The Time of Day Using Feng Shui: Can you REALLY get more time out of your day using Feng Shui

Time. There is never enough in the day. I see people every day rushing to get everything done at work, rushing in and out of stores on their way home to pick up dinner or necessities and weaving in and out to trying to get home as fast as they can (though did you ever notice you almost always see them at the next traffic light?).

Rushing home to rush through dinner, rush cleaning up, putting the kids to bed, straightening up and rushing to get ready for the next day to do it all over again. I wondered if there was a way using some Feng Shui Principles if we could actually save some time, slow down a bit so we could actually create in our lives what we are supposed to have, namely a balance in life. Of both work AND play.

Of course the first topic I cover with clients is Clutter. My definition of clutter is simple: if you don?t need it, use it or love it, get rid of it! If you need it somewhere down the road, believe me it will come back to you. We ask our clients to declutter because we can?t ?let the new in? when we have so many old things around. And clutter relates to the mind as well, a cluttered environment gives us a cluttered mind that doesn?t think (or work) quite as efficiently.

Certainly, if we took the time to clean up, get rid of the things we no longer need or use and spend some more time organizing what is left, we would be more efficient, particularly in a work environment. Perhaps we don?t want to take the time to do this but think how much faster (and clearer) you?ll work when you?ve finally organized and cleaned up your desk and your entire workspace. A place for things and everything in it?s place was an old saying and still works today. We can find things, our thoughts are not cluttered and in the end, we could potentially save a great deal of time.

I thought about the Elements we use in Feng Shui and remembered a very important principle one of our mentors stressed to us over and over again. Red is the most auspicious color of Feng Shui and we were told to use the color to enliven and stimulate a room or ourselves, for that matter. We were told that on days of low energy to wear the color Red as it helps gives off the energy it emits. I not only wear it on my days of low energy, I have splashes of it around my desk and in every room. Does it actually save time? Well, when you are feeling energized you can certainly accomplish a lot more than on days you are tired. And with energy, you actually DO work faster simply because you feel better. After the clutter goes, add Red around your work area; red tassels, silk flowers, money envelopes. And wear Red when you?re not at your usual energy level to save some more precious time.

I speak often to large and small groups and always go over the Bagua with them. Although all the areas are important, I focus many times on a section called ?Helpful People.? These are the people we know and care about in life, the kind of friend or family that will bring you back or send you a gift ?because they were thinking of you.? I happen to believe (possibly because I?ve seen it so often!) that helpful people can help you in just about any area of your life. Need a job? Looking for a new partner? Enhancing helpful people adds more helpful people more to your life. These people certainly can help you save time, often people are more then ready and willing to lend a hand---when you attract more into your life you will have even more. Funny thing about helpful people is you often don?t have to even ask them, they will offer to assist you with something. Take them up on it; it will save you more time and someday likely you?ll be able to return the favor.

It?s an old principle (and not a Feng Shui Principle) but it works. Using a ?To do? list and feeling a bit of accomplishment every time you can put a check mark down (or, as I like to do, cross it off) saves time. Time remembering what you have to do, who you have to call and where you have to go can save a lot of time. Having numbers ready as well often helps as well as putting the errand, chore or call you Least want to do FIRST and getting it out of the way helps a great deal. When the biggest hurdle of the day is over and done, the others seem to flow more smoothly. Try it, just a few extra minutes at night will save you more time the following day.

We use items in homes many people don?t often use and we use them for different reasons. One item we use quite often is Crystals. The help diffuse energy, circulate energy and crystals are actually said to help promote Clarity. Hang a crystal near or over your work space or on your computer if you spend a lot of time on it. Clarity when working is essential to get our work done as quickly and efficiently as possible, saving us both time and energy.

I do think the Chinese and many other people have been onto something for thousands of years in their use of Ginseng. I personally wouldn?t start my day without it. We follow the guidelines of Feng Shui and we help ourselves promote and maintain our own energy level through many ways. This is a good one; if you haven?t tried it, it?s unlikely you?ll be without it once you do.

Envision your day. A minute in the morning before you get up or just before you go to bed to actually visualize your day running smoothly can work wonders. Feng Shui uses Intention in everything we do and every change we make. The laws of attraction are always in place with like attracting like. Use visualization to SEE your day going well, having more time, finishing early. And seeing ourselves having more of that precious time we all need and want so much.

Now that you?ve got more time, remember one more Feng Shui Principle. We always seek to strive balance in life (using the symbol of Yin/Yang should remind you of that). And you know what they say about all work?.. Spend some of that precious, saved time on playing to create your balance. Maybe we actually CAN save time with Feng Shui in place.

