7 Feng Shui Tips to Create Space for You

7 Feng Shui Tips to Create Space for You

by Vicky White www.LifeDesignStrategies.com

1. Create physical space - the easiest way I know to declutter is to take everything out of a space, whether it's a closet or a room, and put back only what you want. Put everything in boxes or into another room or put all the clothes on your bed, clean the space and be very deliberate
about what goes back in.

This is how I attracted my present career - I had an intention to discover what was next for me, but my office had become the room where all miscellaneous things got put and I started avoiding going in there. I took everything out, painted and cleaned and only put back what I
loved. I can still feel what it was like to sit in my new office with no clutter and an empty desk.

Within 2 weeks I came upon an article about coaching, discovered Thomas Leonard was coming to Vancouver, and started my coaching training.

Are you ready to commit to decluttering a specific area of your home or workspace? When will you do it? Even if it's 20 minutes a day, you'll soon feel the results.

2. Take time every day to do nothing. Start with 15 minutes. If you really have a hard time just being, start with something mindless, perhaps walking in nature. Let your mind go free. I like sitting in my favorite spot in my home and just watching what comes into my mind. I've
learned to have pen and paper handy. It's as if those thoughts just slip in there in the gap I've created and I need to be alert to catch them.

Set the scene for inspired actions. Take some time in the morning to sit quietly and connect with your intention. Then ask yourself, what action could I take that would have the most impact in moving me towards my intention? And listen to what comes up. Sometimes it takes a bit of
practice, especially if this is new. Be alert for ideas that come to you during the day too. Inspired actions are those that raise your energy and bring the greatest results. And to be inspired needs space.

3. Change your environment. I regularly take myself and my journal to Starbucks and I don't even drink coffee. There is something about sitting in one of their comfy chairs with my journal and my thoughts that brings out my creativity. I have no idea why this works as it's not a quiet place but I've given up trying to figure that out.

Take a Cafe day to just sit and watch and be with whatever comes up. It may not be Starbucks for you, just choose a neutral environment where you can hang out with yourself. And do take something to write your inspirations on.

The other thing I do is go to a friend's cabin by the sea for a few days once a month by myself. No phone, no TV, no internet and none of the things around me I think I 'should' be doing when I'm at home. It's a retreat for me and an opportunity to check in with myself. I usually do
some reading, some writing, some walking, some taking photographs. No 'shoulds'. I always feel inspired there.

4. Enhance the Career area of your home. The Career area is about purpose and authenticity. Enhance this area to: * Find a new job or change your career * Receive a promotion
* Discover your dreams * Reveal your life purpose * Find stimulating volunteer work

Remove anything that represents work you disliked or anything that doesn't represent your career or life intentions. Enhancements for the Career area:

* Healthy plants
* Water fountain or aquarium
* Items in black and midnight blue
* Images of moving water (not crashing waves)
* Symbols of your present or desired career - such as books if you want to be published, a magazine cover you've put your name on if you would like to be interviewed by them
* A mirror behind a water fountain or plant to double its effect
* A wave machine or sound machine with sounds of water

You can place enhancements in the career area of your home and in the career area of various rooms, especially a home office. It doesn't take a lot to make a difference in Feng Shui.

To find out where the Career area is in your home see: Bagua Map
http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/resources/baguamap.html

5. Let go of the guilt and know that to be your best and be there for your loved ones (and yourself) you need to give yourself the gift of solitude from time to time.

6. Paint a wall, move the furniture - even a small change will create a shift in energy and support you in making changes in other parts of your life.

7. Take time in nature - take your journal and spend time listening to the sound of nature, one of our greatest teachers.

To connect with yourself, takes some disconnecting. Try it and discover how you enhance your well-being and all aspects of your life.

Action Step:

What is one thing you can do today to take some space for you?

Take some time to get clear about your intention to live your life on purpose and do what you're here to do. And remind yourself real selfishness is living a half baked life where you are not totally there for anyone, including yourself.

(c)2007 Vicky White - All Rights Reserved

Six Behaviors that Increase Self-Esteem

Six Behaviors that Increase Self-Esteem by Denis Waitley
(excerpted from The Psychology of Motivation)

Following are six behaviors that increase self-esteem, enhance your self-confidence, and spur your motivation. You may recognize some of them as things you naturally do in your interactions with other people. But if you don't, I suggest you motivate yourself to take some of these important steps immediately.

