Happy New Year!

Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again – Chinese Lunar New Year. The post title, gung hay fat choy, is Cantonese (Mandarin: Gong xi fat cai) for “congratulations on prospering in money.” It is a popular saying you’ll hear frequently during Chinese New Year. Unlike Americans, this Chinese congratulatory greeting is not based on something already achieved but instead is a wish or hope that you will achieve what you desire, hence the congratulations in the phrase. It’s a blessing of good fortune and prosperity (it’s not always money, as many Chinese believed that enough food to eat also represented abundance in one’s life). So for the first blog of this new year of 2020, I want to revisit a post I wrote back in ’17 on making sure the energies of good fortune, abundance, and prosperity will flow not only through your life but through your writing, including  your desk/office.

Remember, Qi must flow positively for prosperity to appear.

I wrote:

“As a writer, it’s important to set the tone of one’s working space; how well you organize and arrange your home office (or wherever you write) is vital to the writing process and outcome. By making a few adjustments (some more so than others, depending on your needs), you may get to experience the shifts in energy flow that can occur relatively quickly (I’m talking within a week).”

I’m also starting 2020 in a new living space where my bedroom (and desk, since I now share a house) is in the Water/Wood bagua areas (NE/E). While my best direction for success is south (that whole wall is closet), I have to place my desk facing west (my worst direction for health or success. Ugh.). So I’ve laid out my work area as best as I can according to feng shui principles: clean, uncluttered desk top, Fire element in upper left hand corner of desk (for success and getting my name out there), a ceramic turtle in Water element. The desk is solid wood with metal trim and sturdy; this makes for a good professional place to write. 

5 Feng Shui Tips for Your Writing Space

The following tips are from http://www.fengshuiforreallife.com, by Carol Olmstead. She is a certified Feng Shui practitioner and has a successful practice, books, and website. 

This is important: “If you work from home, the first Feng Shui consideration is which room or area of your home to use. If at all possible, avoid locating your office in the kitchen, where it could symbolically interfere your health, or in the bedroom, which could interfere with your love and relationships.” Carol Olmstead, http://www.fengshuiforreallife.com.

“Here are five quick fixes you can make in your workspace to give your office a Feng Shui makeover. 
Problem #1: Your desk is in the wrong location.
Quick Fix: The most auspicious location for a desk is positioned diagonally across from the door. The worst place is with your back to the door. When you sit with your back to the entrance of a room you can’t see what’s going on behind you, making you vulnerable to being “caught off guard” by your competitors, clients, or colleagues.

Things literally and figuratively go on “behind your back.” If you can’t relocate your desk, hang a mirror in front of you or place a reflective object on your desk so you can see behind you.

Problem #2: Your desk is the wrong size.
Quick Fix: A desk that is too small for the work to be done makes you feel that your ambitions and aspirations are restricted. On the other hand, a desk that is too large makes you feel that you are not up to the challenge of the work. Choose the appropriate size work surface for the job you have to do. And make sure you have enough room to spread out, create, and expand in your career.

Problem #3: There are sharp corners pointed at you.
Quick Fix: In Feng Shui, the edges of walls pointing at you are called “poison arrows.” These sharp edges send harsh energy toward you, making you feel uncomfortable, threatened, or insecure. The best way to cure or fix this problem is to place something between you and the sharp edge to block its negative energy. Good things to use include furniture, a healthy plant, soft fabric draped over the edge of the wall, or molding. 

Problem #4: You are surrounded by overhead fluorescent lights.
Quick Fix: Fluorescent lights represent the Metal Element that can be too hard and cutting when it comes at you from overhead. Plus this kind of lighting can cause headaches, eyestrain, and a whole lot of stress. Whenever you can, turn off overhead fluorescent lights and take advantage of natural daylight, or use desk and floor lamps. If you can’t turn off overhead fluorescents, try to have them replaced with full spectrum light bulbs. These simulate daylight and make you feel more comfortable.

Problem #5: Your office is cluttered.
Quick Fix: In Feng Shui, clutter represents postponed decisions and the inability to move forward. When you have so many files and piles of papers that can’t even see your desktop, it’s hard to concentrate on your work. Clear as much as you can off your desk, then use colorful folders and wicker baskets to contain the rest of your paperwork. Here is one way to jump start your office clutter clearing — Set a timer for 10 minutes, take a large plastic bag, and thrown 27 thing into the bag – things you don’t use, don’t want, and don’t need in your office. You’ll be amazed as how much more space you have opened up in your office to allow new opportunities for success to reach you.”

Resource: http://fengshuiforreallife.com/Detailed/222.html

Here’s to a prosperous, abundant 2020 for all!