Using Feng Shui to Clear the Clutter

 

Clearing the clutter and debris in your home and in your personal life is the first step of Feng Shui and it costs nothing. Clutter is trapped energy that has a far-reaching effect physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Clutter makes you feel unorganized, confused, keeps you in the past, congests your body, and leaves you feeling lethargic and tired. Clutter is energy constipation and who needs that?

Ridding yourself of clutter (even things which were once of value to your life) makes room in your life for what you really want and need now, at this point in your life.

Ten Tips for Eliminating Clutter

1. Use the Ultimate Clutter Test ~ Does it lift your energy? Do you use it? Do you love it? If you answer no to these questions, it's time to let it go.

2. Give yourself a miniature energy shift ~ Set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes and clear a small area such as a kitchen drawer. You will probably find you are feeling more energized and might have trouble stopping!

3. Put things away within 30 seconds of using them. ~ How many times have you tossed a magazine on the table, intending to get back to it? Is it still on the coffee table? Just for today, put everything back in its place.

4. Throw things away often ~ 80% of what is stored or saved is never used again - that applies to papers, clothes, magazines etc. Maybe it's time to clean out those old files stored on your computer or your desk?

5. Make a list of all the unfinished things in your life ~ This could include letters or phone calls you need to make, someone you need to apologize to, an appliance that doesn't work. Then set out to complete these things. They have all been draining your energy.

6. Do a little clutter busting every day ~ Sort mail daily and file your paperwork. Have a place to put things so you don't waste time looking for your keys etc.

7. Get rid of old clothes ~ Ask yourself these questions: Do my clothes represent who I am now? Do they make me feel good about myself? If your closet is filled with clothes you no longer need, donate them to charity. Open up space in your closet for new things to come in.

8. Clean out your cupboards and refrigerator ~ Do you have any non-perishable items that you know you won't eat? Donate them to a food bank or offer them to your neighbor. Get rid of outdated food items in the refrigerator and give it a good cleaning.

9. Donate books that no longer serve your needs ~ Aim to have a collection of books that represent you as you are today, not who you were in the past.

10. Think before you buy ~ The next time you go shopping, ask yourself before you buy something, "Do I really love this and need it?"

As you identify and release your clutter, you free up the energy held there for more constructive purposes. Your life may take off in ways you never thought possible.

Clearing your clutter is essential in Feng Shui. What you want is available to you, but there may be no room in your home and life for it! Letting go of what no longer serves must occur before more treasures can come into your life. Releasing clutter can help you clear life patterns which do not serve you any longer. The simple act of clearing clutter can transform your life by releasing negative emotions, generating energy, and allowing you to create space in your life for the things you want to achieve.

Begin today by choosing one area to begin with, such as a counter top that has accumulated an entire month of junk mail. You'll get more, I promise! Keep the clutter-busting simple. If you look at the whole picture, you might become overwhelmed and not do anything. As you eliminate the clutter from your environment, visualize what it is that you are making room for. This will begin the process of manifestation.

Kathy Browning is an Autoimmune Disease Nutrition Consultant and co-founder of HealthyDivas.com. She is the author of "The Diva Diet" and co-author of "Autoimmunity: It's Time for Truth; It's Time to Heal." Ms. Browning is the editor of "Conquering Autoimmunity", a monthly ezine for individuals with autoimmune disease. To learn more about autoimmune disease or subscribe to newsletter, visit http://www.HealthyDivas.com

Feng Shui Organizing: Use the "Natural Forces of the Universe" to Organize Your Life

 

What is Feng Shui?

When translated into English, feng shui means "the way of the wind and water" or "the natural forces of the universe." People all over the world practice a form of feng shui. Europeans call it "geomancy," while Hawaiians and Native Americans practice their own form of feng shui. To organize your life using feng shui, it is helpful to learn more about the elements of our earth as well as the basic principles of feng shui.

Using the Elements

The Chinese believe everything in the world belongs to one of five elements--they are: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. The easiest way to use the natural forces of the universe when you organize is to incorporate as many of these elements into your design scheme as you can. Decorating with items such as small fountains (water), candles (fire), plants/flowers (earth), and chimes (metal) helps you integrate these elements into your home and/or office and calm your soul.

Using the Principles

Clutter is trapped energy that has far-reaching effects. It affects you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As you organize each room of your home, it is helpful to keep the Ten Basic Principles of Feng Shui in mind (Rich, 279). They are:

• Clear the Clutter. Clutter takes up not only physical space but mental space too. Clearing out your home literally makes space for your future.
• Keep the Front Entrance of Your Home Well-Maintained. Did you know that according to feng shui, your entry point is where all the energy flows into your home? Keep this area clean and well defined.
• Allow Energy to Flow Freely. Clutter and awkwardly positioned furniture can inhibit the flow of energy throughout your home. Energy ushers in good health and harmony.
• Contain the Energy. Using wind chimes, plants, and mirrors in your home will help you redirect the flows of energy. For instance, if your front and back door are directly aligned, wind chimes will redirect the flow of positive energy. Area rugs also anchor furniture groupings--helping the energy flow from one space to another.
• Make Sure Everything Works. Maintaining your home and/or office directly affects your clarity. For instance, according to feng shui your home's plumbing represents your body's digestive system and the electrical system corresponds to your neurological system.
• Check Out Your Home for Negative Energies. Distortions in the electro-magnetic fields of the earth can impact your home and mental clarity. Placing a fountain in front of your home is an excellent way to attract flowing money energy since the water element is the universal symbol for wealth and prosperity.
• Be Aware of the Images and Symbols in Your Home. Your choices represent messages from your subconscious. Be careful to select accessories for your home and office that reflect what you want from your future.
• Create a Quiet Sanctuary Within Your Bedroom. Your bedroom needs to be a haven of peace and tranquility--promoting restful sleep. For example, avoid using this place to work. Unless of course you find your work peaceful.
• Make the Kitchen a Center of Calmness. Most kitchens are the hub of family life. Creating a calm atmosphere in this room affects the quality of the meals you provide for your family.
• Love Your Home and It Will Love You. Your home should be thought of as a living entity. Caring for it properly allows you to feel supported, safe, and nourished.

Bringing It All Together

Just by practicing these few basic principles and incorporating the natural elements into your home, you will be able to clear the clutter out of your home and out of your life. If you need a little help getting started, don't hesitate to contact me. Sometimes all we need is a friendly professional to jumpstart the organizing process and get us going in the right direction.

Sheri McConnell is the President of the National Association of Women Writers (http://www.NAWW.org). She helps women writers and entrepreneurs discover, create, and profit from their intellectual knowledge! Free reports for writers available with subscription to NAWW Weekly. Sheri lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their four children. Contact her at naww@onebox.com or her toll free number at 866-821-5829.

