Here’s a fun question we got from Mercedes:

“How can I get abundance of money without effort?”

Well, Mercedes, that’s a question most American’s have been asking themselves for a few decades now! But unfortunately abundance doesn’t quite work that way. Now, there are some folks who win the lottery or get huge inheritances, so of course we’re not talking about them. But for most of us, abundance rarely comes from doing nothing. Not to say that I’m a believer in having to work hard for your money (although for generations past, that was the norm), but there is almost always action required to magnetize ourselves to the big bucks.

A lot of people who know me say “Wow, Stephanie, things come so easily to you!” And from the outside it can appear to be that way. But all the things that have magically come into my life were the energetic results of many years of soul-searching, taking risks, learning new skills, developing my confidence, opening my heart and harnessing a strong belief in myself and my spirit. But I assure you, every brave, scary step that I’ve taken in my life has brought blessings beyond imagination, so the reward for our life’s work can be quite great…

In terms of feng shui, there is most likely work to be done in order for abundance to roll it. It doesn’t have to be elbow-grease work, but it could be inner, spiritual work instead.

My belief about feng shui and abundance is this: Create a home that feels and reflects the abundant you that you long to be. Allow it to inspired you into the belief that you are worthy of the abundance you seek. Then listen to your gut instinct, make the phone calls, take the risks, read a new book, talk to a stranger — whatever you’re being lead to do. When you’re brave enough to heed your spirit’s calling, very likely there is abundance waiting for you on the other side.

Thanks for all your questions! Keep them coming….

Lots of you have written to express concern about the current financial situation. Others of you have written to say that you’d love a personal consultation, but simply can’t afford it, or the cost of new furnishings, decorations and paint.

But feng shui doesn’t necessarily have to cost money — and you sure don’t want to spend money on feng shui that you simply don’t have! So what’s a person to do when they’re on a budget, but still want to make a big impact on their home, office & surroundings?

Here are a few thoughts for the week that you can implement quickly, simply and inexpensively:

1. Clean Like You’ve Never Cleaned Before!

As my teacher Jackie always says, “Clean like God’s coming!” and I couldn’t agree more. Cleaning doesn’t cost a dime, but it’s the first place to start with any type of feng shui adjustment. When you clean with care, consciousness and love, you’re putting your tender attention into everything you touch — charging it energetically, removing stagnancy and sending ripples out into the Universe saying “I love and care for what I have — and I’m ready to receive more!” If God were coming over for dinner today, how would you ready your home for the arrival? Take time this week to start cleaning on that deep, detailed level and see how much more abundant you feel!

2. Let go of the Downers

As we discussed in the last newsletter, releasing those things that no longer serve us can do wonderfuls for the energy of a space. As another teacher once told me: “Everything in your home is talking to you… just make sure it’s saying something nice!” Our homes are an exact reflection of our entire life. So for every negative, broken, guilt-ridden, outdated “downer” in our homes, there is a less-than-helpful belief that’s being trapped there too, chitter-chattering away at us subconsciously.

Imagine for a moment your FAVORITE place on the planet! Close your eyes, and bring that image to mind. Sit with it, feel into it… notice how your body reacts, expands and melts! Now, go through the objects, artwork, furniture, colors and fabrics in your home. One at a time look at them, and notice how you FEEL. Is it similar to your fantasy vacation spot? Or does it create heaviness, neutrality, constriction, sadness or tension?

On a feng shui consultation last week, a client said to me after I’d told her to shop for specific items: “So it sounds like I need to go out and FEEL things…” and I couldn’t have said it better myself! Just like with the principles of manifesting and Law of Attraction, it is the emotions that we feel that create our own realities and magnetize experiences to us. Using your home to evoke only those emotions that bring joy, expansion and abundance is the best way to utilize the creative powers of feng shui.

3. Strut Your Stuff!

Do you have special dishes only brought out for guests? Are there items of clothing you only wear for special occasions? Got antiques growing dust in the attic? Do the fancy soaps only sit out when you’ve got company? As many people discover, life is short. So why not strut your stuff (literally) while you can! There’s no time like the present to put your favorite things on parade! Gobble up their yummy feel-good vibes as you fill your home with nothing but the best of the best. Display your favorite books, get out the good towels, wear your favorite dress and sip soy milk from a crystal goblet! Feeling good is the name of life’s game. So find whatever ways you can to surround yourself with beauty, inspiration and magic as often as humanly possible.

