need none of these. Look for a wind chime that produces a positive effect on YOUR mood. A good wind chime is a pleasing sound one you won’t mind hearing when the wind moves it.

Some of the better ones are tuned to certain musical keys. You’ll resonate with one over the others. That’s the one for you.

Two manufacturers of high quality chimes are Woodstock and Music of the Spheres. You can listen to them online. See how they affect you. (These are just suggestions, I have no affiliation with either.) Pick the one that draws you – that creates pleasure. Then hang that one where the Feng Shui Practitioner suggested.

Of the client? Her practitioner brought her a wonderful one (she later got 2 more!) and she feels 100% different.

Sound is one form of energy that Feng Shui works with. Used correctly, sound can change your life! (You get a ‘tune-up’ for your car…what about a tune up for yourself?)