Real Estate Marketing Strategies: 5 Tips to Feng Shui Your Mind

 

Is Your Mindset Working For You?

In today?s changing market where the predominant energy is fear, your challenge is to be extremely vigilant about what you focus on. Why is your deliberate focus more important now than ever?

What are you giving attention to? If you?re giving attention to what you don?t want, such as lack, that is what you?ll be getting. It may also show up for you as attracting unmotivated, indecisive, and uncommitted clients. However, change your mindset and you?ll be attracting your ideal clients ? clients that are appreciative of your services.

The Panic Problem

In my 10 years of experience empowering real estate agents to reach their goals, I?ve coached many clients who were subconsciously attracting unwanted outcomes. They came to me feeling panicked and worried about market conditions and slowing sales.

They were diligently working to get their listings sold. But their tried-and-true marketing activities were no longer working. What was the problem? Their focus had shifted with their fearful state of mind.

Are you, as they were, preoccupied with things like:
? How tough the market is
? How there are too many houses for too few buyers
? How unlikely it is for your listing to sell

If you are, you will be creating the very thing you don?t want, which is that your listing won?t sell.

So what do you do?

The Power Solution

Sustaining a positive, high energy mindset is key to attracting your desired outcomes. Because it directly impacts your thoughts, beliefs and feelings, you need to work on your mindset daily to ensure that is working in your favor.

What are you doing for your mind? And did you know that you can create a feng shui for your mind to get your listed houses to sell?

Just as a house is more likely to sell when the energy has been positively enhanced with feng shui, your mind is more likely to create a positive outcome when you have been practicing the Law of Attraction. This powerful tool gives you a step-by-step procedure to become magnetic for abundance, sales, prosperity, and so forth.

Ready to go from panic to power? Here are 5 tips for using the Law of Attraction to help you do just that.

Tip 1: Create a Clear Focus.

How can the universe give you what you want unless you know exactly what that is and focus your energy to attract it? Notice I have included two key elements here:

1. Be absolutely clear about what you want.

2. Give deliberate attention to that desire.

Too often I hear my clients say, ?I want my listings to sell? without being clear on what their desired sales scenario looks like.

I suggest visualizing your ideal sale. See yourself placing the SOLD sign and declare the number of days the home has been on the market. Ask yourself how the purchase price compares to the asking price. What is your income? Is it a full or split commission?

You get the idea. Be clear, detailed, and specific about what you want. Once you are, then choose to focus on only that. Channel your energy with the intention of attracting what you want.

TIP 2: Create Harmony Between Your Energy and Your Desires.

Feel what it feels like to already have what you want. When you do, the energy vibrations you send out into the universe match what you desire, attracting it back to you.

To create that matching energy, visualize in an ?as if? mode. In other words, use the power of your imagination to feel ?as if? your listings have already sold as quickly, easily, and profitably as you wanted.

What positive feelings are you experiencing? Most agents who do this activity say that they feel confident, satisfied, elated, exhilarated, just plain good, etc.

Whatever your unique feelings, know that the more you experience them, the more you magnetize the events leading up to these feelings to fall into your lap. So practice this ?as if? mode every day.

Here?s a tip: It?s easier to recapture those magnetic feelings if you describe in writing what you visualized to create those feelings. Two to three sentences will suffice. You may even want to pattern it after the following which is an actual desire statement from one of my clients:

?My current house sells and I feel elated, happy, and ecstatic. I have two transactions that close in the coming month and I feel accomplished, successful, and prosperous.?

Once you?ve written your desire statement, read it aloud daily for 16 seconds. Feel your vibrations rise and watch as your attraction for what you want increases.

Tip 3: Clear Your Mental Clutter.

Your energy needs to flow freely without encountering harmful obstructions so that the Law of Attraction will work for you. So clear away all self limiting beliefs. How? You?ll need to do a little soul searching, usually with the help of a professional coach specializing in this area, to uncover your subconscious opposing beliefs. They are our blind spots. They are below the surface of our awareness.

After you have identified these self limiting beliefs, reprogram them to become Empowering Beliefs that are in alignment with what you want. Here is an example of one of the self limiting beliefs that I often hear from my clients, followed by what it sounds like after I helped them reprogram it into an Empowering Belief:

Self limiting belief: ?I don?t have what it takes to get my listings sold in a market as tough as this one?

Empowering belief: ?I have everything I need to succeed at getting my listings sold in any market?

Now, just how important is it to clear your mental clutter through this transformation of beliefs?

Think about it this way. You wouldn?t risk sabotaging a sale by inviting clients to view a home that was cluttered with boxes or furniture that block freedom of movement. Yet you are probably trying to invite business into a mind that is cluttered with self-limiting beliefs that constrict the flow of energy into your business and block you from getting the very business that you want.

Tip 4: Take Inspired Action and Allow It to Come to You.

Replace action based on fear with action based on intuition. There?s a very good reason for this. When you follow your inspired thoughts with inspired action ? steps you are motivated to do by your inner nudgings or hunches ? you feel good, energized and joyful. These feelings positively raise your energy vibrations and you become even more magnetic for what you want.

Here?s a tip: Find a way to quiet your mind so that you can listen to your inner nudgings. Chances are you?ve already experienced what intuition feels like, and you probably have acted on that intuition. That?s an example of inspired action. Begin to appreciate all of your thoughts and feelings so that you are more aware when you do get a hunch. Then act on it. What is your intuition telling you to do?

Tip 5: Follow the Formula.

Properly practice the Law of Attraction to get the results you want. Similar to feng shui, practicing the Law of Attraction requires understanding and consistent implementation on a day-to-day basis.

If you find this challenging to do on your own, know that you are in the good company of many others. Most of my clients find it much easier and more effective to have the ongoing guidance, support, and encouragement that a professional business coach can offer.

Whether going solo or with a coach, the bottom line is that you want to make sure you are correctly following the step-by-step process for the Law of Attraction. Why? Because with the Law of Attraction, ?like attracts like? whether wanted or unwanted. To successfully become the deliberate creator of your sales success, become a master of the Law of Attraction.

As a review: Remember to work on your mindset every day to ensure that positive energy flows to make good things happen. Take care not to let external conditions control your mindset. Keep a positive, success mindset and expand the flow of energy into your business. The future of your business depends on your prosperity mindset, not the outer conditions, which are constantly changing.

For more information on powerful marketing tips and tools, please visit Maya's website: www.90daystomoreclients.com While you're there, get your Free Audio Mentoring Session by clicking the first button.

Feng Shui Tips for Love 2006

 

First of all, if you?re very keen on augmenting your love life with a good dose of Love Feng Shui, the best thing you can do is to tap your Yan Nian, or Relationship location! Sleep with your head pointed towards this direction, or if you can relocate your bedroom to your Yan Nan area, all the better. Make use of our free, no-nonsense Gua Calculator to ascertain your Yan Nian direction.