4. Move It Or Lose It

Have you ever noticed that once you place an object somewhere, you very quickly stop noticing it altogether? The easiest and fastest way to freshen up the energy in any space is to move things around! There is an old saying in Feng Shui that says your life will change if you move 21 things — and the premise of that saying is a wise one indeed. Simply taking the same ol’ stuff, and arranging it differently, draws new attention and energy to it. So if you’re feeling stuck, bored or uninspired, try this super-simple remedy to light a fire in your feng shui engine!

5. Get in the Flow

Blocked walkways, tight seating arrangements, too-full closets and stuffed drawers are symbolic of stuck thinking and cramped concepts. We want your home to reflect your higher, ideal self — one that is fluid, open, loving and bright. Walk through your home today and assess your space. Then move things out of the way that get in your way! Do you have furniture in your hallway? Clutter behind the doors? Far too many clothes in your closet? Or ominous sharp-edged furniture in a passageway? It won’t cost you a dime to declutter, but it can cost you big-time if you don’t!

6. Be in AWE…

Have you ever had a spiritual experience washing dishes? Cleaning the toilet? Sweeping the driveway? or folding your laundry? Any task, large or small, mundane or impactful, can be done with a sense of awe and reverence. Note those tasks that normally avoid, dread, or put you to sleep. How can you bring joy and life into these seemingly unimportant motions? Think back to the native Japanese culture — with their tea ceremonies, clean & simple homes and hushed Zen gardens. Their lives were not fixated with achievement, glory and goods, but rather honor, simplicity, awareness and presence. Take tips from generations past, and bring them into your current modern life. Tend to the details within your home as if they were your lover’s body. Be gentle and thoughtful, go slowly and thoughtfully, be methodical and present when you care for your space… The energy will radiate back to you tenfold!

7. Get Your Hands Dirty

Nature is the perfect feng shui balancing act. With just the perfect blend of colors, shapes, sizes and textures, nature can bring you into alignment within just a few mere minutes. Full of ever-changing life-force and energy, nature is a sure-fire way of sluffing off stagnancy and overall stuckness. Just spend a few minutes opening up your windows, lifting the blinds, talking to your plants or digging in the dirt can help slow you down and open your eyes to the miracles of nature surrounding us. Tapping into this system that is more vast and complex than any of our petty worldly worries can often times bring back that sense of wonder and awe that is perfect medicine to adjust your internal Chi. So get out there, plant a seed and just sit and watch it grow — it’s fast, it’s free and it’s great feng shui!

8. Go Shopping in Your Own House

That’s right! Get out there and shop… in your own house! Stroll through your home today as if you were browsing through Walmart, Target, Macy’s or Saks… If you were in a store today, would you spend your hard-earned dollars on the items in your home? I know, I know… you already own them. But put on your double-agent eyes for a bit and really start to study your stuff. If you wouldn’t lay down the big bucks for your current home’s decor, then why in the world is it there to begin with? Grab a bag, walk the “isles” and pick out only those things that still curl your toes and knock off those socks! Once you’re done, take these special pieces and put them for all to see… (and considering getting rid of the rest). You’ll never go shopping in the same way again!

9. Color Your World

For those of you who are previous clients of mine, you know what I love to say: “There’s no bigger bang for your buck than paint!” No sofa, statue or artistic masterpiece can ever hold as much visual POW! for a room than an outstanding color on your walls. For the cost of a gallon of paint, you can feel like you’re living in your very own gallery. Color not only is aesthetically beautiful, but has the mystical powers to evoke emotions — some subtle, some strong. Using color as medicine for your home (and spirit) can help a shy person be bold, a nervous person feel calm or a hot-headed person feel soft and loving. So splash a color on those walls… note the effect. Play, experiement, paint again! Let the shades color your inner…and outer… worlds!

DOING “THE WORK” ON CLUTTER

I received this great email from my dear friend Carol Skolnick, who is an AMAZING facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie (and is also going to be one of my featured speakersin my big secret below! ( Scroll below to find out more…)

Here’s what she emailed to me this week…

“Here’s a tip for your readers who may be feeling the energy drain of “too much stuff” or “wrong stuff.” As someone who moved twice in the past three years I’ve been using this myself for some time as I contemplate someday leaving my rented apartment.

“If you were to move tomorrow, would you take this with you?”

