Feng Shui to the Rescue Newsletter
Helping you attract wealth, harmony, love,
and much more.
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January 2022
Happy New Year!
What the feng am I going to do with all this shui?
—Anonymous
I wish I could take credit for that quote, but I saw it somewhere without attribution. It especially works in the January newsletter when I write about doing the "Feng Shui Fling." Although I recommend doing the Fling on New Year's Day or on the first trash day of the month, I have to admit I started flinging digitally in December. I'll get back to that. But first, here's how you fling: Get a big trash bag, move quickly through your home, and fling 27 things into it. Choose things you don't need, don't want, don't know why you are keeping. Open drawers and cabinets. Dig down under the sink. Don’t think, don’t analyze, don’t hesitate. Just fling. The goal is to actually and symbolically open up space for better things to flow in to replace what no longer serves you.
I started my digital flinging by doing a major update of my website, FengShuiForRealLife.com. It wasn't an easy decision, but starting this month I will no longer be offering on-site consultations. Instead, l'll focus on virtual consultations. For almost 23 years, I had been visiting homes, offices, and businesses. All that came to a halt with the start of the pandemic, and it continued because of travel concerns. Also, I've been especially pleased with how effective virtual consulting has been for my clients. So, the on-site consulting section is gone from my website. That's a major "fling" for me.
Next, I focused my flinging on the workshop section, because I've been concentrating on webinars for the new workplace. I'm especially focusing virtual training and classes for individuals and companies who have moved to a hybrid workplace situation. This has been especially rewarding because I not only get to help people who are working from home balance their personal and professional lives, but I also help their companies understand what employees are facing as they work in this challenging situation. It's a win-win.
The third area of my website that was subject to my flinging was my Feng Shui Store. I'm focusing on Feng Shui Fixers because they are such an easy way for clients to make little Feng Shui fixes with big results. Thanks to all who sent in photos of the creative ways you're using these art pieces as real-world Feng Shui cures. You can see some of these ideas in the Feng Shui Fixer section, below.
It's been another rough pandemic year globally. But, we made it through - hopefully a little Feng Shui helped! I wish you and your family a happy, prosperous, and healthy year full of good Feng Shui. Write back with success stories from your 2022 Feng Shui Fling, and send images of where you have placed your Feng Shui Fixers.
Happy January, Happy Feng Shui Flinging!
Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA
Feng Shui Master Practitioner
www.FengShuiForRealLife.com
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Book Sale - Extended
I'm sending a sincere thank you to everyone who took advantage of the holiday book sale. I'm extending the sale for the Feng Shui Quick Guide For Home and Office through February 2022.
You must use the link below to receive discounts.
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Feng Shui Quick Guide for Home and Office: Secrets for Attracting Wealth, Harmony, and Love
Still going strong after 10 years! Own the award-winning Feng Shui book that is practical and easy to understand. The book includes easy-to-follow basics plus tips and secrets to make the practical magic of Feng Shui work for you. Sprinkled among the tips are success stories from real people who followed them with big results. The book includes a tip-a-day calendar so you can make small Feng Shui changes each day.
List price: $15.95.
Winter Sale Price: $10.00+S&H
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Feng Shui for January
9 Tips for Successful Weight Loss
If you made a New Year's resolution to lose weight this year and you're already worried about keeping it, you're not alone, because losing weight is at the top of the list of "New Year's Resolutions You Won't Keep." But take heart, Feng Shui can come to your rescue. Check out these nine Feng Shui tips to help you stick to a diet and meet your weight loss goals:
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Use blue plates. Blue is the color of the Water Element that reduces blood pressure and pulse. The term "Blue Plate Special" was popularized during the Depression when restaurant owners found diners were satisfied with a smaller portion when they were served on a blue plate.
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Remove clutter. Excess "stuff" in the kitchen, basement, and attic can overwhelm you and psychologically add weight. The act of cleaning out the weight of kitchen clutter can especially impact the weight of the person doing the clutter clearing.
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Clear your closets. Get rid of clothes you've been saving for "when you lose weight" because holding on to clothes that don't fit symbolizes holding on to old behavior patterns. Plus, if you are holding on to outdated clothes you won't feel motivated to lose enough weight to wear them.
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Remove blocks to weight loss. Relocate your workout equipment to a room where you will actually use it. Donate or sell any exercise equipment you don't use, because keeping it sends a negative message of weight loss failure.
