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!

The post Give Money Away So You Can Have More appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

For those of you who have read my book or know a bit about feng shui, there are several “cycles of elements.” In the creative cycle, wood “fuels” the fire (Page 36, 37) and fire creates earth. The trees and brush are being consumed by the fire. The ashes fall and add to the earth. Page 41 depicts how each element “destroys” another. Water douses fire. Metal chops wood. Lack of water in the air and within the vegetation allow for the possibility of an access of fire. (And then there’s that invisible energy WIND, that adds to the power of an element by moving it rapidly…think hurricane and dust storm as well as the fires here!) The fire personnel use water to douse the fire and metal axes and shovels to chop the wood so it has less of a chance to fuel the fire.

The fact is we are a tiny part of this big blue marble called earth. We belong to it, we don’t own it. See the fires as Mother Nature’s message to enjoy what we have when we have it, and her reminder that everything on earth is always and forever changing and that it is perfect in the big picture.

If you have lost your home to this fire or any other way and are currently in a victim mentality, my advice is to try to change your perspective and attitude. Yes, there is a type of “mourning,” or at least the sense of it that should be honored. A tiny, mini version of this is felt when one simply de-clutters and let’s go of stuff. Removing stuff from your life in the physical world mimics the removal in the psychological world as well. And if you’ve been stripped, there is no doubt you have such feelings and will remember this event for the rest of your life.

I will try to console you by saying that many of my clients who have previously labeled a tragedy or event as “the worst moment of their lives” later recant to say it actually was the best thing that ever happened to them (and I include myself in this bunch).

If you are a parent and find yourself in the situation of having “grieving” kids, perhaps you can learn from this family that I knew of that lost everything…(especially since I heard that people were concerned about looting with this fire.)

This family that I know was robbed — “Grinch-style.” They took everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! It simply looked like the family moved. When the family returned, everyone looked upon this event with their own perspective. The mom picked herself up by her boot straps and got to a place of “Yea! I get all new stuff!” But the 6 year-old daughter decided right then and there that she was never going to be caught off guard like this again! She started hoarding candy (her current most valuable commodity); hiding it away wherever she could. Flash to thirty years later. The mom is “over it,” and lives a clean and de-cluttered life. The daughter still hoards and collects, and never throws anything away. The daughter still to this day buys bags of candy and stuffs them all throughout her house (and NEVER eats a bit!) It drives her mother crazy whenever she goes over to her daughter’s house! It was the same event, but the perspective taken was very different.

So, watch what meaning you assign to these types of events, and hopefully, you can help your kids through it better than this mom above. Find a way (for yourself and your children) to mark this event as simply a moment in time that you will get through, and that it just may be a blessing in disguise that you’ll laugh about later. Don’t overlook the possibility of professional help (for your kids or yourself) if you can’t get out of negative thought patterns because this is a “sooner is better than later” thing. (Or let me know and I’ll be happy to do some “Feng Shui Your Mindset” coaching around it.)

Life is a series of ever-changing events. It’s our perspective, and how we label those events that creates our reality. Choose your perspective wisely.

The post COLORADO FIRES – Tragedy or Triumph? appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

1. Employ the “helpful people box.” Place the name of the person you are interviewing with, the company name, and anyone else you can think of that needs to be helpful with regard to you getting this job on paper (try red to activate it) and place it in a metal box with a lid or a metallic envelope, and then place that box or metallic envelope in the front right-hand part of your home or your desk space with the intention of everyone on that list helping you in this endeavor.

2. Start a “fake-it-till-you-make-it diary.” Write down each day how your day goes now that you are employed with this company – diary-style…”For example, “today, I got up excited to get into work today because all of the work I do there is so exciting and rewarding! I literally say to myself all the time “I’m so lucky to have this awesome job!” It feels great to be in such a good position to be so helpful… – whatever you want to say here… Write every day, just like you would write a diary…you might want to do this fake diary cure as if you are talking about your ultimate DRAEM JOB instead of the one you are interviewing for, in case there is a better fit out there for you. (This employs trust – if you do not get this current job, you gotta keep writing as that better on is finding its way to you!)

3. Wear something blue if you do a face to face interview as it denotes “trust-worthiness.”

4. Wear something red (can even be and probably is preferable to be hidden) to give you a little extra “power” during the interview.

5. Peel 9 orange pieces of peel off of an orange and place those bits in your pocket with intentions of clearing any negativity off of you during this interview.

6. Have a neat, clean, and big-enough-to do-the-job desk space built and ready to go at home. Even if you are not going to use it for this job, it will energetically say “I’ve got the time and space to handle this job.”  If you are living in a Starbucks off of a laptop and can’t figure out why you do not have full time PERMANENT employment, consider that your desk space is saying “you are temporary” for you.