“If not, why are you keeping it now?” Write down your thoughts. Some of them will be legitimate reasons, such as “I enjoy the potted plants.” (And I wouldn’t take them with me because they wouldn’t survive a move.)
Others will be stressful beliefs or reasons filled with painful attachment, such as, “I can’t afford better furniture,” “I paid too much for it to give it away,” “This will be worth something someday,” “My grandmother would be unhappy if I let this go,” or “I might need it later.”

Take the stressful thoughts to inquiry using The Work of Byron Katie. Instructions and worksheets are available at TheWork.com.

Thanks so much to Carol for sharing her clutter-clearing insights and tips! I’m so grateful for her friendship, and for the inspiration for this week’s newsletter (don’t you love how that works?).

Many of you know that I’m a HUGE fan of “The Work of Byron Katie”. But can I tell you a little secret? After using her process in my own life for over 15 years, I now find myself using “The Work” mostly… well… in the closet! No joke. It’s actually a lil’ private indulgence of mine when I’m feeling stuck, bored or uninspired (or even when I’m avoiding something – sort of like cleaning the stove is for some of you!). And it’s “The Work” that I applied to every SINGLE item in my previous home before I made my big move….

What’s “The Work”? It’s an extremely simple, yet intensely powerful series of just 4 questions (link) serving as an internal inquiry process. First, you take any problem or stressful thought you have with the world, your partner, your coworkers, your home or your kids, and then break it down into simple, digestible beliefs.

Let’s use a painting I had in my closet as a clutter-clearing example:

MY INTERNAL STORY:
“I like this photo… it’s very soothing and pretty…. Although, it’s been sitting in my closet for over 4 years! And I spend a decent amount of money on it so I’d hate to get rid of it. Hm… I might want to hang on to it just in case its colors match my decor again. But to be honest, I’m not madly in love with it like I used to be. It’s nice, but doesn’t WOW me. And I bought it with my grandmother, so I’d feel bad getting rid of it…”

SOME UNDERLYING BELIEFS:
· I might be sad if I didn’t have it available to me in the future.
· The Universe might not provide me with more beautiful things.
· I’d feel guilty getting rid of it, like I’m tossing out memories of my grandmother!
· I might not be able to afford a new picture.

Then I explore all the beliefs that arise, one at a time.

The amazing things about beliefs are that most of them go unquestioned our entire lives. We get beliefs dumped into our little brain-computers from our parents, schools, magazines, televisions. And we make up new beliefs with each of our hurts and our triumphs. We download them, one by one… and that’s where most of them stay, forever and ever.

Now, some of them work for us and bring love and giggles and joy. Others bring only depression, anxiety and downright pain. But taking them out — one little belief at a time — and really giving them your love and attention, can shine a whole new life on the world as you currently believe it to be.

“The Work” 4 questions:
1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
4. Who would you be without the thought?
* Then do “The Turn Around” — an opposite statement from what you’ve thought or written.

“Are these thoughts even true? Can I absolutely know I will be sad if my decor matches this photo one day, and I don’t have it anymore? How do I live when I think the Universe is not an abundant place? Who would I be if I didn’t see this object as a reflection of my grandmother, but honored her memory within instead? And maybe, just maybe, I WILL be able to afford a new picture, when the time is right! What would my life be like if I lived lightly, simply and with faith that what I need will come to me at the perfect time?” I sit in stillness, asking myself questions… and listening for my soul, not my head, to respond.

Call me crazy, but THIS is what I do for fun! (and is what I did for a month straight with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of my household objects!). It’s fun because questioning my stressful thoughts allows me to live more joyfully, clearly and honestly in every area of life. I’m no longer at the whim of all my internal stories about things, events or people–but rather, spending far more time with my hands flung high in the air on the roller coaster of life! This is also why I use this process with all of my coaching clients… why? Because it’s fast, it’s powerful, and it works… at least for those brave enough to question their beliefs!

But guess what?…. That photograph that was in my closet? It’s now living with a dear friend of mine who is head-over-heels in love with this image! What was stagnant in my life is truly inspiring in another’s….

To learn more about the 4 questions and how to apply them in your own life–to ANY subject, big or small– visit Carol’s beautiful site: ClearLifeSolutions.com or contact TheWork.org.

*Carol L. Skolnick is a Certified Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie, a way to identify and question thoughts that create stress, suffering and self-limitation. Visit her website: http://www.clearlifesolutions.com