I love being paperless. Not only does it save trees, time, and space, it keeps my visual environment clear of clutter. Overall, being paperless lends itself to a better feng shui-ed space.

Or does it?

We still have the same amount of ‘information’ (arguably much more than ever before) filed and stored as before our Digital Age. It’s just floating around instead of stacked in file folders, cabinets, closets, desks, and so on. Information – which is really just energy – has essentially become less dense, but nevertheless it’s still energy. Instead of manila file folders in a filing cabinet, we can store the same information in a digital file folder on a computer and perhaps even on our smart phone. And so is the case with photos, addresses, phone numbers, tax returns, money, and virtually any piece of information you can think of.

In fact, the Digital Age is even turning physical objects into etherical energy. After all, my iPhone can morph into an alarm clock, a zen garden, a newspaper, a camera, a voice recorder, a board game, a Bagua Map, a flashlight and much more. Amazing! Before long, it might just become my nightstand.

As we have become less dense with this digital revolution, we still have to be mindful of the energy that floats around us. While we may have less physical objects around us, we are still overwhelmed with information. And so we must be conscious of what ‘information energy’ we have hanging around us that might in fact be clutter. (Clutter being anything that is no longer in our highest and best interest to keep.) Here are five places where digital clutter may be lurking in the ethers near you:

1. Phone contacts – When was the last time you updated your phone contacts? Chances are, there are people in your contacts that you no longer socialize with, do business with, or want to talk to. Clear them out. Although your phone may be able to hold a 1000 more contacts, you still need to make space for new people to come into your life. This is a great way to bring new people into your life – business, friends, or romance.
2. Computer file folders – If your computer file folders were in a filing cabinet, would it be bulging over by now? Probably so. Clean them out. Better yet, organize them while you’re cleaning them out if you haven’t already. And still while you’re at it, take the time to back up your important documents. Store any documents that you would be lost without if your computer crashed on a zip drive, or email them to yourself, or upload to Google docs so that they are stored somewhere else besides your hard drive.
3. Photos – Staying on top of photos seems just as difficult digitally as it was back when we had negatives. They at least don’t take up as much space, but that’s because we never get them printed! Are your digital photos strewn all around your computer, along with various online companies depending on who has the best deal? If so, take the time to store them all in one place on your computer in labeled folders. Commit to one online photo company so that all of your photos to be printed are in one place. And then have the ones you want to keep printed. The photo book option that most companies have is great for those of who don’t do scapbooking as a hobby.
4. Desktop icons/Phone apps – Is your computer desktop full of icons that you rarely, if ever, use?   These can cause some serious visual clutter that can lead to a cluttered mind. Sift through your icons to see if there are some you can remove. Removing the icon doesn’t remove the software, so you can still access the Program if later desired. Of course, this isn’t the case with phone apps. Periodically, go through your phone apps and delete the ones that didn’t live up to their hype or that you’ve lost interest in. It will just highlight the ones that you do use and love.
5. Bookmarks – Has your list of bookmarks become so lengthy that you feel like you are surfing the entire web trying to find something. Go through your bookmarks and delete the ones that are no longer of interest to you. For bookmarks you want to keep but don’t use that often, categorize them into folders, such as Recipes, Travel, and Good Ideas. In doing so, you may come across some great bookmark sites you’ve forgotten about. This is what clutter does – it hides the good stuff.

Where else do you have digital clutter?

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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

In the documentary film, The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard examines our national obsession with stuff and how it all began. She attributes our consumption addiction to the post-World War III economic policies that propagandized the notion of buying stuff. Our insatiable appetites haven’t been able to stop since.

That is, until now.

With the decline of the economy – whether directly affected or not – we have all started to take pause before making a purchase. More importantly, we are beginning to take inventory of the stuff that we do have. Even more so, we are beginning to feel taken over by all the stuff that we have accumulated over the decades, which is why so many of us are having the urge to purge or declutter our homes.