7. Be on time, be prepared, and know how to interview – everyone always expects feng shui to be oddball, but the mundane every-day stuff IS important to your feng shui too!

The post Job Interview Tips with Feng Shui appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

According to environmental psychology and the timeless rules of feng shui, the more stable and well placed the desk, the more successful the person is who sits there. As a feng shui consultant for almost twenty years, I have noticed a “desk trend” that I believe may be one of the keys to reversing this current weakened economy. The trend is this: workers have traded in their four-walled, closed-doored office with the solid wood, dedicated-to-one-worker desk for a migrating laptop on the floor, bed, lap, kitchen counter, or, you know where I’m going… a space at a table at Starbucks — screaming espresso-maker included. Could applying this one feng shui rule to workspaces turn the economy around? According to the success stories that I get from my clients who have traded in their roaming-laptop office for a permanent “money-making space” I say, it certainly could at a minimum make a dent!

So, what does the optimal feng-shuied, money-making space include? 1. A good chair: the taller the back the better. If it has arms on the side, you’ve scored even bigger. (You never see a king’s throne with no back or arms do you?)The chair also can’t teeter or wobble in any way. No one wants an off-balance worker… 2. A good desk. I repeat: desk. That does not mean anything that you would describe as a “table” or “counter” a “door on saw horses” or any other furniture item. (Don’t get me started on the lap!) Preferably, the desk should be made of opaque materials (like wood instead of glass), and although this sounds obvious, (I’ve seen the opposite too many times to count,) it must be big enough to “do the job.” As a matter of fact, I’d say, make it big enough to do a bigger job than what you’ve got to actually increase your job opportunities. 3. A good chair and desk location. Essential to this economy-turning mix is the actual placement of the desk. “The more space in front of your face, the more opportunities you’ll have.” Hold it right there if you want to debate this. I’m telling you, do NOT face a wall or else you’ll be beating your head against the wall with everything you do with your career. Chuck that stupid furniture piece that hides your office in an armoire (that is hiding you from jobs!) or forces you to face a shelf or wall (dunce position) because of its design. A proper desk put in a “CEO position” (where your back is to a solid wall (no window or door behind you) and where you can see whoever enters the room) is the optimal job-getting, prosperity-creating, climb -the-corporate-ladder position. DO NOT try to justify otherwise. The cost of this new desk in this new position will pay for itself. If you do not have a dedicated room for an office, carve out a space in another room (preferably not in your bedroom) to set this little scene up. Imagine that you are a set designer and you have to design a set for a powerful, rich, business person. What kind of stuff is appropriate to use in this scene? Design your space that way. So, will you join my economy changing experiment by creating PERMANENT office space? Please do and let me know your results!

The post A Cheap Fix for the World Economy appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

I finished reading your entire book and cleaning 99.9% of my flat last night. I ached and ached but felt fantastic and went to bed but was suddenly awake 3.39am this morning and have been actively implementing more of your book since. I have put so much energy and time into moving my stuff and will now continue with my life in the same way that feng shui will work quiet miracles around me – and into life. A great big thanks to you for your book – brilliant read. I was disappointed to get to the end. Thanks, Wendy C.

#2 My husband and I felt that the energy in our home wasn’t good, and I stumbled across your book online (which was highly recommended). I just finished reading it and we started “feng shui”-ing the apartment.

Yesterday, while cleaning and moving things around, I stumbled across a brand new foulard scarf (we live in Paris) which was given to my husband as a gift in a bookshop. The problem was that it had “crime scene” written all over it, with crime scene tape design, and I didn’t know what to do with it. My husband suggested that we used it as a dusting rug and, before I had the time to think about it, he was dusting the career section of the apartment. It didn’t feel right to me, however, and I told him that “I don’t want a crime scene in the house,” so he ended up throwing out the scarf and we both forgot about it.

THIS MORNING while I was asleep (dreaming about a thief, by the way), I was awakened by strange noise and my husband talking to a guy. The guy was a thief that broke a window and pretended to be a construction worker. He fled before the police got here. After a few hours with the police (they took fingerprint and blood samples that the guy left behind), my husband just finished taping the window with colorful tape. In the meantime, I have been trying to figure out what objects we might have moved to the wrong place to attract a burglar, when I remembered yesterday’s incident with the scarf. We are still in shock about how fast feng shui works. So, I just wanted to share this story with you and thank you for your book. If the negative changes can occur this quickly, I am really looking forward to all the POSITIVE changes now! N. N.

