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The Career Journey

suitespace — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:15:18 +0000

In this economy, simply having a job sometimes feels safe. That said, who wants a job that simply feels safe. Jobs should be fulfilling – personally and financially. Finding fulfillment is often the greater challenge, especially today. With salary and benefit cuts — and even worse, layoffs — hitting so many, the fear of not knowing how to make ends meet can be overwhelming, a feeling that can feed on itself. Don’t let it. Use your time wisely to assess. Ask yourself:

1) Am I following my dream?
2) Am I getting paid to do what I love doing?
3) Does my job define me?

Understand, following your dream is a journey. It takes commitment and persistence, especially now. It also calls for an open mind, a willingness to sometimes take a risk, and making yourself available for new opportunities. Maybe you were getting paid to do what you loved doing, but not anymore. So what would you love to do now? It’s not healthy to allow one’s job to define them … life calls for balance.

Set the stage. Locate the CAREER gua in your home. From the front door, it’s located center front.

“As water flows in a river, your life is a journey that drops you off at many destinations along the way to creating your destiny.” 1

To land a new job, get that promotion you’ve been working for, change careers, create a harmonious work environment or uncover the secrets to your life’s true purpose, remove all negatives including photos of angry bosses, destructive colleagues, things that don’t accurately reflect where you want to go. In fact, consider this your permission slip to trash all photos of yourself you don’t love and that don’t accurately reflect you and where your intentions.

To wake up your enthusiasm, maintain a healthy flow and circulation in this area. CLEAR THE CLUTTER! Then enhance with pictures of flowing water (to support the journey), a water fountain (for wealth), a mirror behind the fountain to double the water (wealth) energy, healthy plants (to encourage growth), framed congratulatory notes or articles that symbolize the organizations you support or hobbies you’re interested in (to support your intentions).

Accent with the colors black and dark blue and good lighting. Call on your courage to trust your instincts.

Ultimately, may the foundation you create manifest your dream to prosper from doing what you love doing.

1 Jayme Barrett (2003). feng shui your life. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., 130

–by Tammy Long
A condensed version of this article first appeared in the August 2010 “Things To Do” Magazine.

Unlock Your Creative Genius

suitespace — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:13:18 +0000

“I see an elephant.”

“I see a mountaintop.”

“ I see a flying saucer.”

“I see…”

When was the last time you went to the park to lay – back first – on a grassy hillside, eyes to the sky, to cloud shape? That’s when you let your imagination run wild and try to find shapes in the cloud – or in the negative spaces between the clouds. Or, when was the last time you took a road trip (passengers only please!) and played discoverer? That’s when you name the landforms, like our early discoverers did when they named Saddle Mountain, Mexican Hat, and Shiprock.

“Life is ambiguous; there are many right answers – all depending on what you are looking for. But if you think there is only one right answer, then you’ll stop looking as soon as you find one.” 1

Unlocking one’s creative genius brings out an improved ability to problem solve, encouraging a higher level of risk taking. Like in the world of yesterday, success in today’s highly competitive world depends largely on both an ability to problem solve and a willingness to take risk.

Creativity is associated with the metal element or the lake. We all long for the need to create. For some this reflected by having children, for others it is reflected in their art, cooking, gardening, music or maybe refurbishing old cars. If you seek to express your own creativity, want to improve relationships with your children or start a new creative project, unlock your creative genius with some simple enhancements to your surrounding environment.

Find your Children and Creativity gua. It’s located center right. Remove the clutter and all negativity. Display a child’s artwork, round objects, metal frames or musical instruments. Add some handmade crafts, a book of poetry or a print from one of your favorite artists. Add a bouquet of white roses or yellow sunflowers.

Now, bring your inner child out to play and laugh until you cry!

–by Tammy Long
A condensed version of this article first appeared in the July 2010 “Things To Do” Magazine.

1 Roger von Oech, “A Whack on the side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative,” (New York: Warner Books, 1983).

YOU …as seen by us

suitespace — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:48:33 +0000

How would your surviving friends and family describe you — your life? Would their description reflect you, the way you would have wanted to be seen by us, the way you’d want others to remember your life? Have you ever taken the time to write your own obituary? You should. In fact, you should do it now! Emotional, maybe. Thought provoking, yes. Important, I hope so!

Think of yourself as the movie director in a movie called “LIFE” where you also play in the starring role. Now think about what matters most in your movie? Personal accomplishments, family, character or reputation? How do you want movie goers to see you in this starring role? Respected, honorable, helpful, smart, fun, thoughtful — committed to home, work, community. Do you want to be famous? For your passion, talent, or wealth?