But is it as easy as making some runs to Goodwill?

Of course not.

Why?

We have become addicted, or emotionally attached, to our stuff.

Buying and accumulating stuff is just another way to distract ourselves from our present lives. Like cigarettes or alcohol, our stuff is a quick fix to feeling good. But when the high wears off, we are left with an icky feeling. But we need the icky feeling so that we can punish ourselves and perpetuate our guilt. And then we need the high again so that we don’t feel the pain, and the circle continues.

Is this an overreaction to buying a new toaster?

Maybe. But consumption can be an addiction (or at the least an emotional attachment) that, unlike cigarettes and alcohol, is hard to recognize because it is so affirmed by our friends, family, media, and government.

So how do we detach from our stuff?

Awareness is power. Knowing what and why we are attached to our stuff or certain items will oftentimes break the emotional attachment with our stuff. For some of us, having a lot of stuff is simply a distraction from our everyday life.

A cluttered space results in a cluttered mind, which is exactly what some of us want, at least subconsciously. In the same way alcohol makes things fuzzy, having a lot of things in your space will do the same. And on some level, that is the desired outcome.

For many of us, it is certain items that are difficult to part with. It may be books and magazines for some or old pictures, clothes, gifts, collections, etc. for others. Either way, if you don’t love an item or don’t use it, then it is time to part with it.

If you are still having resistance, then it’s time to acknowledge an emotional attachment to the item(s). Here’s what to do….

Start asking yourself questions.

What am I feeling right now?

What memories does this item bring up?

Who gave it to me?

Why did I originally buy it?

Who does it remind me of?

Do I feel guilty getting rid of this item? If so, why?

Why?

Why?

And Why?

Be your own detective… or therapist.

It’s never just about the item, it’s about the emotion the item holds.

Get to the root of why you are hanging on to an item that you know would be in your best interest to get rid of. You may be surprised. What you thought was just an old hairbrush may actually be a reservoir of past emotions that you and your sister shared when she helped you get ready for prom. Or maybe the green gingham shirt with the price tag on it conjures up guilt for buying things that are on sale and never wearing them. Until acknowledged, the shirt will hang in your closet serving only to attract the pattern for more guilt.

And so it’s not about detaching from the item, per se.  It’s about acknowledging and FEELING THE EMOTION that you have stored away in this item. MAKING PEACE WITH IT in the form of crying, forgiving, remembering, resolving, etc.  AND THEN MOVING ON.

Once you have awareness around an item, you will be amazed at how easy it will be to let go of it. If you have the awareness but still don’t want to get rid of the item, then it may simply be too early. See how you feel the next round of decluttering.

To start the process of decluttering, I recommend working in baby steps with attainable goals as I set out in my book, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home. You will build up the confidence that will keep you going through the long haul. Once you realize that life will go on with fewer items, you will not only want to clear out more stuff, but will start to feel free.

And when you feel this sense of freedom you know you have mastered the art of detaching from your stuff.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

How many times have you cleared clutter only to be appalled by the amount of stuff you are contributing to a landfill. Feelings of guilt arise. Between being dismayed by the amount of stuff you have accumulated and the remorse of contaminating Mother Earth, clearing clutter oftentimes becomes a project of procrastination, or worse, a permanent avoidance.

If this resonates with feelings you’ve had at some point, then help is on the way… there is no longer an excuse to put off clearing clutter. We will use the Reduce Reuse Recycle mantra as our guide for the best ways to clear clutter and be green.

REDUCE

The Number One best thing about clearing clutter is that once it’s gone, once you realize just how much you have accumulated, and once you realize how little you really need, then you are so much less likely to consume as much in the future. Clearing clutter reduces future consumption. In fact, after clearing out your clutter, you will feel so much lighter that you will not want to re-clutter your space. And when you do get the itch for something new, you will be oh so much for choosy in what you purchase.

