just lean into it

I am a certified Feng Shui Consultant with the International Feng Shui Guild.   I am constantly amazed by the rewards this Guild has brought me:  new perspectives, valued friendships and different opinions that make me appreciate this ancient art more and more every day. 

 

Yesterday we had a particularly interesting discussion regarding those times when you seem to be handed one piece of bad news after another.  There are a million clichés like “when life hands you lemons ... make lemonade” (or margaritas ... yum) and “everything happens for a reason” etc etc etc.  My favourite so far, was advice from another Guild member.  She said she always looks for the positives, assumes the best and inevitably, even the most challenging situations move her forward.  Her advice was “Just lean into it.”  I LOVE that!  Those four words seemed to instantly resonate with me – they remind me that sometimes taking control over your situation is done by relinquishing control and going with it.  It’s empowering, a bit daring, it works in every situation (good and not-so-good) and it is now my new motto.  Now the task is to find the perfect spot for that quote in my space so that consciously and unconsciously I am always reminded of it. 

 

Do you have a saying or words of wisdom that have impacted you?  If so, do you have it on display somewhere?

trends

http://pinterest.com/sheffieldschool/interior-design-dining-rooms/

For interior designers it is extremely important to keep up with the current trends.  Currently we are seeing the resurgence of brass and gold, faux fur, bringing the outdoors indoors (live edge wood tables as shown above, driftwood walls, tree stump tables ...) and Emerald, the Pantone colour of the year. 

While I love following the current trends of design, I admit that many of these will never make their way into my own home.  I try desperately to only bring items into my space that I absolutely love, that work with my current decor and are functional for me and my family.  Lucite chairs are absolutely amazing, but they don't work well with my decor, nor am I crazy about polishing the handprints off of them.  Sadly, I will have to pass on the lucite chair trend.

In the same way that I decorate my own spaces, I will never suggest to design clients that they put brass kitchen knobs in their home unless they are a fan of brass and it works with their existing decor.  The best feng shui and the most successful designs come from surrounding yourself with items that you personally love and that represent the best parts of you and your family.  That means stepping outside the design magazines sometimes and daring to have your home reflect your family and your own personal style - choosing colours for your walls because you like them and adding a barnboard door because it holds special meaning or memories for you.

 

If you look around your own home, have you made design choices or received gifted items that are trendy, but not necessarily representative of your home, yourself or your family?   If you let those items go, would you feel differently about your space?

 

 

plant power

picture: www.tourismvancouver.com

 

 

I love Vancouver.  It is, without a doubt, one of my favourite places to visit and the fact that my Aunt lives there makes it even more special to me.  At this time of year, the cherry trees are blooming, tulips are on their way and spring should be in full swing. Here in Alberta, we are a bit behind the West Coast - my cherry tree is nowhere near blooming and my tulips are still under 3 feet of snow.  Desperate to trade in my winter boots for flip flops, I have purchased a gorgeous yellow gerbera daisy plant for my window sill, an orchid for my front entrance, as well as some tulips for my kitchen island.  Voila!  It feels like spring (until I step outside at least). 

Feng shui-wise, flowers and live plants are a quick “cure” for any area of the home.  They add positive living energy and they revitalize your space. Remember to keep them healthy, remove any dead leaves or dried flowers and enjoy.  Can you energize your space with the power of a plant?

think success and nothing less

I belong to a women’s networking group in my area.  Last month I attended a breakfast meeting and I came away from that meeting feeling more empowered than I have in the past.  We shared some great ideas, lessons learned and a few laughs as well.  During that meeting, one of the members spoke about inspirational financial success books that she has read and noted that all of those books seem to have a similar message:  that the belief, desire and intention to achieve success is essential in order to actually achieve it.  Successful people do not dwell on failures or mistakes, but rather use them as experiences that propel them forward. 