It’s your life — your movie! Seize the opportunity to manifest the memory of you now, while you’re alive!

Find your Fame & Reputation gua and fire it up. It’s located back center stage. Claim a space and create your very own “wall of fame” with the intention of gaining the recognition, publicity and respect you earn and deserve for all the things that matter to you most.

Hopefully your Fame & Reputation gua is not located in a bathroom, but if it is, it is. Energize the space by adding “a night light with a red bulb and keep it on twenty-four hours a day.”1 If it’s located somewhere else, energize the fire by removing water symbols and anything that fails to reflect you or your intentions (including books, photos, art).

Enhance the space by placing two red candles, a vase of tall red flowers and a book of someone your respect or mentor on a table. Make your “wall of fame” beautiful. Hang awards reflecting the things you’re proud of, the things you’re famous for. Add some sunny art and a favorite motto or quote. Be sure to add a splash of color — consider orange, yellow and green.

Remember, your life is a journey. Pack your suitcase and go. You are the director and you are the star of the show. Accept that both the journey and the direction will change along the way. It’s okay, relax and go with the flow. Be sure to keep your “wall of fame” fresh by displaying what matters along the way. Be proud and be remembered — the way you want to be!

–by Tammy Long
A condensed version of this article first appeared in the June 2010 “Things To Do” Magazine.

1 Barrett, Jayme (2003). feng shui your life. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 146.

The Power of “ONE”

suitespace — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:35:34 +0000

Spouse, lover, friend, mom, dad, coach, volunteer, mentor, son, daughter, homemaker, wage earner, handyman, taxi driver, cook …

The roles listed are generally about a commitment to others while the things listed for learning and discovery are generally about self. Very seldom (if ever) do people list “nurturing me” as a role. Think about it, when was the last time you thought of yourself as a one of the roles you play? As human beings we tend to forget about cultivating self. In fact, most of us feel a little guilty if we put ourselves first – go ahead, admit it! As a result we become self-critical, impatient and intolerant. We are not as giving or forgiving, as we’d like to be, especially of our own actions. We lack compassion.
Worse yet, without a commitment to self, the potential exists to become resentful and angry, causing a serious drain on one’s energy.

Why not enhance your surroundings to enhance self? Claim a space, in any gua, but somewhere you like to be, and dedicate it to you. Make it beautiful – add a chair, a lamp, a few books, some flowers and a clock to remind yourself that your time there belongs to you. Then, take time each day to sit there alone and nurture your soul. Get to know yourself. Learn to respect and love yourself again (or for the first time). Discover what it feels like to be comfortable in your own skin. Doing so can lead to amazing things.

To take things further, locate the Knowledge & Self-Cultivation gua. It’s located in the lower left corner of your home.

Begin by clearing the clutter! Big surprise, right? Clutter weighs everything down, limiting opportunities, and women especially tend to dedicate time to everything and everyone else — long before making time for self. Being clutter free is like getting a guilt-free permission slip to tap into you.

Remove all negatives and dead plants. Get rid of all the reading piles – old magazines, newspapers, books you’ll never really read — the information overload blocks your intuition.

Add healthy plants, lamps, dark green and blue accessories, photos of people who inspire you, reflective artwork such as mountains, gardens or beaches. Be sure to add books you are currently reading. Energize the space with a water fountain. If possible, add an armchair and maybe a lamp.

Next time someone asks you to list the roles you play, consider self as one of your most important. Take time to nurture and cultivate the person you are. Learn to respect, love and honor “the me” inside. Empower yourself to take time to learn about things that matter to you. Inspire your spouse, your children, and your friends. Celebrate the loving, patient and compassionate person you are.

–by Tammy Long
A condensed version of this article first appeared in the May 2010 “Things To Do” Magazine.

What’s in your wealth corner?

suitespace — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:14:05 +0000

Much like the wind, we enjoy a healthy circulation of money that flows equally back and forth. So how is your money flow? Does your inflow support your outflow? Do you want a raise? Are you saving for a vacation or maybe a new car? Would you like to feel more financially secure?

Your Wealth corner (gua) is located in the rear left of your home and is associated with the money energy in your life. Take a critical look. How does it feel? Is it inspiring? Does it reflect your goals? Could it use some minor enhancements — enhancements that might better reflect your intentions?

→ Toilets, hanging plants, towels or shower curtains that hang down drain prosperity… Encourage the wealth to flow back into the home. As always, remember to keep toilet seats down and add standing, upward growing plants.

