It’s tax time in the U.S. and people are e-mailing me a plenty about getting more cash! So, here are my most current ideas on abundance.

I do have to say, the old “give to receive” plan is a good one. I have been tithing for quite some time now, and never before have I NOT worried about money like I have not during this time! It REALLY works! Tithing, if you don’t know, is giving 10% of your gross income away – some say, so whomever “feeds you spiritually.” Oprah gives 10% of all her income away. If she’s not the poster child of tithing, I don’t know who is! If this sounds “too religious” to you, or you come up with some reason why you can’t tithe, what I’d say to you is that you are currently suffering from the illusion that your job is your source of income. It’s not. The universe is your source!

If you don’t get it, you don’t get feng shui either, because it takes faith that feng shui works or you wouldn’t do it. It is that same faith that can get you more money! So, whatever “your story” is about why you can not tithe is the very reason that is stopping you from getting the cash you want! I am giving you a time-tested secret to get you to a prosperous life. I’ve got nothing to gain by offering this tip…so just try it! Is it a head trip to give away 10% of your income? Oh yea, it’ll push buttons….the buttons that will free up your money flow if you play the game!

Does it have to be 10%? Yes. Hey, I didn’t make the universal energy rules. Just keep thinking Oprah.

There’s also a gal in Alabama that, well, if you haven’t heard of her, I’d say it’s time. Especially if money issues are your thing. Her name is Edwene Gaines. She has a book entitled The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity. She lays down the law on how to break free of lack thinking and spells out EXACTLY how to create abundance. Trust me…she’s good, and funny, too!  Her website is http://www.prosperityproducts.com/.

I also have a friend, who has WONDERFUL CDs on attracting success and abundance – so I thought I’d share her with you too. Her name is Debbie Friedman. She’s a certified clinical hypnotherapist that specializes in, among other things, attracting wealth. I think her CDs are fantastic. Her web site is: http://tinyurl.com/4dkp9

I think this is the easiest way in the world to break free of those negative thoughts that hold you back; because you can practically sleep your way to success!

If you thoroughly explore these four answers, you’ll have a much more clear idea of the facts and emotions that surround this decision and can forge ahead with more ease and empowerment.

Of course, as a feng shui consultant, I always like to suggest enhancing the front left-hand part of the home with something earthy, or a good symbol of wisdom too.

I would highly recommend, if you have the resources, to hire a feng shui consultant (hopefully one that is very comfortable with the design process like an architect, landscape architect or interior designer) to help you navigate the rebuilding process with the best feng shui outcome. But if that isn’t in the cards, consider these ideas below:

1. Place the names of your insurance agents and companies, government agencies, designers, contractors, employers, family members, and feng shui consultants – or anyone else that you need help from – in your helpful people box. Even if you are staying in temporary housing and no longer have your old box, remember, you can simply wrap the names in aluminum foil or anything metal. If you want to write notes to them like “Thank you ________ for being so helpful to me while I rebuild my home and life back.” so much the better.

2. Do a ground blessing on the land before rebuilding. Make up whatever ritual you want to, or use a traditional one. I’d recommend the “Exterior Ch’i Adjustment” if I were choosing a traditional feng shui ritual.

3. During re-construction, consider:
∙ Spray painting the sub flooring with the bagua color pattern before you lay down the final floor materials.

∙ If you have the chance – redesign the home to make the building shape complete – no “missing pieces.”

∙ Create a winding path to the front door and make the door visible and easy to find from the street.

∙ Create flat ceilings overhead – at least in the bedrooms if possible (and no exposed beams if possible.)

∙ Avoid placing ceiling fans directly over where you spend a lot of time (especially the bed.)

∙ Design the bedroom such that you can get your bed up against a solid wall and not in line with the bedroom door…and preferably place the bedrooms in the back half of the house.

∙ Spray paint a circle of red around the hole where the toilet goes before it is set. Then you will not ever need to counterbalance it later!