I believe this wholeheartedly, both personally and professionally, but that is not to say that I adhere to that thought every minute out of every day.  When I do find that I’m a bit more fearful, a bit more disheartened and a bit more exhausted, I tend to ... stall.  It is these times when I go back to my environment and edit my space for success, even if that means just moving a few things around so that I can appreciate them in a new light.  In addition though, I try to remember to lean on those people who are positive influences in my life.  For me, this is my friends, my family and this networking group.  They remind me to keep striving, to keep moving forward and most importantly, to think "success" and nothing less.  That is enough for me to hit the reset button and change my thought.  What or who do you need to help you hit your reset button?
 

treasured

My grandmother passed away in January at the age of 94.  She was an an amazing woman;  always calm, always supportive and always happy to see me.  She was a constant in my life and I miss her every day.

She and I shared a love of cooking, as well as a great meal in a nice restaurant.  It was because of her appreciation for good food that I loved to cook for her.  From as young as I can remember, I would decorate the table with china and specially folded napkins for her.  She was always so considerate to notice my efforts and compliment me on them.  I swear that even if the food was burnt, she would tell me that it was fantastic. 

Every time we had supper together, she would wear a particular black diamond ring. Every single time she wore it, I noticed how beautiful it was, how it rested on her finger and how it was her to me.  I have now been handed down that ring.  I have no idea what that ring is worth and quite honestly, it doesn't matter to me in the least and it never did.  What matters to me, is that every time I look down at my hand, I will remember her, our many meals together, the laughs we shared and how unbelievably special she was to me.  This ring means the world to me and somehow, I feel her very essence is in that ring.  I will treasure it every day.  Do you have an item from the past that is as special to you and if so, how do you treasure it?

inspired productivity

In January, my office was relocated to another building in the same city. Since, I believe that you should continually edit your belongings, packing up my office space was a great way to get rid of
some things that I didn’t love, didn’t use and didn’t inspire me.  I had documents that were outdated and quotes that were no longer relevant to me.  The more I packed away into boxes the more I realized that my life had moved forward, I had edited my home, but I had not changed my office space in quite some time.

So, I edited my office belongings, packed only the personal items that I needed and wanted and moved to my new building. I unpacked the boxes, put files into the cabinets and then got right back to work. Unfortunately though, I had noticed that my productivity was WAY down.   I felt unsettled and uneasy and not at all at home. My space was just a workstation and not at all reflective of me nor my personality.  Interior Designer Sarah Richardson once said, “If you can create a space that inspires you … you’ll work well. Simple as that.” It is the absolute truth and I know that THAT is why I was not productive. My space was not inspiring and it did nothing to motivate me to work harder, to be better and to achieve greatness.

I spent a number of evenings, considering my new office area, looking for pictures and quotes and things that I love, to add to my space. Most importantly, I really tried to focus on what it is that I want to create in my life. What are my goals and what objects can I place in my area that will remind me to keep my eye on them?

I put up pictures of my family, added a few plants and a contemporary desk lamp to add in some positive energy. I balanced the space with artwork that reminds me of where I wish to go with my career and placed a quote in my space that says “Do More of What Makes You Awesome”. I LOVE my new office and guess what? I am way more productive now and not-so-surprisingly … I seem to have fewer struggles than I did a month ago. Amazing how that works out.

So, while you may not go to work every day and have an office or a cubicle to consider, my guess is that there is at least one place where you do most of your work and spend most of your time, even if that is your kitchen or the home computer that you are sitting at right now. Take a minute and look around you. Are you inspired?

cyber-clutter

Somewhere at some point, I read a blog on organization and computers.  The author stated that not only do we need to consider the clutter that we surround ourselves with in our homes and our workplaces, but also in our computers! Most of us spend a lot of time on our computers, but we don’t stop to think about the excessive emails still sitting in our inbox, facebook friends that we no longer connect with and documents that we no longer need. This is cyber-clutter and it can affect us as much as physical clutter does in our living spaces.   

The author recommended editing out the emails that we get from companies we do not use (why DO I get two of the same emails every day from Pottery Barn Kids?). I have unsubscribed to a number of sites and I have to say that I feel a lot lighter because of it.  My inbox is less cluttered now and when I go away for a week, I no longer come back to pages and pages of emails, most of which I delete unread. Whew. That feels better. 

How much cyber clutter can you clear away?