→ Pictures that step down a stairway, encourage energy to flow too quickly… Stabilize the flow by hanging pictures along a horizontal line.

→ Dead plants, urns of ashes, garbage cans, or things that are depressing encourage negativity and sadness… Replace with things that make you feel alive, grateful and happy. Consider adding a bamboo plant and nightlight with a red bulb.

→ Rooms that are stark black or white can reflect feelings of emptiness… Reflect abundance by adding purple curtains, a copper teakettle filled with purple flowers, a glass bowl filled with fruit, a vibrant painting or a collection of beautiful and/or valuable heirlooms.

→ Closets, hallways or rooms that are dark reflect a lack of transparency and block circulation… Light them up by adding bright lights and consider painting them purple, the color of wealth.

→ Rooms or storage areas that are cluttered reflect a lack of control, organization and balance… Clear out the clutter. Only keep things you love and organize them beautifully in colorful containers.

→ Your car… Make it shine; inside and out, it’s a reflection of your prosperity.

→ A fireplace… Add a vase of flowers or anything with water to prevent the flame from burning up your wealth.

→ Nothing, nothing at all…. Is the wealth corner of your home actually missing? If so, activate with corrections either inside or outside. Inside, consider adding a water fountain or fish tank. Outside, consider lighting up the missing area, planting a tree, or adding a birdbath.

Enhancing your surrounding environment to clearly reflect your intentions is an easy way to manifest your desire to feel more financially secure. Enhance away and feel the wealth!

–by Tammy Long
A condensed version of this article first appeared in the April 2010 “Things To Do” Magazine.

The Aroma of Clean

suitespace — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:53:55 +0000

As we prod along through winter, we tend to spend more time indoors with doors and windows closed. Often, stale odors take over — from carpets, refrigerators, the furniture, laundry rooms and more.

There’s nothing like the aroma of clean! It’s fresh, welcoming and stimulating. From a feng shui perspective, it’s healthy. Be ready for spring! Pick a sunny day, turn the music on, open the windows, de-clutter and give your home the gift of clean.

Dust everything – the walls, ceiling fans, light fixtures, picture frames, bookcases, books, the top of the refrigerator. Take advantage of the opportunity to get rid of dead plants and flowers, unwanted books, broken frames, old newspapers and magazines, things you no longer use, unwanted gifts, things you don’t like, things you’ll never really repair, inherited clutter, mystery boxes and empty boxes. If you don’t love it or don’t use it, get rid of it!

Vacuum everything you can’t dust – furniture, behind and under furniture, carpeting, behind doors, rugs, behind the refrigerator. Clean the windows, the mirrors, and all the glass – make it shine.

Now, wash down all the hard surfaces with an all-purpose scented household cleaner. Choose citrus fruits or pine for their clean aromatic qualities. Oranges are cheerful and uplifting and best of all, stimulating for any stagnate energy. Lemons are radiant and pine is naturally fresh and warming. 1

–by Tammy Long
A condensed version of this article first appeared in the March 2010 “Things to Do” Magazine.

1 Gill Farrer-Halls, The Aromatherapy Bible (New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2005) 318, 322, 343.

Romance is in the air …

suitespace — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:50:39 +0000

Are you happy in love? Can’t find your mojo? Maybe you’re afraid of commitment. Even worse, maybe you’re with someone but wish you weren’t. Why does it all matter? Loving someone is about trust, openness and mutual support. And, unlike the movies, love doesn’t always just “happen.” One has to take inventory, set the stage, and create the mood. There is no better time than now, St. Valentine’s Day, to do just that.

First, take inventory. Find your relationship sector. It’s located in the upper right corner of your home and the upper right corner of every room. Ruled by the planet earth, it represents your ability to commit to something/someone greater (work, earth, home, or someone else). Think of it as the energy conductor for all relationships, including your relationship with yourself. Take a critical look – is it clutter free? Is it open yet cozy? Is it warm and inviting? Is it somewhere you want to be?

Next, set the stage. To make yourself open to receiving love, support and nurturing from others, clear out all the clutter and dead plants. If your relationship gua is located in a bathroom, add a pair of earthen pots for stability. If located in a hallway, add a rug to slow any fast rushing ch’i. If located in a living room, display rose quartz here and in your bedroom to create a romantic link. If located in the kitchen, display relationship photos on the refrigerator as a reminder to encourage good relationships with others, not with food. If located in the dining room, display a beautiful red bowl on the table to invite opportunity. If located in the bedroom, clear out all the bedside reading material and cover up the television, your attention should be focused on bedroom activities, not work or outside entertainment. Avoid artwork depicting singles. Create areas that invite togetherness and encourage harmony — a pair of overstuffed comfortable chairs facing each other or an overstuffed loveseat.