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Add mirrors. A mirror hung strategically on the refrigerator door or on the cabinet where you store snack food will reflect your body and reinforce your resolve to change your image.
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Hide your kitchen. If the kitchen is the first room you see when you enter the house, you're motivated to look for food. Keep the kitchen door closed or hang a mirror or artwork near the door to distract your eye away from the room. Avoid hanging photos on the fridge because they call your attention there.
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Avoid the color red. Restaurants know that the color red stimulates appetite, so it's best to avoid using it in your kitchen if you're trying to lose weight. Instead, choose blue, black, or floral patterns for your table coverings, place mats, and napkins.
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Dine at a beautiful table. Treat yourself as an honored guest in your own home, especially when you are trying to change your eating habits. Decorate your table with fresh flowers, candles, and even use the "good" dishes so your smaller portions will seem more lavish.
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Balance the yin and yang. Vary the color of your foods, serve light colored foods in brightly colored containers, and mix hot and spicy foods with lighter and milder flavors to create a Feng Shui balanced meal each time you eat.
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18 Things to Get Rid in January
January is national Get Organized Month, and the perfect time for some quick clutter clearing. One of the biggest reasons we hold on to things is because of inertia. Once you bring something home, you forget about it, or think you might use it "someday," or plan to decide later whether it's a keeper. Soon your home is so full of clutter that you're too overwhelmed to tackle it. Here are 18 things you can remove from the biggest clutter-collecting spaces: the kitchen, home office, and bedroom drawers. Discard, donate, or recycle all of these. (These suggestions are modified from a list of 30 items by Elizabeth Larkin, writing for The Spruce. I've included the link to the complete list below.)
6 Things to Get Rid of in the Kitchen
- Plastic silverware
- Condiment packets
- Duplicate utensils
- Warped or lid-less food storage containers
- Expired pantry items
- Fuzzy food in the freezer
6 Things to Get Rid of in Your Office
- Printed product manuals
- Power cords you no longer use
- Expired coupons
- Old cell phones
- Printed receipts
- Old crafting supplies
6 Things to Get Rid of from Your Drawers
- Single socks
- Eyeglasses from an old prescription
- Broken sunglasses
- Accessories you never wear
- Clothes that no longer fit
- Ripped or stained towels and sheets
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Q: Can I ask a question about the bagua map? We use our back door instead of the front door. Do I use the bagua from the back door? Also, I have a two-story house, how do I use the bagua for that? Thanks again! I love all your help.
A: The bagua is the most complicated principle of the Feng Shui basics. That’s why I wrote an entire chapter in my first book about using it. You always orient the bagua standing at the true front door of the house. Stand at that door looking in, draw the shape of the bagua, then divide it into 9 areas. The complication comes when your house isn’t a complete square or rectangle, because you have to correct for the missing areas. For the second story, stand with you back at the location where the door would be if this was the first floor, draw the floor plan, and divide this story into the same 9 areas. The Feng Shui suggestion is to use your front door, even if it’s only to open the door each day symbolically. That’s where all the wealth enters your home and you don’t want to block that flow by never opening that door. Feng Shui principles also recommend treating the door you do enter with the same care you take with the front door. That is, keep it clean and attractive, use the same doormat at the front and back doors, and if you decorate the front door for holidays, use the same decorations at the back door. My article about the bagua will help explain how to use it. Or, read Chapter 6 in the Feng Shui Quick Guide for Home and Office.
Q: I'm applying for a job with a theater and wonder if you have any career cures I can use before I send them my application/resume? It's in a ski resort town in the Rockies, and I've always wanted to live there.
A: Here's an assortment of my favorite career-enhancing tips for you to consider. The more you can customize them to this particular job and location, the better:
- Remove any clutter, and anything negative, from your Career area.
- Hang an image of the theater or the surrounding area. It can be something you print from their website.
- Display art in your office/workspace that shows a waterfall or river - flowing into the room, not out of it.
- Decorate your office with pictures of objects taking off, such as a flock of birds flying or hot air balloons rising.
- Hang artwork showing mountains on the wall behind the desk for support.
- Clear out a desk drawer to make room for new work.
- Clean your windows to symbolize looking at your career through a clean lens.
- Throw away 27 things in your home to create an opening for success to flow into your career. These can be simple things like a bent paper clip.
- Repair broken and nonworking items, and give your workspace a good symbolic dusting.