∙ If you had mirrors up against walls to keep noisy neighbors away, etc, try placing them between the studs if you have the chance to get them inside there! You can place mirrors inside the walls wherever you need to – like if you want to push the toilet away from a bedroom space or a kitchen, etc. Or if your bedroom has to be over the garage, you can place the mirror under the flooring between floor joists facing down to push the garage energy away from the bedroom, etc.

∙ Consider healthy home and sustainable building advice when rebuilding. Now’s your chance to get a lot of design mistakes remedied – take advantage of it! Put the laundry room on an outside wall, seal the slab floors that were wicking up moisture into the house, choose flooring that is not toxic like synthetic wall-to-wall carpet, properly vent the gas stove, etc.

Reframe this as a “fresh start” or a “new chance to get it right,” and it will be a lot less painful to rebuild. Looking back with regret is not a powerful or resourceful state. “A conviction to create the healthiest home for you now” is much more powerful during this time.

One more thing. If you can not get over your grief, or fear, or sadness, or any other unhelpful emotional state, give me a call and I’ll be happy to help you work through (actually eliminate) these states. This kind of thinking is exactly why I designed a program called the “Feng Shui Your Mindset” Program.

Good luck and be well.

Yes, once you get your home set up to support the things in life that you want, all kinds of things can change rapidly…sometimes, it can be quite a bumpy ride! For example, I have seen people get laid off the very next day after applying feng shui cures for a dream job…and I have seen relationship breakups happen right after “bring me the perfect relationship” changes were made…AND, I have seen numerous appliances and household fixtures break or die right after using feng shui…but to call these bad is probably not accurate from a feng shui perspective.

Getting laid off right after making feng shui adjustments usually means that the path is cleared, and the dream new job is now available to come to you. Same goes for the relationship if you asked for “the perfect relationship for me now” as one of your feng shui wishes. And as for the appliances and household stuff (plumbing, electrical, door handles, etc.), I usually paint this picture for my clients to help them understand: “It is like the feng shui energies are breaking the weak energetic links in your strong feng shui chain now, so once you fix them, the new, stronger energies can now arrive and HOLD in your home…which then, will be able to support your new intentions.”…make sense?

So, is it really “bad,” when the very thing that you asked for is going to be in your life way sooner because you went through a little “bad” bumpy patch?? Only you can decide!

HAPPY Holidays!

See that first word there? The capitalized one? Let’s try to remember that energy quality as we’re standing in line at the mall, preparing food, and spending time with children.

Since some people do affirmations daily, I thought I’d just take a moment to write up a few affirmations  to de-stress around this holiday season. Just re-reading them makes me feel calmer….so good for the body… I hope they do the same for you.

I Am One With the Spirit of the Holidays.

I Am Joyful.

I Am Rich in Spirit.

I Am at Peace.

#1 Minimize negative thoughts in your mind and in your home. Negative thinking is destructive to the body. There’s a difference between being informed and being consumed by the news. Learn what you need to know from as little medias as possible, take appropriate action, and then move on to the next thought – hopefully it is a more giving or loving one. (Once one realizes the chi connection between all things, one can appreciate the “force field” that is created when another is consumed with “bad news.”) Remove/Recycle newspapers and magazines filled with “bad news” from your home.

#2 Surround yourself with positive thoughts and affirmations. Let’s try to simply infuse the atmosphere and our subconscious with positive thoughts and positive and life-affirming words. Check out Dr. Emoto’s work if you need inspiration.  I’d like to add the word forgive in the mix of words to choose to place around you if you find yourself hopelessly grinding on hateful or revengeful thoughts.

#3 Enhance the Wisdom (Skills and Knowledge) Gua (front left-hand part of room or home.) A simple picture of a mountain, or a stone or other earth element can be helpful in this spot in the home. If you want to write down some affirmations and place them in this area, you’d be doing yourself some good. Higher thoughts go hand-in-hand with good decisions, which can help dig you out of a fearful funk.