First, greet others with a smile and look them directly in the eye. A smile and direct eye contact convey confidence born of self-respect. In the same way, answer the phone pleasantly whether at work or at home, and when placing a call, give your name before asking to speak to the party you want to reach. Leading with your name underscores that a person with self-respect is making the call.

Second, always show real appreciation for a gift or complement. Don't downplay or sidestep expressions of affection or honor from others. The ability to accept or receive is a universal mark of an individual with solid self-esteem.

Third, don't brag. It's almost a paradox that genuine modesty is actually part of the capacity to gracefully receive compliments. People who brag about their own exploits or demand special attention are simply trying to build themselves up in the eyes of others — and that's because they don´t perceive themselves as already worthy of respect.

Fourth, don't make your problems the centerpiece of your conversation. Talk positively about your life and the progress you're trying to make. Be aware of any negative thinking, and take notice of how often you complain. When you hear yourself criticize someone — and this includes self-criticism — find a way to be helpful instead of critical.

Fifth, respond to difficult times or depressing moments by increasing your level of productive activity. When your self-esteem is being challenged, don't sit around and fall victim to "paralysis by analysis." The late Malcolm Forbes said, "Vehicles in motion use their generators to charge
their own batteries. Unless you happen to be a golf cart, you can't recharge your battery when you´re parked in the garage!"

Sixth, choose to see mistakes and rejections as opportunities to learn. View a failure as the conclusion of one performance, not the end of your entire career. Own up to your shortcomings, but refuse to see yourself as a failure. A failure may be something you have done — and it may even be something you'll have to do again on the way to success — but a failure is definitely not something you are.

Revised Response to Everything Counts Entry on Influencing Future Generations

Do You Have The Power to Influence Future Generations?

Even whether we believe it or not, we all have the power to influence future generations. Many of us often mistake the real power our words and actions have, unknowingly by default, pass on our subconscious negative belief-patterns and unproductive habits.

Through the power of living deliberately, in the present moment, also know as the ever unfolding now, will our actions speak out our passion and our passion imprint any situation with the potential for future positive growth.

In the stream of consciousness we are aware of our actions and our words, which is the place we want to be operating from since we act as role models and major influence sources for the young in our lives. Your sphere of influence should be treated with the utmost respect because out of all the possibilities and probabilities to exist on this planet in this particular time and space, the young leaders of tomorrow gave you the opportunity to shape their future!

Whenever you are in a situation you have the power to make it better than when you weren’t a part of it at all. That is the power of living consciously and it can leave people feeling great or leave them feeling small. If it’s necessary for you to shine, now is the time to heal painful wounds immediately so that you can step into that person they desperately need. Commit to being conscious about ensuring that the “net-effect” of your words and actions are viewed as “energy” deposits into their emotional bank account rather than registering as withdrawals.

Gain clarity by asking yourself this question “Could the person benefit from you not saying anything at all?” If the answer is yes, then it is likely best to be quiet for now or keep your comment of wisdom to yourself. However, if the person in no way benefits from you keeping your mouth shut, then surprisingly or not my friend it is probably your job to tactfully provide them with that benefit.

It is great that you probably already knew most of that, because that is the easy part of positively influencing others. The real test arrives in the form of consistency, where you must pass the continual test of self-discipline in order to make life in your sphere of influence better for everyone. Your challenge: Reach out today and help a young person by being the quality role model that you know is best!

By helping others get stronger we get stronger ourselves. Let’s start winning together! The world needs your unique contribution towards youth leadership! If you need some advice in your corner or are looking for more members on your team let me know, (mailto: successsensei@hotmail.com) I would love to help!

Humbled by your greatness,

The Success Sensei

See more progress on: Influence future generations

Revised Response to Everything Counts Entry on Influencing Future Generations

The original comment that vevveh makes below is so true because we all co-create our lives, whether or not we actively choose to participate.

Even whether we believe it or not, we all have the power to influence future generations. Many of us often mistake the real power our words and actions have, unknowingly by default, pass on our subconscious negative belief-patterns and unproductive habits.

Through the power of living deliberately, in the present moment, also know as the ever unfolding now, will our actions speak out our passion and our passion imprint any situation with the potential for future positive growth.

In the stream of consciousness we are aware of our actions and our words, which is the place we want to be operating from since we act as role models and major influence sources for the young in our lives.

