Opportunities are Knocking: Feng Shui at your Front Door

It is not unusual for me to go to a Feng Shui appointment and discover that the only way the client knows I’ve arrived is to bang my fists against their front door. There is either no doorbell for me to ring or the one that is there doesn’t work. Sometimes there’s a little note taped to the doorbell informing me that it is out of order. Or there may be a small piece of tape stuck over the doorbell to hint at its dysfunction.

Of course, our first order of business once I sit down with the client is to advise them to repair the doorbell. In Feng Shui the front door can be a beacon for opportunities and possibilities that may come into your life. The doorbell is like the “voice” of the front door and can assist in bringing in more money, or a new relationship, better health or a better job, depending on your intention. Having the voice silenced doesn’t help in bringing about positive changes.

Not only should the doorbell work but it should have a sound that you like. Having watched a client wince or another one jump when a doorbell went off during consultations, I am here to say

how important it is to be able to open the front door with anticipation and

excitement, not aggravation or fright.

If the doorbell doesn’t work, a door-knocker is an appropriate substitute. A door-harp can also replace a doorbell, providing gentle ringing tones when someone arrives. Installing a wind-chime near the door, low enough for someone to reach it, is another option.

So if you want to bring in some good energy, make sure your doorbell is pleasant sounding and works consistently. Opportunity may be ringing.

Judge the Book By Its Cover: A Feng Shui Principle

A few weeks ago, I bought a pair of adorable, expensive shoes. Shoes which I immediately realized I’d only wear for special occasions, nevertheless they more or less leapt into my hands. I bought them despite the cost and despite the rare occasions when I would need such a pair. Since then, I have found a couple of instances when they have been the perfect solution to an otherwise dull outfit. When not in use, they are stored in the box in which I bought them, prominently placed on my closet shelf. (An image of these fabulous shoes is below)

However, I discovered a surprising added benefit to those shoes, which has not only added enormously to the value of the shoes but to the pleasure of owning them. It is the box itself. It is beautifully decorated inside and out, advertisement-free, and has carrying straps. The side of the box slides out to display those marvelous shoes. In fact, I realized I love just opening the box, whether I’m going to wear the shoes or not. I have the same experience putting them away. I nestle them in the tissue paper, slide the box parts together, carry it by the color-coordinated straps to the closet shelf. A veritable shoe ritual.

I had a similar experience when I bought an expensive cashmere sweater once that came wrapped in tissue and tied with a ribbon, then placed in a special hand-made paper bag that was sized just for the sweater and tied again with matching ribbon. I went through the ritual of tying and untying ribbons for months until the bag literally fell apart.

Along this same vein, my editor Dorie and I took enormous care in designing the covers of my two Feng Shui books. There is no truth in what is said about not judging a book by its cover. She and I were determined to let the judging start the moment someone picked up the book. Similar to how I feel taking the box of shoes out of the closet or the sweater bag out of the drawer, I wanted people to have the same sense of excitement and anticipation as they picked up one of my books.

If there ever was a Feng Shui argument for making your front door appealing, this has to be it. The story of what lies behind the door (or in the box or in the bag or behind the cover page) begins before the door opens. It is a great opportunity to hint at the magnificence that is about to happen, and, in doing so, the hint becomes part of the magnificence itself.

Still Being Positive

As a follow-up to my last email when I complained about being interviewed on a radio show and then being preempted by the weather and a topic that had been discussed prior, I will now tell you what I would have talked about had things gone a bit more smoothly.

I was asked to come on the mid-day talk show to give some Feng Shui tips on what people can do in their work environment to create a more positive space in order to counteract the negative news that swirls around us daily. Here are the five talking points:

1. Deal with your clutter. This is a good time to deal with this stuff—in your office, on your desk. Some people have found themselves without a job at all, so they have some time on their hands. Here is an opportunity to go through those shelves, that file cabinet, those drawers in order to make room for new possibilities.

2. Change something in your office. This can run the gamut of changing the furniture all around or simply re-arranging the top of your desk. When your space changes, it changes the vibrational pattern inherent in a room/office/cubicle, which in turn changes the way you think opening you up to some new ideas.

3. Use your front door. The front door represents new opportunities coming in. Keep that door moving to maximize the security of your current job or the hopes of a better one. If it’s inconvenient to use the front door, use it as often as you can, assure that it’s easy to open and that it has a color that you love.

4. Check out your bedroom. Although this isn’t specific to the office, the bedroom still impacts your work since it’s the room where you sleep, rest, and dream. Remove everything under the bed for better flow around you; keep the closet doors closed at night to minimize the chaos coming from your clothes; remove the computer and/or television from the bedroom (even if temporarily) to maintain the quiet safety that you want in there.

5. Wear red. Red is an active color and, in the Chinese tradition, a successful color. If you don’t like red or don’t look good wearing red or any of its shades, then wear the color underneath, i.e. red cami or red boxer shorts. The active color will keep your spirits up and your enthusiasm high.

Disclaimer: These suggestions are not a substitute for doing good work at the place where you already have a job, or updating your resume and going on interviews. However Feng Shui can support your efforts to secure or hold a position you love and/or one which will ride you through the economic troubles.