#4 A ritual can also go a long way here. Walk around your lot, home, or throughout the inside of your apartment with very clear intentions of creating a place of protection. First, clear your mind and heart from anything unforgiving and un-loving. (For example, saying the prayer of St. Francis can be helpful if you know it.) Then, visualize your home (or development, or county or the entire world) enveloped in a field of light (choose pink for love, green for the heart chakra, or even golden or white light.) Send love along with the color throughout  these places in your mind with a blessing or giving mindset. The, proceed knowing you are protected. Go about your every day business.

Now, you no longer need to dwell on the negativity. …just a thought.

Answer: Water running out of the pipe’s control in a house can mimic emotions running out of control with the people (or even one person) living in the house, so I would start to investigate if anything particular has happened in someone’s life that may have caused an emotional upheaval. The classic cause and effect situation for this is grief. If someone is grieving over a loss (can be a person, pet, job, marriage, friendship, etc.) it can trigger an energy that translates into “the house crying,” or, the water element “out of it’s banks.”

Perhaps an enhancement in the family and friends gua (wood element, green, photos of family and friends, etc.) with intentions of creating emotional harmony within could be helpful. If that doesn’t feel appropriate, perhaps an enhancement in the skills and knowledge gua with the intention of gaining insight as to how to harmonize your emotions and feelings may do the trick.

When my father unexpectedly died, the pipes in my mother’s house hammered and clanked violently for about two days. I remember asking my mom if this was normal (I live out of town and didn’t know if this had been going on for a while or what) and everyone else in the family said “NO!” at the same time. Perhaps that’s what happens when the plumbing is strong, but there is overwhelming grief and tears suddenly in a house. And in my mom’s case, as oddly as it started, it went away on it’s own. So I would do a little internal investigation on what feels like a loss and see if anything can be done to alleviate that mental or emotional condition.

(If you are familiar with “tapping,” or Emotional Release Techniques, that may be one way to help fears and other emotional upheaval.)

I have also seen many sudden leaks or pipe breaks as a type of “clean up” due to the introduction of a lot of feng shui intention for a revitalized and energized home. In this circumstance, the home literally breaks at the weakest links all at once. And as much as it appears to be a bad thing when it is happening, it is actually a good thing in the end because the house literally gives up its weaknesses all at once. And once they are fixed, it retains a much stronger hold on the good or vital chi that you have intended to hold for a much longer time.

So, if you have recently powered up your home with lots of good intentions or have found yourself in a grieving state of mind, your house may have had the need to “relieve itself.”

His holiness Grandmaster Professor Thomas Lin Yun

Many people e-mail me asking why I chose to write about and choose to use Black Hat style feng shui over some of the other styles out there (mainly the compass styles.) So, I thought I’d formally tell you.

Here’s my top ten list.

Top Ten Reasons I Use the Black Hat Sect Style of Feng Shui the most:

#10     My first teacher specialized in the Black Hat style.

#9       I think Black Hat translates to Western thinking best (and that’s the way I think – I think!)

#8      Grand Master Professor Lin was awesome when I met him! (The definition of awesome is “inspiring awe,” and awe’s definition is “a feeling of reverence mingled with wonder.”)

#7      Taking compass directions can be tricky for some (for example, if there is something metal in the area – even underground – it can throw off the compass reading, AND true North actually moves A LOT,) and I’m a wee bit to much of a perfectionist to handle it.

#6      The north pole is constantly shifting – and front doors don’t shift along with it.

#5      I trust my intuitive skills over my math skills.

#4      Who am I  kidding – I have no math skills

#3     I can feng shui airplanes and house boats where front doors move.(And yes, I’ve been asked to!)

#2      People can’t move or pick up their houses and spin them to a more favorable direction if they need to and Black Hat Sect Style doesn’t bum them out and make them wish they could.

#1      And most importantly, I get my best results using it!