Your sphere of influence should be treated with the utmost respect because out of all the possibilities and probabilities to exist on this planet in this particular time and space, the young leaders of tomorrow gave you the opportunity to shape their future! If it’s neccesary for you to shine, now is the time to heal painful wounds immediately so that you can step into that person they desperately need.

Whenever you are in a situation you have the power to make the situation better than when you weren’t a part of it. That means leaving people feeling great versus small.

One way to do be conscious about this is to ensure that the net effect of your words and actions register with the receipient as energy deposits into their emotional “feel-good” bank account as opposed to registering withdrawals.

Think to yourself “Could the person benefit from you not saying anything at all?” If the answer is yes then perhaps it is best to be quiet or keep the new found comment of wisdom to yourself. If the person in no way benefits from you keeping your mouth shut, then my friend it is probably your job (given the right opportunity) to gently make a difference.

It’s great that you already know that, because in fact, that is the easy part of positively influencing others. The real test arrives in the form of consistency, where you must pass continual test of self-discipline in order to make life in your sphere of influence a bit better for everyone.

Reach out and help a young person today by being the quality role model that you know is best. By helping others get stronger we get stronger ourselves.

Let’s start winning together! The world needs your unique contribution! If you need someone in your corner or on your team to help you win, let me know I would love to help.

Learning from your greatness,

The Success Sensei

See more progress on: Influence future generations

Confidence - "You Only Sell You"

Confidence - "You Only Sell You" by Dr. Denis Waitley

This article's focus is on self-confidence and self-esteem. In my opinion, there is nothing more important than your belief in your own potential for success and happiness, regardless of your age, gender, ethnicity, looks, education or background. The truth is, every day "You only sell you." You don't sell products or a business concept. You sell the value of the person offering the products and services. The decision of the buyer is based on the value of the seller. Just as products are branded as "the best", "cheap", "ineffective", "trustworthy" or "unreliable", so, too, are individuals branded by others as "winners" or "also-rans." Who you are shouts so loudly, that people either can't hear, don't want to hear, or listen carefully to what you are saying.
Everybody loves a winner, and we all want to buy from winners who pass their own value on to us.

Self-confidence isn't something you were born with. It's something you develop. Many of us were cultivated like weeds as children. We played inferior roles to the adults around us, who frequently reminded us of our faults and shortcomings more than our successes and abilities.

If you had that type of childhood, as I did, you face a special challenge in building up your self-confidence as an adult. Here are some basic points to remember about yourself:

1. Realize that the most important opinion about you is the one that you hold. Ultimately, nobody else is responsible for your life but you. Nobody else is accountable for your actions but you. Therefore, nobody's opinion about you is more important than yours.

2. Recognize that the most important conversations are the ones you have with yourself. Whether or not you are aware of it, you have a running conversation with yourself from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep. Your thoughts and ideas are "you talking to you." Have daily conversations with yourself that are supportive and reinforcing. We know the value of talking to people who praise us, reward us, recognize us, are happy to see us, and let us know they genuinely enjoy talking with us. Talk to yourself with those same qualities - silently as well as audibly.

3. Develop a strong system of internal values. Weigh what you hold to be true, good and lasting. Write down some of your values for periodic review. Read material that reinforces what you hold to be significant in life. Know what you believe and why you believe it. At times, have
discussions - even debates - with yourself. Draw conclusions about life. Think about deeper issues. Your values will greatly affect how you relate to others. The stronger your values are, the greater the impact. If you are lacking in internal values, you will tend to draw from and
even use other people to try to mimic their behaviors, if only superficially. Instead, seek to become a model, one who can help and give strength to others.

4. Don't reinforce your failures. Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street. Failure is a temporary setback, not a residence. Failure is a learning experience, not a person. Like success, failure is a growth process, not a status. Don't wallow in your mistakes. Correct them and move forward.

5. Don't demand perfection of yourself. An A is usually awarded to the person who scores 90 percent or better, and sometimes the score doesn't need to be that high. Professional basketball players only make half their shots. Professional quarterback complete only half their passes,
and professional baseball players reach first base less than 40 percent of the time, and that includes walks. And we all know what our averages are in picking stocks to invest in that are always going up. That would be never! Give your best effort every day and keep ratcheting forward. Perfection is not only totally unrealistic to expect and virtually impossible to achieve, but it greatly deters your ability to move forward. The person who is constantly looking over his or her shoulder at what might have been done better, can't possibly be focused on the future. Drive with your eyes ahead; don't drive by concentrating on the rearview mirror.