Finally, create the right kind of mood — capture the essence of romance. Soften things up with colorful throw pillows and a cozy blanket. Light a pair of candles next to a vase of red roses. Light up a corner lamp with a pink light bulb. Open your heart to the possibilities! Put on some soft romantic music. Bring out the wine and dark chocolate for two — or for one — and celebrate the love in your life on St. Valentine’s Day with style, you deserve it!

–by Tammy Long
A condensed version of this article was first published in the February 2010 edition of “Things to Do” Magazine.

Feng Shui Color

suitespace — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:00:31 +0000

According to feng shui five elements — fire, earth, metal, water and wood — make up our world. Harmonizing our living spaces calls for a proper balance of those elements. A simple way to achieve this balance is to use color, keeping in mind the need to feel comfortable with color selections. Here’s a look at how this might work.

Yellow is associated with the grounding, supportive energy of earth. It accentuates optimism, focus and communication. To encourage concentration in an office or study, a soft-muted yellow could be a good color choice.

Green is associated with the personal growth energy of wood. It accentuates growth and healing. Green can encourage more restful sleeping patterns and is a great color choice for a child’s room. Accent with bright yellow or orange to motivate or blue to calm.

Blue is associated with the release and renewal energy of water. It accentuates imagination. To increase creativity or generate new ideas, consider adding blue accent pieces in the southeast corner of your home.

Red is associated with the expansive energy of fire. Considered a good accent color for a dining room, it may be too stimulating for a bedroom.

White is associated with the mental energy of metal. Perhaps a good color choice for stimulating creativity, too much can make people sarcastic or sharp.

–Published in October 2009, Things to Do

The Home Connection

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:03:42 +0000

Why do we choose to buy the homes we buy? Maybe we like the way the front door looks from the street. Maybe the front yard reminds us of the front yard of our childhood home. Maybe, when we walked in the kitchen, the aroma of cookies baking in the oven called to us. Or, maybe it was the green paint on the living room walls. Then again, it’s very likely we have no idea what we were first drawn to, we just were.

Buyers are all unique, each looking for something personal. Sellers always believe their property is the most marketable property of all. Realtors® work for both buyers and sellers to make “the home connection.” That’s where a feng shui practitioner comes in.

A feng shui practitioner can help buyers focus their intentions (i.e. what is their ideal dream home, what kind of neighborhood are they seeking, how do they want to feel in their new space). There is no one size fits all when home shopping.

A feng shui practitioner can help sellers focus their intentions (i.e. to sell their property). Again, sellers always believe their property is the most beautiful property of all – as is. Sometimes, it’s not. Buyers are not personally connected to that miniature mouse collection adorning every shelf throughout the home. Buyers don’t necessarily share a seller’s appreciation of all those coats hanging next to the front door. And, just because a buyer loves his dog, doesn’t mean he/she enjoys tripping over pet food dishes in a seller’s kitchen.

So how does feng shui help?

Buyers are emotional. Feng shui taps into that emotion and uses it, evaluating buyers to personalize the best fit. A feng shui practitioner looks at the number of rooms, the home’s facing direction, the home’s street location, the energy flow, and the overall balance. Finally, a feng shui practitioner looks at the hidden potential, keeping in mind, colors can be changed, landscapes can be modified, and furnishings can be arranged to enhance any space.

Sellers are emotional too. Feng shui taps into those emotions in a different way, coaching sellers through a sort of 3-step distancing process:

Clearing out all the clutter – closets, collections and all. This can be a difficult process for a seller but doing so prepares the seller for moving, removes some of the emotional attachment that exists, and visually expands any space making it feel open and airy. Remember, buyers are shopping for a home that will have adequate room for their stuff.
A good cleaning, one that is cleaner than ever before. Clean creates it’s own aroma. Clean smells and feels good. Sometimes, a good cleaning can call for replacing carpet to rid the space of stagnate odors.
Staging to open up the space, creating good energy flow. This begins with removing excess furniture and then arranging what remains creatively. Minimizing furnishings creates a feeling of comfort, harmony and calmness. The finishing touch involves circulating the air throughout the space. How? By opening a window to invite the breeze in or playing gentle, soft music. Why? Both can create sounds that are appealing.

Realtors® specialize in real estate sales. Feng shui practitioners specialize in the art of space alignment — it’s more than staging. Feng shui practitioners compliment buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals.