Feng Shui is an ancient art of figuring out how to create and sustain energy within your environment. Like most practices, I don’t love the “naming” of parts – I just like the action. Here’s some Feng Shui action that ties in with my thoughts on creating and sustaining Organizational Zen in your life.

If your stuff is bugging you, fix it or pitch it!
If something’s bugging you, get it out of your head, into your planner, and take action. In Feng Shui, this might mean getting rid of a chipped bowl in the cupboard that you notice first thing every time you open the cabinet door. Or getting rid of stained coffee mugs. Or choosing to have all matching dishes – or not have all matching dishes!

There’s no “right” within this. It’s a matter of paying attention to yourself and figuring out what kind of stuff makes you feel happy.

If the energy in a room is haywire, rearrange!
You know that chair that sticks out just a little too much that you run into when you cross the living room? Or the trash can that’s in an otherwise beautiful place in your home? Or the framed pictures you have leaving against the wall rather than being hung? Or the room that has too much furniture? Or too little? Take an energy tour of your house and if something draws your eye and your ire, rearrange!

If your house feels too cold or too hot, adjust!
There’s more to a room that makes it feel warm or cold than just the temperature on the thermostat. Metals and mirrors are cool objects. Wood and pottery are warm. When you look at either, which raises your energy more? I used to have more metal stuff in my house. I liked it but never loved it. Most is gone now. Wood and pottery make me happier. What do you have most of in your house and how does that make you feel?

If you have low energy areas that collect paper, clear!
Most people have at least one place in their house that attracts paper. It could be the counter. A table. A desk. The side table by the bed. Any horizontal place will do! These spots are an energy drain waiting to be cleared. But here’s the trick – if you just move the paper to a new place, you have the same energy drain. To truly declutter, the papers have to find a new home – which might be in vertical files (“Stuff I’m working on” and “Stuff I’m waiting to hear on”). Or their new home may be the trash. Then the bigger trick is to stick with a new habit of clearing daily. To succeed, make sure any papers that come into your house find their “forever home” – upon arrival.

Energy patterns change
Just like tidying up, energy fixes don’t last long! Be vigilant. Notice the difference you feel being in the higher energy areas and celebrate! That’s the reward. AND if you make a change and it doesn’t feel like it was worth the energy it took to fix it, that’s okay too!! We all have different feelings about what works for us, what colors and textures we like, and what we like to have around us. There’s no one right answer – except to follow the energy path.

I hope you have a focused, high-energy week as we head toward Solstice!

I’ll close with a shot from a speaker we had at the library this week. His name is Fred. His owner, Craig, is an ex-Marine who rescued this guy when he was a pup and sent him home from Afghanistan to the states. When Craig finally got out of Afghanistan, this is the face that was waiting for him. After Craig rescued Fred, Craig credits Fred with rescuing him after returning from a battle zone with PTSD and a brain injury. Together, they have a great book, “Craig and Fred; a Marine, a Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other.” Here’s a link to their book promo. It’s a great story. And now they live in Cape Elizabeth. I’m lucky to live in a high-energy town. Good for humans. Good for dogs 🙂