If you sleep with your spouse or partner, both your Yan Nian can still be used to strengthen love bonds, as well as harmony and devotion! The best arrangement to suit both your needs is to sleep in a bedroom located in the male?s Yan Nian corner and sleeping with both your heads pointing towards the female?s Yan Nian direction.

You can further up your Love luck by decorating your Yan Nian location with some Romance-rich items. This will give you a further dose of auspicious luck!

Let?s make use of Flying Stars, or Xuan Kong Feng Shui to further up the love factor. This year, 2006, sees the Academic and Love star #4 Green alighting the Northwest location. This auspicious star is of the element Wood, thus you can make use of the Water element to strengthen its prospects. Place a fish tank, aquarium or desktop fountain in this location for the best prospects!

The rose quartz crystal is very special in terms of Romance and Love Feng Shui. This pink-hued crystal can strengthen your confidence, stimulate love potential and best of all, it?s also a great Qi cleanser! Cut crystals have the ability to break up and disperse negative Qi, or energy, to allow the entrance of fresher, more positive Qi to meander about you. A rose crystal bracelet is charming and feminine, and keeping the crystal close to yourself at all times is for the best enhancement.

Do you feel like you constantly butt heads with your significant other? Examine your home or office, and pay close attention to the Central location. For year 2006, this area houses the malignant #3 Jade star, which is known as the Argument Star. Try to lessen your activities in this area, and since the #3 Jade?s element is Wood, you can weaken the quibbles and bickering with a red carpet, a red lampshade or even incense burners ? the smoke wafting from burners represents the Fire element.

The phoenix and dragon together are strong symbols of strong love, fidelity and high romance. Place figurines of the dragon-phoenix couple at home or in the office for a good dose of love luck enhancement. The dragon-phoenix image is incidentally a potent symbol for weddings ? those who are keen for wedded bliss should make use of these lovely animals in areas where they spend most of their time.

Your bed should under no circumstances be located underneath an overhead beam! This is very inauspicious, since you?re directing Shar Qi, or poison arrow directly on yourself. Remove the beam, relocate or hang a bamboo flute or wind chime under the beam to weaken negativities.

Do you like these Tips? Dragon-Gate.com sends monthly Feng Shui Tips newsletters to its members. To read past Feng Shui Tips, click here.

Corey Tsang is the resident Feng Shui expert of Dragon-Gate.com, and is well-known for his bi-monthly newsletters on Feng Shui Tips and Feng Shui Alerts of the Month. For more information, please contact Mr Tsang at corey@dragon-gate.com or visit our website at Dragon-Gate.com.

Feng Shui & the Haunted House!

 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like... to spend one night in haunted hotel room, just for fun? Well, I have! Of course the hotel wouldn't be able to guarantee that the ghost would make an appearance on any given night. After all? the hotel concierge doesn't have an appointment calendar for the resident ghosts.

Then again, how would you like to share your home on a daily basis with spirits of the dearly departed or in some cases the not so dearly departed? It's true? some spirits are friendlier than others. You'd be surprised how many clients over the years have asked if Feng Shui could help with a haunted house. And the answer is? yes, to some extent.

One of the cases that would make a spirit choose to stay in your house over another house is when the outside of your house is too Yang (bright, active, lively), while the inside is too Yin (dark, inactive, still). In this case you want to open your curtains and let more natural light into your home. If that's impossible, use full spectrum light bulbs to imitate actual sunlight, which is another way to avoid depression in the winter months when the days are shorter.

In some instances, when taking the compass reading of a building the needle of the compass vibrates or actually spins round and round, which is a good indication that spirits are in the area. The worst place to live, work or build is where anyone has been buried or died by violence, such as murder, suicide or acts of war, because it's very difficult to cleanse the land or building. The classical Feng Shui method to cleanse that type of land is to let it burn for at least 3 days straight. Today there?s not a place anywhere in the World where you would be allowed to use that method.

When analyzing the unique Feng Shui energy pattern of your home or office, according to when it was built and its exact compass orientation? certain energy combinations make it easy for spirits to prefer to stay in your building. In Classical Feng Shui this is referred to as "Yin God Full Grounded," meaning the Yin energy is fully grounded in the house? therefore it's very comfortable for spirits to stay there. In some cases this energy combination is only triggered by the visiting Annual Energy, which is yet another excellent reason to have your Feng Shui remedies updated each year.

All homes and offices have a combination of unseen Yin and Yang energies in the various sections of the building. When there's too much Yin energy in any given room, that's where the spirits will choose to reside? especially in the SE, South, SW or West, which are the Yin directions. In this case, bringing in more natural light will help to some extent. However, you'll have better results by also adding the appropriate elemental remedy to that room to reduce the Yin energy.

For a fortunate few? a Wang or prosperous energy at your entrance will prevent your home or office from being haunted, as well as make it easier for you to make more money. That's right office buildings can also be haunted. One of my clients had an office in a building that was originally a mortuary, so it had numerous spirits who like to come out to play after dark. It's no wonder everyone that worked there preferred to leave by sunset.

An energy combination that all classically trained Feng Shui professionals would love to have in their own home or office is called? ?5 Ghost Carry Money.? However, it doesn't have anything to do with actual spirits. It's referring to the best energy combination for easily bringing prosperity to you. On the other hand, if you want to have a baby? you'd love to have ?5 Ghost Carry Baby? at your door or in your bedroom. There are simple ways to activate these energies if you're lucky enough to have one of them in your home or office.

Other than having an on-site Feng Shui analysis of your home or office to determine which remedies are required in your situation? remember to open your curtains and let more natural light in to make it uncomfortable for the spirits to remain. Then again, you could always build a shrine to the spirit that's living in your home or office to show you respect them and want to co-exist peacefully with them.

P.K. Odle? an internationally respected instructor for Master Larry Sang?s renowned American Feng Shui Institute since 1998, is the creator of The Feng Shui Advantage?s ?Lifetime Keys Personal Directions Self-Mastery Toolbox.? To learn more about using the ancient Chinese science of Feng Shui to improve your Health, Relationships and Finances? visit her web site and subscribe to her free newsletter, The Feng Shui Advantage MONTHLY, at http://www.FengShuiAdvantage.com The next issue? could change your life!

7 Feng Shui Tips For Spicing Up Your Lovelife

 

Are you happy with your lovelife or would you like to see it improved?

No matter who you are, there are times when "the bedroom" is not the loving and fun room it should be.

There are of course numerous reasons why this may happen but there are some simple things you can do to help you make things better.

Your bedroom acts as a magnet both literally and metaphorically for your relationships. It is also where you sleep during the night renewing your energy levels in preparation for what the world has to offer to you the next day.