And as I’ve said before, this is MY list and the reasons I use Black Hat Sect style the most. I believe other people can get great results using other styles. So I say, “Use whatever style that works best for you!”

I am grateful.

I am rich in spirit.

I am magnificent.

I am joyful.

I am receiving.

I am generous.

I am playful.

I am free.

QUESTION: I’m in a funk. I feel moody, unsure of my financial future, and quite frankly guilty about celebrating anything, let alone Valentine’s day….. Is there something I can do to my home to help me climb out of this funk?

ANSWER:Now here’s a question that I can sink my teeth into! Let’s do something concrete to counterbalance an uncomfortable feeling that you can’t quite grasp.

Feelings of sadness, guilt and depression are usually spawned from thwarted expectations, and from unconscious beliefs that you may have that you are not even aware you’ve got. You expect things to go one way, and they go another…..you want this to happen; and that happened. When you look at this way of being, it becomes obvious that you are not centered in the now, but are trapped in past or future thinking. I usually attach this problem from many angles – most notably, from a mindset-makeover perspective, and from a traditional feng shui perspective. The “mindset makeover” is my way of describing a protocol that I put my clients through when they can’t see their way out of a problem They are very set, or stuck in their thinking , and that thinking is actually stopping them from something that they desperately want in life. (see the link below for more info.)

Now to the traditional feng shui treatment. Where is the past and future dealt with in feng shui? It is dealt with in the Family (half way back on the left side of a room or the home) and Creativity and Children guas.(half way back on the right.) Here’s my concrete feng shui advice to help sort out and address these feelings.

1. Check for imbalances in the wood and metal elements in your home – especially in the family and creativity guas. As you scan the room, see if you can find all 5 elements and see if they all balanced. Think about the materials the furniture and accessories are made of as well as the colors and shapes of things. Mentally (or physically!) label them and make a tally of what the room needs. Scan each room for added power. Then go about shifting items to bring about balance of all five elements – especially in these two guas. If there is more of one element in these guas, make sure that is it more wood in Family and more metal in Creativity.

2. Check for sad, still, and lonely art and symbols in your home. Sometimes it is best to have a friend come in and look at your stuff with their critical eye because it is so hard to objectively look at your old stuff in a new way. Remove any items that feel or appear not to lift up the space but rather bring it down….a weeping willow on a foggy lake, a portrait of a smile-less person….whatever seems like a downer to you or your friend. Either remove them for good (my preference) or give them away temporarily until you have a better handle on your emotions if you can’t part with them at this time. Be on the look out for stillness in main rooms in the home and possibly add a moving object or a living object to counterbalance this situation. It is amazing what a fresh lively plant or a little table fountain can do in this situation.

3. Check lighting levels…..especially at this time of year when sunlight is so short (if you are in the northern hemisphere.) It may help at this time to seek additional lighting, wattage, or change lighting levels to full spectrum lighting. Remember, light is a traditional cure that can shift ch’i anywhere – no knowledge of guas needed!

4. Create a “centering” space – hopefully somewhere in the heart or near the center of the home. Place objects and furnishings there that totally nurture you and make you feel cared for. Make it feel sacred to you so you feel special when there. If there is no space, create a treasure map/vision board by cutting out pictures and words from magazines, etc. and paste them on a board in a very mindful manner. Then hang this in a place that is rather private (just inside your walk-in closet, or where you get dressed in the morning) for you to enjoy and remind yourself of that which brings you joy.

And if you are not seeing results with the above changes:

5. Have a professional dowser or feng shui consultant check for unhealthy geopathic stress – the earth energy that is not conducive to a healthy, balanced living space.

6. If you’d like me to unleash everything I’ve got to shift your mind, body, spirit and your environment on you, feel free to click here.. When you’re done with me, you’ll see life in a whole new way – I guarantee it.

7. Don’t forget the medical mundane cure. If you have done as much with your home as you can and still do not feel you have appropriate results, seek professional medical and mental health expertise. Medical attention may be part of the key for you to find balance within.