- If there’s anything directly in front of you when you’re at your desk, move it to the side because it represents an obstacle blocking career success from finding you.
Good luck! Write and tell me when you get the job.
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It Happened in One Week
Here's a collection of success stories I've received from clients and readers in past years. All of these happened shortly after they made a few strategic Feng Shui changes. These clients continued to experience successes as they continued to make changes.
Here's what my clients wrote:
From Dina: I have wanted to write for weeks now, but I'm happy to say I have been too busy working. I cleared like crazy, and even got rid of all the items from past employers with company logos on them as you suggested. Within a few days I got a call from an interviewer at a company I had been saying "no" to because it was too far from my home. Now, they offered the job as a work-from-home option. I couldn't believe they offered me the job the same day as the interview, making more than I did before the kids were born. Obviously, I said yes!
From Lila: I read your e-zine and watched your videos on YouTube. I've been trying to get the money thing flowing a bit more, so on Saturday I followed your advice and cleaned out my Wealth area. On Sunday my friend came over and gave me a check for the money she owed me from last year. It was completely unexpected. Now I'm clearing out other rooms and watching for more money to come my way.
From Julie: After your consultation, I removed all the dead plants, cleaned the windows, and hung up a new piece of art in my Career section, and within a week I heard back about the resume I submitted online. I got the job and will be going in for orientation next week. Plus my apartment looks great and I'm determined it will stay clutter free.
From Mary Beth: I followed your suggestion to get rid of 27 things on New Year's Day and I feel great. It started in my home office by going through the receipts so I could start getting my tax stuff together, then I went through my big file cabinet and purged like you wouldn't believe. I got rid of so much paper, cassette tapes, magazines, newspapers, files and folders and on and on. I continue to put "like things" with "like things" and it's amazing. Actually, I think I got rid of 127,000 things, so I hope that's OK.
From Phyllis: After you left I went shopping so I could make the changes you suggested for our bedroom. I replaced that black and white photo over our bed with a romantic landscape with red poppies, bought a new comforter, and splurged on a pair of warm wood side tables and matching lamps instead of the second hand pieces we had. The master bedroom feels romantic and wonderful again, and most important, I can actually sleep in it and get an amazing night's rest.
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Art Pieces to Attract Wealth, Harmony, Love...and More!
The Feng Shui Fixer series includes one-of-a-kind creations that are designed as simple and beautiful Feng Shui "cures" and adjustments. These art pieces can be placed in a specific bagua area of a home or workplace to fix a Feng Shui issue, or to attract wealth, harmony, love, and so much more. Hang them on the wall, in a closet, near the washer, on the back of your computer monitor. They can go anywhere!
Each unique Feng Shui Fixer starts with an imported vintage silk kimono textile. Then, it is embellished with embroidery floss, silk ribbon, vintage or new glass beads, natural stones, or specially-selected charms. There are florals, geometrics, abstracts, and freestyle! Every Feng Shui Fixer comes ready to hang in a natural wood, hand-stained, or flexible frame. Or, you can display one or a collection of them on a table-top easel. Each design includes a small mirror on the back that symbolically pushes away any negative issues and helps attract positive energy. The collection also features a series of Feng Shui "Spirals" that are especially useful to cure or correct for the missing Career/Self/Work bagua area.
Use one Feng Shui Fixer to solve a Feng Shui problem, or group several to enhance the energy in a specific bagua area. The choice is yours.
Check out the current selection in the Feng Shui Store.
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Feng Shui Fixer for January
Title: "Pathways"
Target Issues: Grounding, Stability.
Feng Shui Element: Earth
Materials: Silk organza ribbon, cotton embroidery floss, seed pearls, Czech glass beads, imported vintage kimono silk textile
Size: 5" round
Framing: Hand-stained wood frame, ready to hang or display
Price: $55
Shipping & Handling: FREE
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NEW SERVICES AVAILABLE!
Virtual Consulting
When you have Feng Shui questions about your home, office, business, or workspace that go beyond the basics you can find on my website, and you need to speak to a Feng Shui expert, this virtual consulting option is for you! I will customize advice for the way you want to live in your home or work in your workspace.
We'll schedule a Zoom, FaceTime, or phone call to answer your questions and help you rearrange your space, shift your energy, and transform your life.
All sessions include:
- Review of photos or videos of your space.
- Consultation by Zoom, phone, or FaceTime.