It is most likely where your romantic life is centered - unless of course you like to experiment - perhaps you're a free spirit who likes to commune with the outdoors ;-)

Your bedroom is your and your homes sanctuary.

The positioning and layout within it plays a massive role not only on your passion and romance chances but also your health, wealth and other relationships in general.

Careful attention should indeed be paid on this highly important room. When you get it right, positive energy (called "chi" by the Chinese and "ki" by the Japenese) will flow easily through your home.

Get it wrong...

All things in life are connected at the minute quantum level and the following information will help guide you so you and your relationships flourish:

1. Make sure your bedroom "feels" inviting - it must fulfill the role of a place of safety for you. When you look at the state of your bedroom now - what does it say to and about you? Does it say "I'm at home with myself" or is it a big jumble and in disarray? Is it just functional - it's purpose only for sleeping in your eyes, if so - if you want your love life to change, then this has got to change too.

2. Look around at all of the items - furniture/trinkets etc... in your bedroom. Do you have good/loving memories and feelings for these items? Or are there items which hold bad memories? If there are - get rid of them, they hold a residual energy and act as a constant reminder to your non-conscious mind. How about photos? Are there any old flames "hanging around" - again, chuck them out - you do want to move on to a new relationship - don't you?

3. Your bed should be the focal point of the room - this is where both "action" and "inaction" takes place, where you are both energized and renewed. Does your bedroom have a "personality problem"? Is it in effect multitasking? Do you have a home office or perhaps a treadmill beside you? Again, these items should not be here. You want to focus on your relationships rather than your body or mind in this room - move them out. If this is not possible due to space constraints, you will need to use a screen to keep them "at bay".

4. The ever present TV. Yes it can be cosy to curl up in bed and watch a great movie but a TV sends out a stream of positive ions (rather than positive chi) - this device is "yang" in nature and will ensure your body does not get the rest it requires. It also represents a 3rd party in the room - not particularly conducive to a stable and healthy monogomous relationship... Once again - the TV has got to go.

5. Make sure your bed is as far away from the door to your room as you can. If you are unable to see the door, you will feel ill at ease at a subconscious level - this is because you will sense you cannot see if an intruder will enter your room (heaven forbid!). This unease will of course impact how you rest at night.

6. Choose a bed which has a solid and sturdy headboard. In Form School Feng Shui, the headboard represents a supportive mountain to your back.

7. Your bed holds residual energy from those who have come and gone before. In an ideal world, if you have had a partner and wish to attract a new one, you should purchase a new bed. This gives you and your new relationship an optimal chance to flourish. Regardless, you should invest in the best bed you can as if you sleep 8 hours per day, this means you will spend 1/3 of your entire life in it!




Tracy O'Brien is a long time student and practitioner of the ancient art of Feng Shui. She is also the founder of FengShuiAstrology.com For more Feng Shui Tips and a FREE Feng Shui Astrology Personality Profile, visit: http://www.fengshuiastrology.com

5 Powerful Feng Shui Principles You Can Use Immediately In Your Home!

 

In Chinese feng shui translates to wind and water. As a form of knowledge and mystical instruction it dates back several thousand years to ancient China. Thousands of years ago, the rulers of China needed to consider carefully the geography and layout of the country, since constructing any buildings, bridges or infrastructure depending on the land. In particular builders needed to carefully plan their constructions around the severe winds, mountains and water masses, as well as the propensity of China to flood. Because of these earthly considerations, the word feng shui (meaning wind and water) came about.

In America, we became acquainted with Feng Shui back in the 1840's during the California gold rush when many families from all over the world came to the US to seek their fortunes in gold. These days we are all know about feng shui and it is a common principle that modern people use to help organize their lives.

Indeed we can thank the many Chinese immigrants that flocked to the United States in the 1800's since they brought with them their belief systems, which included a faith in the principles of Feng Shui. In this day and age we tend to use a more basic version of this knowledge, but it continues to prove it's worth.

The origins of Feng Shui

The Chinese originally devised the principles and philosophies of Feng Shui in order to decide where to bury significant people, in particular members of dynasties and royal families. It was initially taken up to select burial sites for the wealthy, as well as palace locations for royalty. Scholars that practiced feng shui analyzed the signs and signals given from the earth to make a decision as to where to construct buildings and bury the dead. For example, they would consider which trees were clearly affected by wind, looked for rocks, and streams.

Based on these early observations, the book of the I Ching (meaning "Book of Changes") was written. At its core, Feng Shui functions as a rulebook to working with nature, following a life that respect and reveres the earth, and acting with integrity towards our immediate environment as well as the planet more generally.

Feng Shui really must be experienced to be believed. Ask anyone who has ever taken up the practice and they will tell you that it not only turned their life around but also saved it as well. Feng Shui really is the most practical guide to better living that the numerous new age remedies have to offer.

Feng Shui provides principles that not only improve your inner self but also your lived in environment. Many people that organize their lives around the framework of Feng Shui report that it brings a balance to your life force. Not only does it built a platform for a balanced life style, it also brings harmony and serenity even in this day and age of hustle and bustle and confusion.

The principles of Feng Shui

To improve your life through Feng Shui, it is imperative that you follow the guidelines of balance and harmony that are at the root of Feng Shui. According to Feng Shui, the universe is composed of three components. Every living being, every plant and every object is supposed to represent one of these three element which are Yin, Yang and Chi. Yang is male in nature where as Yin is female in nature. Together Yin and Yang are two forces which are responsible in creation and sustenance of all living and non-living objects on earth. Chi is the force that is created through the natural interplay of Yin and Yang.

Chi (or positive energy) should always be able to flow freely through any space in order to help us being in balance with the elements surrounding us. Chi is what brings us what we desire in life and allows us to be prosperous. Chi is based on the natural energy exchange which exists among everything on earth.

Get Started And Implement These Powerful Yet Simple Tips

Learning about feng shui takes time, and there are very many principles to follow. That said, bringing positive energy into your home is relatively easy and can involve only a few simple adjustments. Here are 5 powerful tips to get you started.

1. You should never crowd furniture. Each piece of furniture should have space around it to allow chi (or good energy) to flow freely.

2. Never place beds, chairs, sofas or desks right across or with their back towards the main door. You and your guests should never positioned with your back right across the entrance door.

3. Do not concentrate too much of one energy in one place. Your house should balance fire, water and metal to be in balance, you should avoid placing to much fire, earth or wood in one area.

4. Do not position elements in opposition to one another. For example a fireplace or stove should not be across from a wash basin, fish tank or toilet. The clash between fire and water will cause disharmony in the house.

5. Illuminate dark corners since they concentrate too much negative yin energy. Place a light or a plant in shadowy areas to disperse the darkness and allow chi energy to flow into the space.