REUSE

The second tier of being green is to Reuse. In my 5 Step Guide to Clearing Clutter, I recommend separating your items into piles: trash, recycling, returns, donation, and ‘for sale’ items. Those items designated as donation and/or ‘for sale’ are actually on their way to being reused. Congratulations! So, take the time to sort these out. For any items that you want to sell for extra cash, then list them on craigslist.com or ebay. If your item(s) doesn’t sell, then your price is too high or it’s ready for either a garage sale or Goodwill.

Garage sales can be a fun way to get rid of a large volume of items that would otherwise take too long to sell online. In just 4 – 6 hours you can dramatically unload your inventory and make money doing it. Whatever items are left over, pack them up and donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army, ARC or any local charities that accept donated goods. Just make sure that these items are reusable and not items that should be in the next category: recycle. (For example, your favorite sneakers from 1988 that have holes and worn-out souls should not be reused! )

Freecycle.org is another great way to have your items reused. Just list your item and have someone who needs it come and pick it up for you. No hauling. As they say, one (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure!

RECYCLE

Now that you have pared down your items to those no longer reusable, it’s time to recycle. So many more items are recyclable than you may think. If you don’t already recycle paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic on a regular basis, then start now. Every major city has recycling centers if they don’t already pick up at your home. Research what services your city already offers. You may be surprised. (I just learned that Nashville.gov sells 80-gallon compost bins for $40!)

What about those items that aren’t readily recycled? Earth 911! That’s right, go to www.earth911.org

Earth911 is your one stop source to finding what you can recycle and where — from mattresses to computer monitors to eyeglasses. Simply search by your zip code. It’s incredibly easy and informative!

Another option is the businesses from which the items originally came from. Here are some examples:

Dry Cleaners. For example, do you have a ton of dry cleaner’s hangers and plastic bags? Chances are they will not only take them back, but reuse them. If they don’t, consider taking your business to a greener dry cleaner.

Computers. The same is true for most computer companies. Computers contain a number of harmful chemicals, so it’s important to make sure they’re properly recycled.  Most major computer manufacturers now offer some type of recycling program. Dell will recycle any Dell product for free, and if you buy a new Dell, they’ll recycle any other brand of computer for free. Hewlett-Packard, Gateway, Apple and Toshiba also have recycling programs — check their Web sites for details.

Hand-held Devices. Small electronics are full of big toxins. Instead, drop off your old cell phones, pagers and PDAs at Staples stores around the country. The company has partnered with nonprofit CollectiveGood, which collects and recycles the phones. When possible, CollectiveGood refurbishes them and puts them to use in developing countries. Otherwise, the phones and other items are broken down in an eco-friendly process and the metals are separated out for reuse or proper disposal. If there’s not a Staples store near you, you can mail your phone to the CollectiveGood — and even get a tax credit for the donation.  Other office supply stores, such as Office Depot offer recycling options as well.

Athletic Shoes. Nike has a great program that will recycle any brand of athletic shoe through its Reuse-a-Shoe program. You can drop shoes off at any Niketown store or Nike Factory store. The company processes and recycles the footwear to make sports surfaces for basketball courts, tennis courts, running tracks and playgrounds. Right now they’re collecting shoes to make athletic surfaces for New Orleans, to help bring youth sports back to the city as it rebuilds. To date, about 20 million pairs of athletic shoes worldwide have been recycled through the Reuse-A-Shoe program.

So before you throw your stuff in the garbage bin, think about the Reduce Reuse Recycle mantra. With each item consider whether it is reusable and, if not, recyclable. And, before long, you will automatically be reducing. The best thing is that it feels good to be green AND clutter free.

This is a repost from Unclutterer.com.

We all know that a cluttered home or cluttered desk causes a cluttered mind. But researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute have backed this claim up. They published the results of a study they conducted in the January issue of The Journal of Neuroscience that relates directly to uncluttered and organized living. From their report “Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Human Visual Cortex”:

Multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually suppressing their evoked activity throughout visual cortex, providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system.

