3 Tips from a Feng Shui Expert to Help You Live a Happier Life
And Reach
Your Goals
By Lia Menna Gross
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” - Lao Tzu
Feng Shui presents itself as a mixed bag:
Colors, shapes, placement, furniture, compass directions, numbers, plants, seasons…oh, my! It’s enough to make your head spin.
But, what if Feng Shui has nothing to do with any of these things? What if all of these Feng Shui aspects are tools designed to shift your perspective towards feeling inner peace and living a happier life?
What if…Feng Shui has everything to do with YOU?
*Gasp*
The Never-Ending Race
Humanity is living at lightning speed.
Instant gratification is the norm.
And yes, I’ll rave about online shopping and free next day delivery as much as any other mom. How else do we magically find ourselves gathering up snacks from Target while cheering on our kid at soccer practice and engaging in the latest neighborhood mom chat simultaneously?
Life isn’t designed around the instant gratification model our brains have been molded to follow. There’s another force at play that’s just as nail-biting as spotty cell service:
Time.
While each individual's relationship with time varies, we’re taught early on that there’s a race against time we’ve involuntarily signed up for.
The general consensus being that happiness comes to us once we’ve parked at our final destination. The holy grail itself - our ultimate goal.
We crank up the stress by planning everything to a T, only to feel satisfied once we’ve ticked off box after box in our daily floral planner, and methodically mapped out plans b and c for any possible “what if” outcomes.
Is your eye twitching yet?!
You can live a happier life (and reach your goals) without the burnout and with sustainable harmony in mind. Let’s talk Feng Shui.
The Evolution of a Goal-Getter
There are a few Feng Shui elements to consider when working on achieving your goals. Goals are those future plans you’re aiming to accomplish. More times than not, the ultimate goal we’re hoping to achieve doesn't line up with who we are in the present (yep, it’s that time thing again!).
We’ve got some biological factors to consider as well…
Our brains are wired to seek immediate pleasure. It’s a part of our evolutionary journey and dubbed the pain-pleasure principle of Freudian psychology. Constant gratification at an instantaneous rate leads to burnout. Since achieving goals takes time, we’ve got to feed the flame of desire for the long haul. This propels us towards our final destination while keeping us in check in the present.
Focusing on negative experiences is another survival tactic embedded in our minds. Known as the negativity bias, it’s “a cognitive bias that results in adverse events having a more significant impact on our psychological state than positive events” as defined in this article by The Decision Lab.
I like to call these adverse events “lemons”. They’re those unavoidable sour moments we all find ourselves squeezing through at some point. Yet, through a shift in perspective, we’re able to see the sweetness in these experiences.
Feng Shui Tools for the Long Haul
Now that you’ve got a solid understanding of what’s at play when achieving long-term goals, let’s sneak a peek at how Feng Shui can support you along your journey.
Tip # 1: Declutter, the Feng Shui way
Whether you're reimagining your entryway, decluttering your overpacked makeup bag or releasing your never-used-just-for-looks china, start letting things go.
By intentionally letting go of just one thing for seven days, you’ll begin to see how small steps can lead to big results (and shift your perspective around time!). Take the leap by joining my One Week Decluttering Challenge.
Tip #2: Define your intention
An intention is a thought, something you’re creating in the now. Intention sparks the actions and mindset that lead you towards the person you’re becoming (and the one who’s crushing your future goals). It’s the backbone of Feng Shui living.
Intention is allll about how you desire to feel!
When you shift your focus from the goal itself (the final destination) and begin to pivot your attention towards creating a particular feeling along the way, your inner compass points to those feel-good vibes. And living in that space makes room for harmony and peace within your life.
Tip #3: Celebrate your baby steps
Do a happy dance. Talk yourself up. Would you expect your baby to be running half marathons when he’s just beginning to walk? You’d cheer him on for taking his first step (plus, hype it up in your Insta stories).
This intentional act will guide you in seeing your journey through a fresh set of eyes. Even when things get rough. It’ll shift your perspective off the negative (that is, the long-term work or effort it takes to achieve your dreams and the lemons life chucks your way) and towards the positive (those baby steps you’re taking to get there!).
Shifting perspective is the Feng Shui muscle that’s exercised most when working with a Feng Shui Expert. It holds the backbone of intention in place creating space for you to live the life you desire.
Finding Lasting Happiness
Lean on these three Feng Shui tools to bring harmony and peace into your goal-getting journey.
Because as good as it feels to tick each goal off your list, you’ll miss the adventure if this is your only focus. And the real adventure is the journey of you becoming who it is that you intend to be.
That is the true magic of Feng Shui manifestation.
But it only comes after you’ve taken a moment to reflect on where you’ve been and accept where you are in the present.
As you’re whipping through clothes in search of your New Year’s sparkle, I invite you to find space for reflection. Doing so sets the energetic tone for the year ahead. It’ll guide you along your yellow brick road with intention.
Whatever shiny objects you spot along the way. Whenever the inevitable lemon plops on your head (figuratively!), it’s your intention - the eyes through which you choose to see life - that will keep you aligned with your path for the long haul.
If this blog post resonates with you, you’ll love my digital Reflection & Intention New Year Workbook.
Grab yours here.