Incorporating the principles of Feng Shui into your home is sure to help you better balance your life.

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Achieve A Balance - Feng Shui All The Way

 

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese belief that involves studying natural and the built environments. The arrangements of these objects affect the yin and the yang, as well as the energy of a room. Feng Shui has developed into many different versions based on religion, geography, symbolism and culture. One commonality of all Feng Shui practitioners, Of course, is the belief in energy. Different schools of Feng Shui have progressed into seven different forms.

1. The Compass School

The first school of thought is the Compass school. The compass school uses 8 trigrams of the I-Ching. These 8 trigrams are known collectively as Pa Kua, that is based on the eight main directions of a compass. Each of these directions is associated with a specific chi. A southern direction, for example, is vibrant energy and is associated with the middle of the summer.

2. Eight Mansion School

Another school is the Eight Mansion School, also known as the Eight House Feng Shui. This school of thought is based on the individual number of a person. The number of the man living in the home is used to bring harmony and balance to the home. Furthermore, people using this system have both lucky and unlucky numbers, with the west numbers being 2, 6, 7, and 8 and the east numbers being 1, 3, 4, and 9.

3. Form School

The Form school of thought is based on the landscapes shape and uses four symbolic animals. These animals are used to identify the type of landscape. The Form school is easy to use along with the Compass school to increase chi both in and out of the home.

4. Black Hat Sect

The Black Hat Sect is another school of thought. The Black Hat Sect used a fixed entry point for determination of the life areas. It is similar in philosophy to the Compass school, but the areas are different. In addition, the Black Hat Sect mixes psychology, Buddhism and basic design principles, as well.

5. Nine Star Key School

Another school is the Nine Star Key School. This form used stars to help identify lucky and unlucky days. Using complicated math formulas, this school can pinpoint when a person will get married and the astrological sign of the person to be married to. This form is very inflexible and is based purely on science. The Nine Star Key will also tell the practitioner what house he lives in and makes suggestions on how to live based on the house.

6. Flying Star School

The Flying Star philosophy is the most common Asian form of Feng Shui and is based on astrology and numerology. This form is difficult to understand and to learn. It, too, is based on mathematical principals and is used to determine a persons fate.

7. Four Pillars School

The final school of thought is the Four Pillars. This form is not very common and is based on astrology according to the persons date of birth, right down to the minutes. This form is also used to determine a persons fate.

8. The Five Elements

After determining that school of thought is best for an individual, it is important to also understand each element. These five elements are: Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. The elements are capable of destroying each others energies and forming a continual cycle. Through the use of these elements, balance and harmony can be created in a home. If these elements are used incorrectly, Of course, the energy can be destroyed or lessened.

Each of the five elements is also associated with a color, direction, and number.

Earth (Brown/Beige) - 2,5,8 - Southwest

Fire (Red/Purple) ?? 9 - South

Water (Blue/Black) ?? 1 - North

Metal (Grey/Reflective) - 6,7 - West

Wood (Green) - 3,4 - East

Each of these elements has both a destructive and a productive cycle and must be used carefully.

The productive cycle uses the following pattern:

Water ?? Wood ?? Fire ?? Earth ?? Metal

Water feed feeds Wood for it to grow. Wood then feeds Fire and produces Earth. Earth, in turn created Metal. Metal holds water and, thus, continues the cycle. To keep this cycle flowing, bring into the room the elements before and after the main element

The destructive cycle reduces energy and can be used in a room where one element needs to be lessened. It follows this pattern:

Water ?? Fire ?? Metal ?? Wood ?? Earth

Water puts out Fire and Fire melts Metal. Metal cuts Wood down and Wood clogs Earth, while Earth muddies Water.

9. Using Feng Shui

Every room needs to be balanced with each of the five elements. Some elements can be heavier than others due to size; chair might score as three counts of an element while a throw pillow only counts as one.

For more great feng shui related articles and resources check out http://anxietyplace.info

How to apply Feng Shui

 

How does feng shui work? I don't mean getting a compass, drawing up the floor plan and creating a bagua, I mean, how is it applied?

The Five Element Theory is the key. It doesn't matter if you use the compass method, the flying stars method, or the black hat method. To properly apply 'cures' or solutions to feng shui issues, you use the five element theory.

The feng shui elements are essentially different phases of chi, and are represented by physical characteristics such as shape, color, or material. There are five kinds of chi: Water, Fire, Wood, Earth, and Metal. These are the five elements, and shouldn't be confused with the actual elements. They are different phases of energy, and there are three different flows: destructive, supportive, and draining.

The supportive (or creative) cycle of the five elements is where each energy 'feeds' the next.

The destructive cycle of the elements, obviously, is where the energies destroy one another, and the draining cycle calms an element that may be out of balance. Here is a summary:

Water supports wood, destroys Fire (if Wood is weak) and drains Metal. Wood supports Fire, destroys Earth (if Fire is weak) and drains Water. Fire supports Earth, destroys Metal (if Earth is weak) and drains Wood. Earth supports Metal, destroys Water (if Metal is weak) and drains Fire. Metal supports Water, destroys Wood (if Water is weak) and drains Earth.

If you have an overabundance of the feng shui element of Metal in your home, you can use objects that represent either Water or Fire, depending on just how much Metal you have. If you don't have enough Soil, then use things that support Metal as well as Soil.

If you are having relationship issues (or just wish you had a relationship to have issues with), then you do need to draw up the floor plan, and decide which method you are going to use. The bagua used in Black Hat is not the same as the one used in the Eight Mansions.

If you use the Black Hat method, and you find that your Relationships area is in the bathroom, maybe you are flushing that type of energy down the toilet. Now, the element that is active in the Relationships is Earth. The Earth element will destroy the Water element, unless you use some Metal to support it. Metal element objects are round or spherical, made of metal, and are metallic or white in color. A round white porcelain bowl with chunks of pyrite would do it (and no rust). A round mirror would be okay.

In the Eight Mansions method, the bagua is the same as far as shape and number of areas, but there it ends. There are eight different baguas, and the one you use depends on what direction your house sits in. For every bagua, there are four auspicious directions, and four inauspicious directions. There are no designated aspirations in the Eight Mansions; but you still use the five elements to balance out the lucky and unlucky areas.

Let's use the Gen trigram, and say that your bedroom is located in the Disaster location, which here is in the South. This location promotes disputes and legal issues, so you really just want to calm the chi that you find here. To do that you would use objects from an element that either destroys or drains Fire, the element that is present in this spot. Looking at the chart above, we see that you can use either Water, to destroy it, or Earth, to drain it.

Only in rare occasions do you actually want to destroy an element. So I would suggest artifacts from the Earth element, such as painting the walls in earth tones, or carpeting in those tones.