#3 Watching the video reminded me to clean up some things. I started in the bathroom (helpful people) by shutting the drain in the tub and wrapping red ribbon around the toilet water pipe. I’m going to get some gray towels today which will go nicely. I’ve got a beachside painting which is hanging too high (I generally don’t hang them too high )

Then, I moved back to the prosperity area where I’ve set up my home office in the main living space. I had stacks of paper for work and it was a jumble-dy mess! I sorted through that and am working to get rid of the paper – by scanning, filing and shredding! I also went to get construction paper and put a piece of purple over there with a bag of coins.

Today I got 3 checks for insurance reimbursement for clients. A client who I’d seen earlier this week had their card declined AFTER they left the session. They’ve been avoiding my calls so today I attempted to run the card again and it went through! Not too shabby! I have some other things in the works but that’s an awesome start! Thanks again, Karen, Delee

The post Feng Shui Success Stories appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

Just Do It!

QUESTION: Is there anything I can do to prepare myself for the perfect career opportunity? I feel like I am existing in the world and not really excelling at anything. And the funny thing is, I don’t know what I’d even like to do to even try to excel. I just feel like I’m standing on the sidelines in life….and I guess the new year drives it home a bit more than usual. Help!

Sarah

ANSWER: This is a good question because it brings up so many different areas of life, which reminds us that each area of the bagua is definitely a part of a greater whole.

My immediate analysis just by reading this e-mail was that you want a career alright, but there’s more to it than that.

Without knowing anything about your home at all, here’s my “armchair quarterback” guess at what may need feng shui help within your home.

Obviously the “perfect career opportunity” is the career gua and the water element, so I’d suggest looking at the front door area to see if the ch’i is even getting to you. Address showing, sidewalk to the door without interruptions, I’d suggest you check it all. Then, look inside center-front part of the home and see if there are any out-of-focus things like abstract art – or other items that may be counter productive in the quest for a career move – things like stuck doors or windows, or doors that can’t open all the way due to clutter, etc.

Next, head to the front right part of the home and see what’s happening in there – in the “Helpful People” zone…..because it sounds like you are trying to figure this career track gig out all by yourself.  It might be helpful to have a mentor, or a counselor to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses. A helpful people box sounds like a must here (of course when is it not? )

Now, head over to the left-front of the place…to the “Skills and Knowledge” gua. A little wisdom can go a long way and you sound like you’ve been on the sidelines for a while now. I want clear windows, clear glasses in the cupboards, clear tv screens, clear everything. Take away negatives…..alcohol, clutter, dust and dirt, and any symbols that are inappropriate.

Next, look around the “Fame and Reputation” gua. Perhaps you’ve never given yourself a chance to be seen in the right light, or never had the courage to dream about a passionate way to spend time. Add fiery items (reds, candles, pictures that have stars or the sun in them, triangular-shaped items) in this center back position of the home or room.

Perhaps you’ve never been respected in the past (the past is about the “Family” gua – our next stop! The Family gua is half way back on the left of the home or your bedroom or office. Check into this area of your bedroom and the home to see where you could rev up “wood energies” (greens, wooden items, columnar-shaped items) here.

And speaking of the bedroom, make sure you are in the arm chair position with your bed. That means, hopefully you have a headboard, and it is up against a solid wall – you can’t afford to have a door or window along this headboard wall…you needs support!!!

And for the depression, I always suggest enhancing the Family, Center, and Creativity and Children (half way back on the right) guas. As you can see, we’ve hit just about every gua there is! The bagua IS one big Self-contained  unit!!!! Certainly working with one part of the bagua can have a positive effect on them all, but since I know nothing about your house, I thought I’d take the time to give you mulitple places to strengthen your living environment to support you.

Also, if you take the time to get centered, by sitting quietly for a while without interruption, and then write down the answers to these questions, it might shed some light on a direction to start looking (remember: you can always change your mind!)

1. “If money were no object, what would I do with my time to help others?”

2. ” If I could do anything that would be helpful to someone else, what would it be, or how would that look?”

3. If I could give three virtues to others, (like happiness, health, laughter, peace, passion, love, trust, honor, etc.) what would they be? Then, once you answer these, identify how these are met in any upcoming opportunity. If you can’t identify any of your answers, perhaps this job is not for you.

On a final note, I know that many people who are stuck get into the nasty habit of just complaining and not taking action, and blaming external factors for their internal mess. See if this complaint is feeding anything (“I won’t mess anything up,” “It gives me an out for not taking part in the world” etc.) and then walk through the fear.  Consider “the gospel according to Nike” when approaching this task: “Just Do It!”

The post Find Career Passion and Get into the Game – Feng Shui Q and A appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

Get out and meet people!

QUESTION: I was recently laid off from a high-tech company. Can you give me any tips on improving my chances of finding a job?

ANSWER: Here is a quick list of ideas that may help the big picture…

1. Clear clutter – create space for a new job to enter….do not let that box of junk from your old desk sit there and wait for a new office….put it all away. And when you need it again, pack it up neatly and off you go. Clean your car too if it gets you to work.