6. Give each job or task your best effort. Countless individuals say, when confronted with a chore, "I'm too good to be doing this." They have contempt for their current situation and position, and get discouraged easily. Success is an accumulation of what you do in the minutes of each day. No task is too unworthy to do well. There are no small parts - only small actors.

7. View the big picture of life. Step back from the landscape of your life today and take a long walk, ride a bike, or just sit silently, observing the wonder and abundance of God's creation in nature. You are a part of a much bigger whole. Listen to the subtle rhythms of your environment. Recognize that you have rhythms and cycles of change in your life. Relax and open up to the vast creative and interrelated world around you.

To develop confidence, you must see yourself ultimately as a unique part of creation. You must recognize, with pleasure, that nobody else is just like you. No one else has exactly your temperament, history or experiences. No one else has your footprints, your finger prints, your
voice print or your genetic code. No one else has precisely your set of talents, capabilities and skills. You are one of a kind. The value is there. It just needs to be dusted off and polished.

From "Mentor News"

WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON: QUALITY CONSCIOUSNESS
Eckhart Tolle

(Editor's note: one of the most frequent requests to Peer Resources is for information on how mentoring, coaching and peer assistance are different from each other. While this is a valid question, our emphasis is more on what these three areas have in common. The following article by Canadian author and spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, adds a unifying perspective for coaching, mentoring, and peer assistance.)

When you are on a journey, it is certainly helpful to know where you are going or, at least, the general direction in which you are moving. But don't forget that the only thing ultimately real about your journey is the step you are taking at this moment. That's all there ever is.

Your life's journey has an outer purpose and an inner purpose. The outer purpose is to arrive at your goal or destination, to accomplish what you set out to do, to achieve this or that, which, of course, implies future. However, if your destination, or the steps you are going to take in the future, take up so much of your attention that they become more important to you than the step you are taking now, you completely miss the journey's inner purpose, which has nothing to do with where you are going or what you are doing, but everything to do with how.

It has nothing to do with future and everything to do with the quality of your consciousness at this moment. The outer purpose belongs to the horizontal dimension of space and time. The inner purpose concerns a deepening of your Being in the vertical dimension of the timeless Now. Your outer journey may contain a million steps. Your inner journey has only one: the step you are taking right now.

As you become more deeply aware of this one step, you realize that it already contains all the other steps, as well as the destination, within itself. This one step becomes transformed in an expression of perfection, an act of great beauty and quality. It takes you into Being and the light of Being shines through it. This is both the purpose and the fulfillment of your inner journey, the journey into yourself.

Does it matter whether or not we achieve our outer purpose, or if we succeed or fail in the world? It will matter to you as long as you haven't realized your inner purpose. After that, the outer purpose is just a game you may continue to play simply because you enjoy it. It is also possible to fail completely in your outer purpose and, at the same time, totally succeed in your inner purpose, or the other way around, which is actually more common: outer riches and inner poverty, or, as Jesus put it, "gain the world and lose your soul."

Ultimately, of course, every outer purpose is doomed to "fail" sooner or later, simply because it is subject to the law of the impermanence of all things. The sooner you realize that your outer purpose cannot give you lasting fulfillment, the better. When you have seen the limitations of your outer purpose, you give up your unrealistic expectation that it should make you happy and you make it subservient to your inner purpose.

There is no need to investigate your unconscious past, except as it manifests at this moment as a thought, an emotion, a desire, a reaction or an external event. Whatever you need to know about the unconscious past within yourself will be revealed by the challenges of the present.

If you delve into the past, it will become a bottomless pit. There is always more. You may think that you need more time to understand the past or to become free of it. This is a delusion. Only the present can free you of the past. More time cannot free you of time. Access the power of Now. That is the key.

What is the power of Now? None other than the power of your presence, your consciousness liberated from thought forms. So deal with the past on the level of the present. The more attention you give to the past, the more you energize it, and the more likely you are to make a "self" out of it.

Don't misunderstand; attention is essential, but not the past as past. You cannot find yourself by going into the past. You find yourself by coming into the present.

(Adapted from The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment)

Cultivate your ability to be consciously in the present more often with help from a Coach like Russell (mail to: success@russellsmall.com)