Or, to paraphrase in non-neuroscience jargon:

When your environment is cluttered, the chaos restricts your ability to focus. The clutter also limits your brain’s ability to process information. Clutter makes you distracted and unable to process information as well as you do in an uncluttered, organized, and serene environment.

The clutter competes for your attention in the same way a toddler might stand next to you annoyingly repeating, “candy, candy, candy, candy, I want candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy …” Even though you might be able to focus a little, you’re still aware that a screaming toddler is also vying for your attention. The annoyance also wears down your mental resources and you’re more likely to become frustrated.

The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other physiological measurement tools to map the brain’s responses to organized and disorganized stimuli and to monitor task performance. The conclusions were strong — if you want to focus to the best of your ability and process information as effectively as possible, you need to clear the clutter from your home and work environment.

This research shows that you will be less irritable, more productive, distracted less often, and able to process information better with an uncluttered and organized home and office.

Thanks Unclutterer.com!

One of the best things about being a writer is that there is virtually no overhead. All you pretty much need is a computer and some discipline. However, it is for this reason that a designated office space is often overlooked for writers, not to mention a feng shui-ed office space.

Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, blogs or books, a writer spends her day pouring herself out, emotionally and intellectually, onto paper and into the world. It can be a very vulnerable place. This is one reason why having an office space is so important and, more specifically, having your own office space – a space that is yours and yours alone without distraction.

Location

Writers usually work from home, again, thanks to the low overhead. But, finding adequate office space comes with challenges. If square footage is an issue, then home offices become an afterthought only to find themselves sharing space with a guest room, kitchen table, or the corner of the living room. And so it takes some creative planning of a space to make a home office work for writers.

The first step is to select one location for your workspace. Ideally, this is a designated home office. But, it could be a sitting chair, your bed, or the kitchen table. Whatever the space, it is important that you make this your space. In other words, this is the place you go to write. Similar to meditation, when you use the same space, it will help you drop in quicker to the flow. Also, in doing so, you are making writing a priority.

A note about writing in coffee shops: Some people need the stimulation of other people around them to get motivated to write. For others, however, it can be very distracting. So, experiment and notice what works best for you.

Desk Placement

To recap my article, Feng Shui for the Workplace: Where to Place Your Desk, there are a few things to keep in mind when setting up a workspace. The most important consideration for any office is desk placement. When sitting at your desk, you should be in “Command Position”. Simply put, this is the position that makes you most ‘in command.’ The Command Position emerges from our instinctive need to have visible control of our environment.

The ideal Command Position would be with a view of the door from your chair, a view out a window, and a solid wall behind you.

This may mean moving your desk into the room away from the wall. If this is absolutely not possible, then place a mirror to where you can see the entrance in the mirror. If you do not use a desk, but instead a counter or even your lap, it is still important to face the door entering the room. You want to feel in power and confident in your space – whether you are home alone or working amongst a 100 colleagues in a business office.

In this photo, the writer’s office also doubles as a guest room. The desk faces the door, but is not directly in line with the door (that would result in too much chi energy coming in). It would be better if the window was not right behind her. Why? A wall behind you provides support and for writers in an isolated profession, feeling supported is crucial. Keeping the blind closed is helpful so that there is not a feeling of being exposed.

Clear Clutter

Also notice in this picture the lack of clutter. It is imperative to have an uncluttered space when writing. Our mind is directly affected by our environment. So once you designate your workspace, then declutter it.

Size of Desk

The size of your desk will depend on your preference. Everyone likes or requires a different amount of surface area. For some, an executive-size desk makes them feel more powerful. For others, it’s just another place to collect clutter. I prefer a desk that will fit my laptop, tea, and my cell phone. I work virtually paperless and prefer to keep everything either on my phone or computer.