The Tradition of the RED Envelopes in Feng Shui

What is all this talk about the Red Envelopes used in Feng Shui? As many consultants differ on methods, cures and other areas of Feng Shui, it appears many of us use the Red Envelopes in different ways as well. We were all trained by different mentors and sometimes view things differently; our methods are all effective in what we?d like to create and please note that these are only MY methods and intentions when using the Red Envelopes.

I actually didn?t know we had a difference as I just assumed we were all taught the same way. The Red Envelopes are used and exchanged when we perform a Transcendental Blessing or ?Cure? in the Black Sect tradition of Feng Shui. As these methods were never supposed to be published in a book, they were only meant to be passed down from Mentor to Student verbally, in our cases, the clients we performed the Blessings for. I describe what is used and why and explain they are an integral part of any Consultation. I have never felt that a Consultation would be helpful beyond a very limited point without them and they are always a vital part of my consultations. Since they are non-denominational, I have never had anyone object to them.

While I was Chapter Director of the International Feng Shui Guild, I finally had an opportunity to meet with some of the other members who expressed an interest in doing a Community Service for Long Island. And it was during this lunch that a discussion of the Red Envelopes came up. I was more then a little surprised to hear from two of the Consultants that I had been using them the ?wrong? way. And that I had apparently been taught ?incorrectly? by several of my mentors who were already Masters of Feng Shui in 1997.

We were taught (repeatedly) that the Red Envelopes are an Energy Exchange, a form of protection for those of us imparting these beautiful Blessings and Cures to another person; and if the other person were to pass them on, they also would need to get Red Envelopes from the recipient. We were further advised that some money should be placed in the envelopes, that amount to be determined by the client; and this money was NEVER, EVER to be kept, it had to be donated. As the years passed I have donated hundreds and hundreds of dollars to various causes such as the Red Cross and St. Jude?s Hospital. If the amounts in the envelopes were small, I would just save them until they had accumulated and then write out a check to different organizations.

It is our part of our duties to sleep near or on the Envelopes provided for a period of Nine nights, Nine being the Auspicious number in Feng Shui. Sometimes we put them on an altar, but we are never far from them during this very important time. And it is also a time to keep up with our clients as some have changes almost immediately while others take longer. If things are changing rapidly, I want to know as I would if they are not moving at all. Remember, the Blessings in and of themselves are very powerful to create and change our surroundings and the Energy in it.

And through the years of my practice I noticed another thing happening with the envelopes; I would get an image in my head or just ?see? something in a home or business that I had not seen or thought of while I was there. With some clients it would be more intense (as some people?s energy are more intense) and I would call or email them to advise them of what had occurred. I decided to try something and asked my clients to write down their Intentions and place them inside the envelopes as well?..surely, I thought, if they are infused with Energy I will get more thoughts and wanted to see what happened.

And I did. The dreams and thoughts became more vivid and clear and sometimes I would see things differently than I had during the consultation; sometimes I would envision something else that should be added. When it was intense I would ?see? things that I didn?t always know what they signified. And at these times, a call to my client was needed, as much for me to try to understand what was happening as well as to advise them. I develop amazing connections with my clients and the Energy that we establish during a consultation will likely keep us connected for years; some of my very first clients are now life long friends. We attract the clients we are meant to have, just as we attract all the people who come into our lives.

Back to the lunch where I was advised that I was ?taught? incorrectly; the Red Envelopes were definitely an Energy Exchange and the amount of money to be put into them were determined by the client above and beyond your fee?it was money to be kept; it was an example of my ?worth? is what they told me. Could I have been so wrong after ten years when I was having such positive results with my clients? I went back to my original notebook, dusted it off and read it cover to cover---and then to the second and third notebooks. ALL of our mentors during the year of 1997 at The Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design (which was, by the way, the very first school on Feng Shui Studies that was both licensed and accredited in Feng Shui Studies in the U.S.) had informed us to never keep that money.

I felt that I was in a quandary, felt a lot of (well meaning) criticism and wondered what to do. And I didn?t have to wonder long. I realized through the years of all the unseen and unknown people that had been helped through the kindness of my clients and the donations that had been made. After all, I reasoned, if it?s worked so well for ten years, why change it now? Perhaps I wasn?t taught a ?wrong? way, just a different way but it was working well for myself, my clients and many people out in the universe. The joy of ?gifting? back all these years has always made me feel good and I don?t need money to tell me what my self worth is equal to. I have seen and shared firsthand wonderful success stories with my clients while having helped others around the world. What better gift can Feng Shui give us?

Carole Provenzale
Feng Shui Long Island
Certified Feng Shui Practitioner
http://www.FengShuiLI.com
FengShuiLI@aol.com

Carole has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant for the last decade serving Homes and Businesses on Long Island and New York City onsite and Online for those at a distance. Carole is also a keynote speaker for large and small Corporations including Fox 5, The Long Island Board of Realtors and Nordstroms. She is a published author and Ordained Minister currently with continuing studies in Energy Healing and Health.