Use squat furniture, like a futon, pictures of mountainscapes, and maybe a cotton quilt.

You do not want to use any Wood element here, as Wood supports Fire, and we already have an issue with that element being too strong here.

I hope that this helps you figure out how to apply the principles of feng shui, at least a little bit. Check out www.western-world-feng-shui.com for more information.

Raelynn Manitz began studying feng shui in 1999, and runs a website for feng shui advice at www.western-world-feng-shui.com

There is No Place to Hide From Feng Shui - Even Temporarily

 

I once heard this definition of extroverts and introverts: Extroverts process information and issues by talking with others. Introverts do so by going within.

I am definitely an introvert, and have set my life up so as to have a lot of time and space to myself. This is how I function best. I know what feeds my soul and I also know when I dont do these things everything in my life is affected.

Sometimes I need a reminder of the importance of these things.

During a visit to New Zealand recently, I had occasion to stay with a family member who was so excited to see me, she wanted to spend lots of time with me and include me in every cup of tea. She was being a good hostess she is also an extrovert. So, where she gained energy I was fast losing it. I did have some space for myself, but not enough. I assumed that a week like this was fine. I also didnt fully unpack my suitcase, partly because there wasnt anywhere to put everything, but also, I thought its only for a few days.

I know the effect of being surrounded by clutter, and I know I need lots of space physical and emotional. I know the effect of tolerating things that bug me. I also know that sometimes in the past it has seemed like too much trouble to act on my needs.

One of the big things I learned is that it DOES matter. Even temporary situations affect me. I learned there is no room for unconsciousness around my environment there is no place to hide. I learned I need to respect my being an introvert. Its part of what makes me unique. Its part of how I express myself and give myself to others. And when I dont respect this aspect of myself, part of me shuts down and everyone misses out.

When I look back on my time in New Zealand, the visit that was most successful was with a friend who is an author and also an introvert. He made sure he had time to himself, which also gave me space.

I eventually took care of my needs by finding a Bed and Breakfast to stay in for my last week. With great good fortune the owner was going out of town, so I had her whole, huge, sunny house to myself. I unpacked my suitcase, made my room inviting, and so created an environment that supported me. Everything looked different from this place, and from there it was a lot easier to create a balance between visiting and quiet time.

The Feng Shui in your life is about more than just your environment. When you dont get your needs met physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, your energy is blocked and this will stop the flow of prosperity, creativity, relationships in your life and will prevent you from being all you can be. Your very life energy is affected.

Is anything blocking the flow of energy in your life right now?

Where are you cluttering up your life, emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually?

Is there anything in your life you are telling yourself is only temporary?

What would it take to make a change now?

What do you know, but need to remind yourself about in terms of your needs?

As an extrovert, or an introvert, what feeds your soul? Are you incorporating that in your life?

Visits with family are often the most challenging in terms of being ourselves. How do you take care of your needs while with your family?

When you are thrown into an unfamiliar situation, what happens? Do you make sure your needs are met or do you let them slide? What do you tell yourself?

Do you have a situation coming up maybe people coming to stay, maybe you visiting someone where you can begin to plan ways to have your needs met?

In your home, or when you are in a temporary situation, what can you do to make a sanctuary for yourself? What can you place in your environment to give you a feeling of belonging?

Some of my clients have found a way to create a sense of place when traveling. They have gathered a collection of things that have significance for them. When they travel they place them on the bedside table or somewhere they will feel their energy.

Some people have a favorite throw or they might take their own pillow with them. Dont forget the power of journaling. Keeping up this practice will give you clarity and space.

In Feng Shui, the intention is to create a flow of energy in your environment to support you in creating the life of your dreams. A life that flows and is easy and where you can be your authentic self. Your environment either supports you or drains you. By paying attention to all your environments you will create an environment of success for yourself. http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Vicky White is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Life Coach who works with clients both locally and internationally. Get your FREE 7-part e-course Your Secret Weapon: Powerful Feng Shui Tips To Give Your Business The Competitive Edge at http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Top 10 Clutter Busting Tips for 2003Vicky White

Its easy, live with clutter and its difficult to move forward, or you will move forward more slowly. Clear your clutter and you will be supported to create the life you dream of.

1. Use the Ultimate Clutter Test - ask yourself Do I love it, do I use it, does it make my heart sing? Get a no? Put it in a box for the charity shop, to give to someone who will treasure it, or to go to a consignment shop.

2. Clear your closet - this is a great place to start. Make space for the new by taking everything out of your closet and only putting back clothes you love, fit you, are ready to wear and show you at your best. You know the ones - they are the ones people comment on when you wear them.

It is better to have half a dozen outfits that make you feel your best, than a closet of clothes that are past it or remind you of the weight you've put on. If you really must keep clothes you no longer fit into, put them in a box, tape it up and put a date on it if you don't fit into them by that date maybe its time to make someones day by taking them to the local charity shop - or making some money by selling them.

3. Clear your basement and attic - in Feng Shui the basement represents the foundation to your life. Any stuck energy here will be rising up through your home and affecting every aspect of your life.

Clutter in the attic will be bearing down on you. And there is no hiding from clutter by moving it to the basement, the shed at the bottom of the garden, or even a storage unit. Its in your environment and will still be affecting you.

4. Time Clutter - do you have too many things on your to-do list? Do you keep trying to fit just one more thing in? Do you feel under pressure? I have come to accept that I cannot possibly do everything in one day, or even in one week. This takes the pressure off! Are you saying yes to what you want to be saying yes to?

5. Handle procrastination - do you put off taking action on some things you want to do, registering for a class, or making a phone call for example, so your head gets cluttered up trying to remember to do it?

Some things are worth taking action on immediately. Some things are worth scheduling so they are not done at the last minute and under pressure, or even worse, are missed. Clutter is decisions put off - in other words procrastination.

6. Clear the clutter in your office. This will be affecting your creativity, efficiency and prosperity. If necessary, pay someone to help you organize your office. Once you get it organized get rid of clutter daily.

Papers, emails, your filing cabinet, and documents on your computer you haven't looked at in months or years. How much time do you waste looking for information? Make liberal use of your best office tools - the recycle bin and the delete button on your computer.

7. Declutter your day - What are your most productive activities at work - the ones that bring you the greatest results? How much of your time do you spend doing them? Most people spend the majority of their time on their least productive activities - reading and answering emails, having meetings, returning phone calls, looking for documents.

Do you clutter your day up with things that could be delegated or things that are not important? Do you allow yourself to be constantly interrupted with emails, phone calls or family members?

8. Your head! Do you have a whole lot of thoughts running around in your head when you get up in the morning? Julia Cameron in the Artists Way suggests writing Morning Pages. There are 3 pages of free flow writing. Just let whatever wants to come up, come up. Its amazing what does come to the fore and I have found this a useful tool to start my day with a clear head.