In this office, you can see that while the desk is relatively small, it takes center stage in my office. It faces the door without being in direct line and not being right in front of the window either. Find a desk or surface that fits your style and is comfortable. If you are physically cramped, then your creative juices will not be free-flowing.

As said in Field of Dreams, ‘if you build it, they will come,’ and so is the case if you designate a workspace that feels good to you. You will be more likely to write, enjoy writing, and be successful in your writing.

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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.tishamorris.com.

Also check out the NEW Feng Shui Your Life eWorkbook.  NOW AVAILABLE!

We see it all the time. Sports figures retire, un-retire, re-retire, un-re-retire, and finally retire. If it wasn’t Michael Jordan, it was Magic Johnson, Jimmy Connors, Lance Armstrong, and now Brett Favre.  And while they go through this in front of the world, we all go through a similar struggle without the media attention. This struggle that I am referring to is the attachment to our “identity.”

And as our world undergoes major changes and shifts, most of us will also experience an identity crisis at some point, if not already.

The most common identity attachment is to our jobs whether it be in sports, law, banking, arts, medicine, or any other identifiable category. Typically, the more time and/or energy one puts into it, the greater the attachment to that identity. Take sports figures, for example. They have dedicated their entire life to that sport with an incredible intensity. The same could be true for someone who acquired lots of education in a particular field. Also the amount of income received can bolster one’s attachment to the identity. And, of course, society’s perception of the value of that identity weighs heavily.

In addition to attaching to an identity in the workplace, we also identify with certain role identities. For example, being a mom, being rich, having a great portfolio, driving a jag, being the homecoming queen, being spiritual, being vegan, being a Steelers fan, being the frat guy, and the list goes on. We will find any possible identity to hang on. Why?

We don’t know who we would we be without our identity. Our mind (ego) won’t let us just ‘be’.

The mind, or ego, attaches to an identity in order to categorize, separate, and, ultimately, survive. The problem is that these illusory labels are only temporary. The athletic body fades away, the kids grow up, you get laid off, your portfolio loses its value, or you finally retire. How many times have you seen this? A man works his entire life with hardly ever taking a sick day, he retires, and then suddenly his health deteriorates and/or he just dies. Jack Nicholson’s character in About Schmidt went through a similar experience. Upon retiring from the insurance business, he had no idea who he was, let alone his wife or daughter.

The word “identification” is derived from the Latin word idem, which means “same” and facere, which means “to make.” Therefore, when we identify with something, we are attempting to make it the same as our Self. But the only thing that we can really “be” is our Self.

The job, object, person, or role is just a temporary, illusive substitute which becomes a bottomless pit of seeking happiness.

In the Introduction of Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, he gives a personal testimony of going from suicidal to enlightenment literally overnight. He attributes this dramatic shift to the loss of identification with anything. He describes this experience of nonattachment as follows:

“A time came when, for a while, I was left with nothing on the physical plane. I had no relationships, no job, no home, no socially defined identity. I spent almost two years sitting on park benches in a state of the most intense joy.” -Eckhart Tolle

While it is unlikely that most of us will experience such a dramatic loss of identification, many are currently grappling with a loss of identity either voluntarily or involuntarily. Many people are voluntarily changing careers after working their way up the ladder for years only to start back at the bottom in a new career. Although it is by choice, it can still be challenging to shed the former identity. In fact, I would guess that loss of identity unconsciously prevents many people from moving out of a career that is not satisfying.

I remember my own experience with this a few years ago. I was transitioning from practicing law to a more fulfilling career of yoga and energy healing. One day, my legal contracting clients suddenly dried up before I got my new career underway. I felt like I had fallen into a crack between two worlds. I suddenly had no identity. And no income.

