What Does Your Home Say About You?

At the foundation of Feng Shui is the belief that everything in our home is alive and talking to us. This may seem like a stretch to many, but stop and think about it; when the first thing you encounter when you enter your home is the unrelenting pile of clutter, how does it make you feel? My sense is – not so great about yourself. And who needs that!

Many of us have kept in our homes a gift that we really disliked but didn’t get rid of it for fear of offending a friend or relative. One of my clients displayed pictures of depressing subjects that brought her down but felt obligated to keep them up for fear of offending a close photographer friend. Another client insisted her daughter display in her room all of the expensive dolls her grandmother gave her, even though her daughter hated dolls.

Keeping objects that you don’t like is is a big deal and affects you more powerfully than you realize. It also says a lot about who you are.

Feng Shui teaches that every object  in our homes has a consciousness which is called energy or chi.  It is interacting with us and we are interacting with it on subtle, and not-so-subtle levels. Subtle changes  to our home can therefore produce big changes in our general sense of well-being, or lack there of. The daughter who was made to display the expensive dolls for fear of offending the grandmother is getting powerful messages about how important her wishes are in the family dynamic. These messages can go on to affect her for the rest of her life.

As we learn to see our homes from our Feng Shui eyes, we can gain valuable insights into the parts of our personality that need healing. In recognizing them, we can move on to live happier lives. When we feel good in our living space,  we are happier people. Happier people attract others who want to spend time with them, who will often bring opportunities along as well.

Another thing we look for in Feng Shui is what is not there.  I had a client who only had hand-me-down furniture in her home. The only nice things (fine china and crystal glasses) were taken out twice a year for holiday entertaining. In reading her home it was telling me her belief system was that she was not the important person in her life and perhaps didn’t deserve to have lovely things. Her home was anchoring in a belief system that was the opposite of what she really wanted, which was to enjoy beautiful things and have the abundance to purchase them.

I recommended she take out the fine china and goblets and use them on a regular basis. This new behavior would affirm what she really wanted her life to be like. In doing so she was sending out radio signals to the universe that she was deserving of having lovely things.  This was the beginning of a powerful turn in her life and her circumstances have continued to improve. She acted as if it was true, and in doing it became true.

A home that lifts your spirits and reflects your tastes, loves and desires makes you happy and amplifies the happiness quotient in your life.  Consequently, a home that always drags you down because of the accumulation of all of the little things that bug or don’t inspire you, will support keeping you in a more depressive and unhappy place.

Feng Shui is not magic, or woo woo, or about hanging mysterious crystals and wind chimes around in secret places. You will unfortunately encounter many books that try to make it mysterious, but the skinny on Feng Shui is that is is simple. By working on your home to make it a more pleasing place to be, you are changing your energy. You simply feel better, hence are more enjoyable to be around. Then you start experiencing a positive domino effect and it reaches out to everyone and everything you come in contact with.

If you would like to begin the journey of creating a home that you love being in:

• Start by observing every object in your home. Be as objective as possible.
• Ask  yourself what messages is it telling you  about who you are and what you believe to be true. Is it revealing priorities or beliefs that you don’t really agree with?
• Ask yourself if what you see is serving what you truly want in your life?
• Then set about to make sure every object in your home is something you either use on a regular basis, is something you love, and reflects your current tastes and desires.

This is no small feat, but by doing so you will create a home that feeds your soul, uplifts your spirit, and moves your life forward in the direction of your highest choosing!

Erica Sofrina, Founder of the Academy of Feng Shui and author of the book Small Changes, Dynamic Results! Feng Shui for the Western World.