9. Things from the past. Do you have the wedding dress from your first marriage? Do you have books on subjects you are no longer interested in, or are they out of date? Do you have vitamins in your cupboard more than 6 months old - they will have lost their potency. Have you moved from a house into a Condo and still have gardening tools you can no longer use? Do you have your grandparents clock that no longer works, and you don't even like it? Have you been given gifts that aren't you?

Clear this clutter and notice how your energy changes.

10. Do you have things in a storage unit? Do these pass the Ultimate Clutter Test? Do you love them, do you use them, and do they raise your energy? If not, how much is it costing you to store these things. If they disappeared would you miss them? Do you even remember what is in those boxes? How about your garage? Is it so full that your car/s need to sit outside? How much are your cars depreciating by being out in the elements and are the things in the garage worth that much?

Bonus Tip. Heres a tough one! Are there people in your life who drain your energy? What is it costing you? What do you have invested in staying in contact with them? Maybe they are close family members. Who do you need to be to take care of yourself around them?

Be ruthless when it comes to decluttering. For the energy to flow easily in your life, and your home, you need to be diligent when it comes to clutter. If you dont address it, it will hold you where you were back in 2002 or before! Clutter Busting will support you in moving forward into an abundant life. http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Vicky White is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Life Coach who works with clients both locally and internationally. Get your FREE 7-part e-course Your Secret Weapon: Powerful Feng Shui Tips To Give Your Business The Competitive Edge at http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

8 Feng Shui Tips to Make Your Own Buds Bloom

 

Spring is here and all the energy that was laying low and gaining strength over winter is blossoming forth. Spring is the time for new beginnings. Its a time of increased energy, new beginnings and sunshine moods.

These tips will help you harness this energy.

1. OPEN YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS The air inside your building is up to ten times more polluted than the air outside. This is due to building practices that seal the building against energy loss, and because of synthetic furnishings and carpets which are continually sending toxic vapors into your home.

Opening your doors and windows will bring more energy into your life as this is where the energy enters your homes and rooms.

2. TAKE CARE OF YOUR PLANTS Now is a good time to feed them, dust them, shine their leaves and give them some love. Plants produce movement of air, which helps them remove toxins from your environment. They also produce water vapor which controls humidity.

3. CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS
Often its not until the sun shines on your windows that you can see just how dirty they've become. Create a clear view of your world.

4. BUY FRESH FLOWERS
These will add brightness and vitality to your life. Make sure you replace them when they wilt.

5. WHAT NEEDS DECLUTTERING? Is it time to go through your closet again with fresh eyes? Can you put your winter clothes out of sight? What can you let go of? What do you no longer like or wear? What doesn't show you at your best? How about your garage, your car or your handbag?

6. DO YOU HAVE CLUTTER IN YOUR BEDROOM? Your bedroom is the most important room in your house because you spend so many hours in there. Clutter here will be affecting your health and relationships, and clutter under the bed affects you the most - it will be creating unconscious blocks as you sleep over it.

7. RE-ENERGIZE YOUR GOALS Are you one third of the way towards your goals for the year? What is blocking your way? Do you want to choose a new goal? Choose a goal and commit to taking one step towards it each day. Watch the progress you make and the momentum you create. Do this with a friend or your Coach and check in with them each day. Being accountable to someone else is often what it takes keep focused.

8. REDUCE THE STATIC IN YOUR LIFE Make a list of anything in your life that 'bugs' you and start clearing them up. What distracts you from doing the things you love to do and what distracts you at work? What can you do to resolve these issues?

Spring is a great time to reassess and re-energize your dreams and goals. You are a third of the way through the year and can take advantage of this boost of Spring energy by clearing some space and refocusing. http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Vicky White is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Life Coach who works with clients both locally and internationally. Get your FREE 7-part e-course Your Secret Weapon: Powerful Feng Shui Tips To Give Your Business The Competitive Edge at http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Feng Shui For The Office

 

 Whether you are an employee or a business owner with his or her own office, you can use feng shui to make your office space more productive and harmonious.

Your first step is to stand at the doorway of your office or workspace and map out the areas according to the feng shui bagua. You can download a diagram of the bagua from our web site.

Your main focus will be your wealth and fame areas, although you should also pay attention to the other six areas and decorate them accordingly.

Here are some tips to keep the energy flowing in your office:

1. According to office feng shui guidelines, your desk should be placed at a diagonal to the doorway or directly facing it, rather than with your back to it.

2. If there's more than one desk, place two on a diagonal facing towards the door and any others on a diagonal facing into the center of the room. They should not be placed in rows in a traditional classroom layout or back to back.

3. If the doorways of offices that face each other across a hallway are not exactly aligned, place a mirror on the front of each door.

4. If you face a partial wall or partition when entering an office, place a mirror on the partition.

5. Soften jutting walls with plants. If you don't have a 'green thumb', artificial plants are just as effective as live ones.

6. Break up dull walls with mirrors or paintings.

The feng shui elements that are easiest to blend into an office decor are pictures and photographs. Look for pictures that represent the various aspects and display them in the appropriate areas of the room. Very obvious feng shui symbols may invite unwelcome questions from visitors or co-workers.

Feng Shui For A Home Office

Use office feng shui if you're working from home to maintain a professional approach to your business.

1. Use a separate entrance to your office if at all possible.

2. Otherwise, choose a room near the front or back door of the house or apartment.

3. Separate your office from living areas to keep your business and personal lives separate.

4. If your office space is part of another room, divide it from the rest of the room with a screen or large plants.

5. Take a short walk before entering your office to work each day and another one at the end of your working day. This separates the business and personal aspects of your life.

6. Place your desk on the corner diagonally opposite to the doorway.

7. Don't place your desk under a window, but let the light reflect on it from the side. Some people prefer to have their desks facing east.

8. Leave space between your furniture (bookshelves etc.) and the walls. Feng shui experts suggest leaving a 7-9 inch gap.

9. An important aspect of office feng shui is to keep your workspace tidy to allow a free flow of energy throughout the room.

10. Differentiate between clutter and storage. Stored items don't have to be catalogued and labeled but they should be stacked neatly in a cupboard or in binders so as not to impede energy flow.

Obviously theres a lot more to feng shui than what weve discussed in this article but you now have the basics for applying feng shui to your office space.

When youve made whatever changes you choose to incorporate, take a slow walk through your office and notice your spontaneous reaction. You should experience a sense of ease and flow, as opposed to feelings of claustrophobia, stress or overwhelm caused by too much clutter.
Marguerite Bonneville is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) whose passion is publishing information online. Her web site, Hidden Keys To Wealth, offers a range of resources for people committed to achieving financial freedom. Visit
http://www.hidden-wealth-keys.com for NLP and wealth mindset tools, tips on choosing a wealth creation vehicle, and a step-by-step guide to starting a small business.