After making decent money ever since entering the workforce, I had not realized how much “making good money” was part of my identity until it wasn’t there. Even with the ability to meet my expenses through savings, my identity as a money-making attorney was gone and my ego was blown. After a week of mourning, I began to dig deep within myself trying to find something with which to identify. This has often been referred to as “the dark night of the soul.”

The only thing left was my Soul. I realized that my permanent, inner Light is in fact my most valuable asset.

With the current state of the economy, many people are experiencing this same loss of identity.  Like an artist facing a blank canvas, it can be daunting. But this opportunity can be freeing at the same time. Shedding these egoic identifications can be liberating.  The involuntarily loss of identifications are forcing people to dig deep and find their true Self. And what they are finding is their soul. Their heart.

We are living in a time when our heart is our greatest commodity.  Like a compass, it will lead us the way in these times of uncertainty.

If you are someone who has recently lost or losing an identity, either voluntarily or involuntarily, don’t just search for the next one. Instead, use this as an opportunity to find your true Light. And let it guide you to your Soul’s inner joy.

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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.tishamorris.com.

Also check out the NEW Feng Shui Your Life eWorkbook.  NOW AVAILABLE!

This is a repost from The Elephant Journal originally posted on October 19, 2010.

My favorite quote and the mantra I try to live by is Ghandi’s ”Be the change you want to see in the world.”

But there is another Ghandi quote that to me is equally poignant.  He says:

“Our contribution to the progress of the world must consist of setting our own house in order.”

As a feng shui consultant, this is music to my ears. You can take this quote as literal or figurative as you want. Either way, I can’t help but think that if we each placed our attention on our home or whatever space we take up on this Earth, how amazing our Planet could be. It would be wonderful if we could all have a perfectly feng shui-ed home with its energy perfectly harmonized with Mother Earth.

But, to me the ultimate goal of feng shui is to love your home as if it’s a sanctuary.

In doing so, you are simply loving yourself and treating yourself as the sacred temple that you are.

So here are some simple suggestions to turn your home into a sacred sanctuary. And, in doing so, it can be a beacon of light on our planet as will its occupants.

1. Decluttering. I mention decluttering first because you must get rid of the old before you can bring in the new. If you are one of the many who has gone through or wants to go through a massive purge, you are certainly not alone. Our planet is going through a major clearing and that trickles down to each and every one of us. If decluttering sounds monumental and overwhelming, then just start with one drawer. It may lead to another one and another and so on. If you are someone who declutters on a regular basis and thinks that this doesn’t apply to you, then think again! There are so many layers to our things. That which we most need to get rid of is oftentimes right under our nose. What is taking up valuable space in your life? What item(s) are preventing you from loving your home?

2. Set Up an Altar Space. Early architects truly understood sacred geometry and how to build churches and cathedrals. They built tall steeples to reach God. You can do this, too, with an altar space—except your steeple is energetic. Each time you sit down to meditate you are a steeple. This is the benefit of an altar space. It creates an energetic vortex so that each time you sit down to meditate you ‘plug-in’ quicker and deeper. Your altar space can be as simple or elaborate as you want. The most important thing is that it is a designated space for this purpose. It is best to have a centering device—whether it be a table, shelf, or cardboard box. Place objects on your altar that are sacred to you.

3.  Display Power Objects.  We all have certain items that are really special to us. These are items that energize, inspire, and connect. For example, one of my power objects is a hand-made tapestry that I purchased in Peru. When I see it across from my desk it energizes me. The colors, the symbols, and the craftsmanship are inspiring. Other examples could be a love note from your beloved, a powerful crystal, a piece of pottery from your travels, or an art piece you crafted. Ideally, every item in our home should be a power object. Do an inventory of your home and notice what energizes you and what depletes you and rearrange accordingly.