- Personalized Feng Shui advice and guidance.
- Follow-up coaching check-in so you stay on track.
It's your choice—ask about any room, any situation, any clutter-clearing problem, or any issue that needs Feng Shui help.
- 1-hour consultation including analysis of a floor plan
Perfect for any room in your home, condo, or apartment.
Ideal for the room where you work, either at home or at the workplace.
Great for when you want to rev up your relationship, find a new love, move forward after a divorce or breakup, or improve your self-esteem.
Virtual consulting services are effective and will transform your life!
Contact Carol for more information, or click below if you are ready to purchase.
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NEW!
"Feng Shui for the New Hybrid Workplace"
The new way of working is here to stay. Employees are continuing to work at home, returning to the workplace, or experiencing a combination of both. This hybrid experience is different for each member of the team. The good news is that a few real-world Feng Shui tips can help you achieve balance between your personal and work lives.
For more than 23 years, I have inspired diverse groups ranging from 5 to 500 with my in-person workshops. Now, I'm offering customized versions of the same presentations via Zoom. I have taught thousands of clients, readers, and students the simple secrets of using Feng Shui to improve their lives and careers, and now I can teach them to you and your group virtually. The "Feng Shui for the New Hybrid Workplace" webinar is specially designed to meet the needs of the new hybrid workforce.
This 1-hour webinar will show each employee how to make Feng Shui “go to work” for them. They will learn how to rearrange their space, shift their energy, and achieve calm in this rapidly-changing world. In this fun and informative session, I share simple and often low-cost tips for using Feng Shui to transform both a home and workplace office. There will be plenty of time for questions.
I will customize the webinar for your group, but a typical session includes:
- Overview
- Group Icebreaker
- Five Power Principles
- Transformation Tools
- Top 10 Tips
- Resources
- Q&A
All my webinars include customized training that I create to meet the specific needs of your organization, office, or group. I also offer this and other training on a one-to-one basis for individuals. Check out the options on my website.
People are talking about Carol's Feng Shui Webinars for the New Workplace!
Thank you so much for hosting such a great presentation today. We’ve received really positive feedback from everyone, and I’m so happy to know there are small steps I can take to really feel more comfortable and positive every day.
– EG, Operations Manager, Washington, DC
Thank you again for the webinar yesterday. We got great feedback and tons of excitement around it. We hope to have you back sometime soon.
– AJH, Senior Manager, New York, NY
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NEW!
Feng Shui for Your Office
Take a look at the video I did for the "Interview with the Experts" series for Interior Motions, a custom office design firm in California. I share tips for bringing Feng Shui into any office. I also talk about the Five Power Principles of Feng Shui, how any office can implement these principles to increase productivity, and what you should avoid doing when arranging an office. And of course, I talk about avoiding clutter in the workplace.
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Grow Your Business with Feng Shui
My 90-minute, self-paced video course includes tips for activating the Career/Work bagua area, along with simple changes you make at home to advance your career or business. You'll learn six amazing tips to help you create a space that supports you and your business. Watch as I use Feng Shui principles to conduct a hands-on transformation of a client's workplace and create a dynamic home office that opens the door to success.
People Are Talking About Carol's Classes:
Carol, you're a rock star! I loved listening to the podcast of your interview with "Law of Attraction Talk Radio with Jewels," so I took your class. You continue to be an inspiration to me and have forever changed the way I arrange each home I've lived in since I first heard you speak in 2012. Keep up the good work!
-GO
I took your class and watched several of your videos. Excellent! You have an absolute warm and welcoming approach. No wonder you are so successful.
--CW
This video class is nothing short of a delicious treat for your career. I loved it! Great practical pieces of advice. Well-taught in a fun, inspiring way.
--RW
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DID YOU KNOW?
Carol M. Olmstead, FSIA, is certified by the Feng Shui Institute of America and earned Red Ribbon Professional Status from the International Feng Shui Guild.
Articles in the Feng Shui To The Rescue Newsletter are copyrighted, but can be shared with credit to Carol M. Olmstead as author and link to www.FengShuiForRealLife.com.
Feng Shui for Real Life, LLC, and the Feng Shui To The Rescue Newsletter serve as a reference and guide for the principles of Feng Shui and as such bear no responsibility for results that a client or reader experiences. Individual results may vary based on the client's participation and intent.
©2022, Carol M. Olmstead
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