2. Shine up the front door by washing it, oiling the hinges, and perhaps adding a new welcome mat, chime, or potted plant.

3. Add water element near the front door, either just inside or just outside with the intention of getting you in the flow of a good job.

4. Add red in your life. Red activates, so this may help you stay in action looking for a job and avoid the couch potato syndrome. A new red tee shirt or undies can go a long way here with the right intention.

5. Enhance the fame and reputation gua of the house AND EACH ROOM to double up on getting the spotlight on you. That would be the center back area of the home and each room from where you enter the home or room. Make a conscious effort to clean here and add the fire element (red stuff, candles, sun, fire, stars, etc.) or symbols of your fame (your picture, any awards, diplomas, etc) to any of these spots to attract that special job. Just keeping a small light on in this gua for 9 or 27 days can help.

6. It can’t hurt to get the helpful people box involved here. Take a small silver box (or envelope) and place it in the front right-hand area of the home with the intention of bringing the right help your way to find a job. Write down anybody’s name that can help you or a simple affirmation (like “I am now happily employed by the perfect company for me.”) and place it in the box.

7. If you want a more ritualistic cure, make it a point to meet 9 new people each day for 27 consecutive days…..introduce yourself to the cashier at the supermarket if you have to, but do it and you will see that special job come your way.

The post How to Use Feng Shui to Get a Job appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

There are free goodies for those who take action!

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I am magnificent.     I am joyful.

I am receiving.        I am generous.

I am playful.             I am sizzling with enthusiasm!

I’ve been pondering my intentions for the New Year, and have been thinking about what symbols I want to have around to keep me inspired. Of course, I thought of one of my favorites – Affirmations. Sprinkling these little bits of positivity around always feels like I’ve added energetic glitter in my home…and since glitter is soooo popular this year, I thought I’d share my favorites, so you too can glitterize your spaces! Try writing them on pretty post-its (on make-up mirror or the fridge!), or create a vision board with them – or just write them anywhere you spend a lot of time.

I don’t know about you, but just reading this list makes me feel perkier and more ready for the new year!

The post End of Year/New Year Affirmations appeared first on Karen Rauch Carter.

Answer
I’d really like to know how long this has been going on before I come to the conclusion that it is really about the economy, and not just seasonal affective disorder, or holiday or end of year blues, or true clinical depression, but I’ll assume you indeed have a temporary depressed outlook and make my answer fit that issue. There’s not a lot to go on here, but luckily for me, the feng shui system has everything – even emotions -  built into it somewhere! So, here’s one feng shui place to look at emotions —inside the five elements. Let me first review the five elements and their positive and negative emotions and then work out from there.

The five elements are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. Here’s a chart of how they are associated with emotions – both positive (when the elements are in balance) and negative (when there is some sort of imbalance):

As you can see, sadness is a weakness of the fire element, and “depressed,” (as in your depressed outlook with regard to bosses, banks, and your life) is a weakness in metal. So, with this very little to go on, I would take a wild stab at questioning the balance of metal and fire elements in your living spaces (and I’d love to do the same with your diet, but that’s another conversation for another day!)

Perhaps you have an overabundance of cold, white color or actual metal furnishings, or perhaps nothing fiery at all – thus keeping you from joy and cheerfulness. I’m showing you what might be going on in my head in hopes that you can take this and run with it in order to balance your spaces. I hope this helps you and anyone else who is stuck inside some emotional mindset.

I might also apply the yin and yang principles to this situation. With a depressed outlook, you might be slightly to abundantly  “over yinned.” Yin is darker, cooler, more moist, more feminine, softer, cushier, smaller, curvier, slower, quieter, more textured, more mental in relations to what is around it. Yang is lighter, hotter, dryer, harder, smoother, straighter, larger, more masculine, faster, bolder, more physical that other surroundings. (in other words, everything is relative.) After reviewing these descriptions, can you (or better yet – invite a friend who does not live there to help) review your spaces and add items to make them feel more yang? You might be surprised at the emotionally-changing outcome.

I’d also suggest retraining your brain to focus your attention on positive states and behaviors and strategies that can turn your thinking around. Perhaps starting a gratitude journal might be a good way to start to retrain your brain towards the positive. I find that getting in TOUCH with nature helps too. If you don’t already, I’d suggest meditating (start with a book or simple guided visualization CD.) You might also want to consider getting some coaching with regard to disengaging from the sadness and depression “hamster wheel” that you appear to be on. There are many ways to coach your way out of this – from scrambling the strategy that you are currently running to destroying the unresourceful decisions that you currently believe you must live by.

So, in a nutshell, start with working your feng shui and journaling items first, and if you need coaching with the mindset shifts, give me a ring.

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