4.  Designate a Yoga Space.  By creating a space for doing yoga, you are creating new space for your yoga practice to deepen. Your home practice is where you begin to truly tune in to what you want your yoga practice to be. You become your own inner guru, or upaguru in Sanskrit.  Maybe you are feeling energized and do an extensive series of warrior poses and arm balances. Or perhaps you are feeling tired and need to do slow and deep hip openers on the mat. If space allows, you can arrange your yoga space and altar space in the same area of your home. If space is at a premium, then you may have to be more creative with your arrangement, but it should at least be the size of your unrolled yoga mat.

5.  Space Clear.  There is an invisible world of energy in your home that you probably are not aware of. Like cell phone and radio signals, our thoughts and emotions swirl around in our spaces. But what you may not have thought about is the energy from previous owners’ emotions and traumas, your furniture’s history and stories, or even your own stuck patterns and habits. Space clearing is a term used in feng shui that refers to clearing the energy in spaces. There are many methods used for space clearing. And in some extreme cases, you may need a professional to come in. Otherwise, you should space clear your home yourself periodically. Sage smudging is the most common method. With a bundle of sage, light the tip and waft it around your space. It’s best to start around the perimeter—especially hitting the corners—and end up in the center of the room. When the smoke has cleared, you may notice the room looks crisper and feels lighter.

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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

From a feng shui perspective, garages can be a real problem area. First of all, they take up a valuable part of the Bagua Map – usually one of the four corners.  (To see where your garage falls on the Bagua Map, download my iphone App or sign up on my Newsletter list on the sidebar to receive a Free Bagua Map.)

It is best if the garage is placed at the back of the house instead of overshadowing the front entrance. But even then, you end up with your Love or Wealth corner in your garage. This wouldn’t be the end of the world but for the fact that our garages usually end up being huge clutter magnets.

Ideally, your garage should be treated with as much love and care as any room in the house. And, yes, the garage is included in the Bagua Map – anything that is connected to the house and has a roof. I inevitably get this question every workshop when someone realizes their Love corner is buried somewhere in the corner of their garage or their Wealth is stashed away behind the inherited furniture collecting dust in the garage.

The garage is just important as any room in the house. After all it is an aspect of yourself as are all parts of your home. Unfortunately, however, the garage ends up being a giant catch-all closet for clutter.

When I tell people that their garage should be feng shui-ed as well, I often get looks as if I am crazy. So when I came across this client’s feng shui-ed garage, I was overjoyed. While these art pieces may not be her favorite in the house, she at least drives in to a welcoming space. And that’s exactly why feng shui-ing your garage is so important – it is your welcome home. It is your subconscious mind’s first impression of your home and the state of your life. Make it a good one!

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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

It seems like lately everything I read stresses the importance of ‘being’.  What used to be words of only the enlightened masters has crept into all areas, including the business world.   The “do, do, do” mentality of the 80s and 90s has become “be, be, be” of the 2000s.

While I can sit and ‘be’ with the best of them, my practical side eventually rears its head saying, “with all this ‘being’, how do you ever get anything done?”  And so I pondered this question.

On an energetic level, ‘doing’ is an active, masculine energy, while ‘being’ is a passive, feminine energy.  Ultimately it is a balance (yin/yang) of these two energies that is optimal.  As a society, we are needing to balance as a whole and thus more feminine energies are permeating up from Mother Earth.

Putting the energy stuff aside for a second, I started to think back at all of the most pivotal times in my life… people, jobs, and situations.  I realized all of them just came to me or fell into my lap as opposed to my seeking it out.

Afterall, it is only when you are ‘being’ still that something can fall into your lap.”

Here is a personal example.

When I was graduating from law school and searching for my first law job, I sent out hundreds of resumes with not a single response. Then one evening at a law review reception, I saw my adjunct professor, who also happened to be a federal judge. Without even thinking about it, I walked up to him and asked if he knew of anyone hiring. He said, “Well, I am.” Within weeks, I was hired as his law clerk, which was far better than any of the jobs to which I had sent a resume. More importantly, he ended up being one of the most influential people in my life, which had nothing to do with law and everything to do with the meaning of life.