Want Your Savings to Earn a Higher Rate of Return? Try Internet Banking.Jon GalantyDoesn't it seem like the only impressive numbers we've seen this summer are the digits on the thermostat and the unaffordable prices of homes? Real estate has been excruciatingly hot for the past few years, but getting in the market now puts you in the high-risk category for a heat stroke if the market decides to cool off this year.

So if a real estate induced stroke doesn't appeal to you and the stock market's roller coaster ride gives you motion sickness, it's very likely that you as a health-conscious investor are sitting on a stash of cash collecting an anemic rate of interest.

Don't worry, you are in good company. Even investment legend Warren Buffet is having problems finding fruitful investments. Buffet admitted in Berkshire Hathaway's annual letter to shareholders to having ended 2004 with $43 billion in cash equivalents and couldn't promise much success in utilizing the money in 2005.

If Buffet doesn't know what to do with his billions, you are probably thinking that you have no chance of finding a great place to put your billions either. Ok, your trillions. I didn't mean to belittle your nest egg.

Where can you stick your cash while you wait for better investment times?

How about online? Yes, I know Internet stocks stole your money in 2000, but Internet banks are giving it back in 2005.

Unlike the Internet gold rush of the 1990's where web businesses were run by high school students, many of today's Internet banks are simply online divisions of safe and time tested brick-and-mortar banking institutions.

Take ING Direct for example. ING Direct is the online division of ING Group, a Dutch based financial institution which is among the top 15 largest in the world. ING Direct opened its Internet doors five years ago and currently has approximately $29 billion in deposits. That would make it the "YAHOO!" of online banks.

But another online bank may actually make you yodel, "yahooo" after you glance at their annual percentage yield. Internet bank Emigrant Direct offers 3.50% APY on its savings accounts. What does your big commercial bank give you? 0.50%? At that rate, you're not earning enough to beat inflation. Maybe it's time you joined the Internet age?

Emigrant Direct is the online division for New York's Emigrant Savings Bank. Although a relative newcomer to the online banking scene, when it seems like interest rates are leaden with lead, Emigrant Direct is usually the first to raise them. At this point, brick-and-mortar banks would need to raise their rates quite a bit just to catch up with Emigrant.

So if you find yourself not enjoying the lazy interest rates of summer, you may want to log on to the net and see how an Internet bank account may boost your return this year. The interest rate you get may just burn as hot as the heat wave hitting most of America.
Jon Galanty is a financial writer for eMoneyCentral.com Visit http://www.emoneycentral.com to find out more about online banking and to get other great money tips.


The time value of moneycollin brownIt is very important for one to understand the time value of money. Especially we should let our next generation know
about it. As the sea wave keeps on coming without any hesitation, life also flows on. It is important to make a child understand about the journey of time along with the
changing value of life.

Do you see people using the old coins nowadays? I am sure you do not. But you remember them as your grandmas must have kept a few. This paisa is to be kept in with you only as they are not in use. Similarly, today we can buy things with a 10-rupee
note, right? If I give you a ten-rupee note, you can immediately go to the next shop and buy a chocolate for you.
Do you think even after a couple of years you will get the same chocolate with 10 rupee? I do not think so and I am sure
you will agree with me, too.


Let us think about your latest toy, which your father bought you last week. The latest remote controlled car cost him 200$.
My dear, you wont believe that I bought this car just a year back for 120$ only!! Now, you might think that, as there are
the changes in the newest model, so the company has increased their price. Yes, you are right to some extent but there are
other reasons too. You know that the price of everything is increasing day by day. So to retreat the market value one has
to increase the price. The cost this company used to spend after the toy has been changed. Now, as the new technology has
come within a year, they also had to improve the quality of their toy. If they did not improve it, you would not ask me
for this toy, right? Tell me if it would not be as sophisticated as it is and better than your previous ones, then would you like to buy this? No dear, you would not, nobody does. It is the market where everyone wants something better and thus, the price is getting higher accordingly.


In your childhood when you used to collect donations for the poor kids, how much people used to contribute? I think people used to give you Rs. 5 minimum. Now, if you ask for that, you will not get less than Rs. 10 from a person. It is because earlier value of Rs. 5 is almost equal to value of Rs. 10 these days. You hardly get anything with Rs. 5 now, while you will get a chocolate, a packet of potato chips or may be a small toy at Rs. 10. Even you can get a pen at Rs. 10. So, are you with me? Do you understand the difference now?


One more example will be suitable for you to understand the matter. What is the price of the cricket bat you want to buy for yourself? Arent you saving your pocket money to buy that this year? Now, now, you are caught! I knew it, do not worry, everyone has his secret desires and I also had this once. Let me share a story with you. When I was a kid like you, one day I went to the market with my mother. There I
liked a talking doll and it was saying mummy mummy and pappa pappa. It was so adorable that I wanted to buy. However, my mother did not have that money to buy me then so she rather bought me something else. Well, I came back, but the dream of having the doll with me stayed. That year I did not buy anything in the Pujas and saved the money. Then again in the festive season I did not buy a new dress and saved the money instead. After that I told my mother to
buy me the doll with that saved money. Wow!! It was a lovely experience when I got to get that doll from my saved money. That was a superb feeling indeed. I have told you this small story because I know some of you must be saving your pocket money for your desired thing. If it is a Cricket bat then
I am sure you need not save as much as I had to. Now if you dont buy 1 dress in a Festival or just save 4/5 months
pocket money you will be able to buy it. this is because what I used to get as pocket money was lesser than you. The
reason is, the value has been changed. If I give you the same amount, which I used to get as a kid, it wont be
suitable for you. Thus, the change takes place in our lives too.


I think it is now clear to you how the value of money changes with time. Now, one most important thing. You should realize
the value of money as well. Do not ever waste money unnecessarily. It is a curse to you if you do so. The God will be angry with you and you will be in trouble. Save money as this plays a major role in your life. If you understand the value of saving and not spending it without necessity then you
will surely have a bright future.


However, the value of money changes with time yet the concept of money never changes. It never looses its importance in our life. Ask your grandma about their life. You will be amazed and astonished with the description. Sometime you might feel
that she is just telling stories!! Well, it is not so. After a long when you will become a grandma and your kids will ask you this, they will be equally shocked to know that you used to get a chocolate at Rs. 10!


As a growing kid, you should realize this. It is very important to understand the basics of life. One of the major things is this, to understand the time value of money. I am sure you have understood this well and do not have any doubts in mind. There
are certain things, which cannot be told, you have to realize them from your heart. Other things I have tried to tell you so
far.
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