So you can see in my example where the delicate balance lies in ‘doing’ and ‘being’. I had enough active, doing energy to set an intention to get a law job (and to attend a boring law reception). From there, I was in a state of being waiting for the right opportunity and/or person to come along. And when it did, I listened to my inner voice and approached the Judge.

Sending out blind resumes was an example of too much ‘doing’. There is a huge difference between inspired action and busying yourself with activity to try to make things happen. Instead, by being present, you will be conscious and alert when those people or opportunities come along.

Think back on your most pivotal moments and use those as a template for finding your yin/yang balance point.

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It’s simple. SIMPLY COMMENT BELOW in 2-3 sentences what your biggest challenge is with your home OR what you would most like to change about your home. That’s it. The first three (3) people that leave their comment will receive a free copy of my book. I will simply email you requesting your mailing address.

At the end of the 27 Days, I will select the best Comment and that person will win a 2-hour Feng Shui Consultation with me. (If the winner does not reside in the Nashville area, then the consultation will be held over the phone in 2 one-hour sessions.)

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One of my readers posed this question: What does an artist do to keep her studio clear? After all, the lives of artists, writers, and other creative people collect all types of “special flotsam & jetsam in the name of the creative process.” According to this reader, there are so many items that need to be kept that are a record of process. How do we decide if our ephemera is worthy of that?

Great question. And being a former Interior Design student and one who paints as a hobby, I can totally relate!

In my blog article, What Your Home Says About You, I note that artists tend to be more right-brained – the non-organizing part of the brain. And as I pointed out, is having your home, or especially your art studio, a little messy such a bad thing? Of course not. It’s all part of the creative process, right? Or is it?

We all have a different standard as to what is too messy or too much clutter. You know when your home or studio has gotten out of control. You feel scattered, cloudy, weighed down, or creatively stuck. That’s when you know it’s time to take action.

First off, the size of your studio space will ultimately dictate how much art and supplies you can have on hand. When it comes to art, you can fill a warehouse space just as easy as you could fill a small corner of the kitchen. For example, when I decided that I wanted to convert my art studio space from a whole room to a corner in order to do yoga, I had to downsize the amount of art materials I kept. So designating how much space you are willing and wanting to take up is the first step.

Art Cart from dickblick.com

Next, organizing units are essential. If you don’t already have proper storage, then these can be purchased from any art supply store. Have proper storage and organization in your studio so that you will at least have a standard for organization and have a place for everything. That way, when you know your space has gotten too messy for even your right-brain, you have bins and drawers to put stuff in.

If you then have too much stuff to fit into your organizing units, then it’s time to downsize. This is where the emotional aspects come into play – what to keep and what not to keep. If you keep items for inspiration, such as photos, cards, images, etc., then go through them to see what still resonates with you. You may be surprised how different you may feel about some of the items. Discard any items that you don’t absolutely love or that no longer inspire you.

What about your own past work? This can be very difficult. It took me several different clearings to finally dispose of my interior design projects. I had kept what I needed for purposes of including in a portfolio. For boards that I knew I would never need or use again, I took pictures of them before eventually disposing of them. It was difficult knowing how much time had gone into them. But honestly, I haven’t missed them since. In fact, I feel much lighter once I got rid of them. Every time I would see them in the closet, I was subconsciously reminded of the long hours I spent on them. I still keep a small portfolio of photos I took of my projects for nostalgia.

When your designated space for past projects gets too full, then it’s time to go through them to determine what needs to go. For me, I periodically dispose of my pieces of art that aren’t that great, meaning that I’ve improved since then. For pieces of art or art supplies that you no longer want, consider listing them on freecycle.org or craigslist.com. Taking pictures of your work is a great way to track your progress without being overloaded with projects. Clearing out old projects will also make room for new ideas and creativity. So don’t get too weighed down in your past projects. Instead, let creativity flow through you and your studio.

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