A Glimpse into 21st Century American Life

This short video, a promo for the book Life at Home in the Twenty-first Century, provides a science-based glimpse into 21st century life in America from the perspective of what we have in our homes. And what do have? An over-abundance of stuff, which translates to clutter when you neglect what you have or no longer care for it.

Our prosperity has filled our homes to the brim and adds stress to daily life. From a feng shui perspective, our possessions are a reflection of ourselves. They contain our energy and mirror much of what we hold deep inside. Similar to people and relationships, our “stuff” requires time and attention, areas where we often come up short.

One way to ease the burden of so much is to only bring in things that you use or love. In my home we’ve had a policy for many years that if “something big comes in, something big has to go out.” As we continue to focus on thinning things out, our home feels more clear and is easier to maintain. An increase in free space and more time are very nice bonuses.

I’m interested in your comments. What do you think?

Embrace The Virtues of The Heart

Janine Shepherd shares how she embraced the virtues of her heart to turn her life around in 18 months. After a tragic accident that ended her Olympic dreams, she found new meaning in her life. Her courageous journey is such an inspiration. It is well worth 20 minutes of your time.

“When you let go of who you are, you become who you might be.” Lao Tzu

 

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Gross National Happiness

Location of BhutanIn 1972 the ruler of Bhutan coined the term “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) as a way to measure the country’s development and progress, rather than the more common, materialistic, measure of gross national product (GNP). Since that time, this tiny nation of about 700,000 people has developed 72 indicators to measure GNH. According to an article in the October issue of National Geographic Traveler, some of the indicators include: access to free healthcare, education for girls, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity.

Setting politics and social policies aside, the concept of happiness as an indicator of well-being, is worth consideration. It is grounded in the concept that both the material and spiritual matter when it comes to people and society.

Over the years, four key principles for GNH have been developed. They are:

1. Promotion of sustainable development

2. Preservation and development of cultural values

3. Care of the natural environment, and

4. Establishment of good governance.

These stand-alone principles are trans-cultural and can easily be applied world-wide. International scholars and researchers have further developed these principles into eight general contributors to happiness. They are:

1. physical, mental and spiritual health

2. time-balance

3. social and community vitality

4. cultural vitality

5. education

6. living standards

7. good governance, and

8. ecological vitality.

From a feng shui perspective, each of us can influence our personal happiness and well-being  by creating living and working environments that appeal to our senses and nourish our spirit. Our homes are closest to each of us and they hold energetic patterns of what is happening in our lives. Thus, if you desire to increase your happiness or well-being in any way, look first within yourself and secondly within your home. Your home is a reflection of of you and all who live there. It can  also hold patterns of everything that has happened in the space over the years. The good news is that the patterns can change. To do so, follow these guidelines:

1. Live with what you love.

2. Make sure everything is safe and comfortable … particularly plumbing and electric.

3. Put your heart, soul, and creativity into your space. Make it yours.

4. Release all clutter (anything you don’t love or use) and give everything else a home. In other words, put everything away.

Caring for our homes, is a way of also caring for ourselves. When we care for ourselves, and nurture our spirit, happiness and well-being increase.

Happiness and well-being begin at home, with each one of us.

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Autumn Equinox: A Day of Balance

CA Nov 2011

Today is the Autumn Equinox and the first day of Autumn. Officially beginning  at 10:50am EDT when the moon enters the sign of Libra, it’s a day of equal lengths of day and night. In mythology, Libra is the goddess of balance and truth. For a brief period of a day, we have balance between the light and dark.

Autumn is the harvest season … when we gather the results of the seeds we planted in spring and the blossoms and growth of summer. It is a time to accumulate the bounty of what nature has to offer … vegetables, fruits, grain, nuts …  before winter’s rest. I love seeing the colorful pumpkins, squashes, apples, pears, and fall flowers fill the markets and farm stands. They are a wonderful reminder of nature’s abundance and also a signal of the shifts to come.

This is the time to reap the benefits of your efforts over the past six months. Where did you place your energy and how are your efforts coming to fruition? What work, projects, relationships, health initiatives, or fundamental shifts have been important to you? Today marks a cycle of personally turning within, as each night grows longer until we reach the Winter Solstice on December 21st. This is a worthwhile time to direct your energy toward home projects, including yourself, and your family.

This weekend, reflect on where you’ve been and where your life is headed. A quiet period of rest or meditation will begin to bring balance if you have been feeling unsettled or out of sorts. Also, take a look around your house and notice what changes you’d like to make as more activities move inside over the coming months. You don’t need to DO anything right now. A period of stillness, reflection, and taking notice of the way things are, will begin an inward shift.

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Do What You Can …

Cook's Pond, Silver Lake, NH Aug 22, 2012

Cook’s Pond, Silver Lake, NH. A gorgeous mirror!

“Do what you can,
with what you have,
from where you are.
It will always be enough.”

This came to me today via Mike Dooley (TUT). It is one of my favorite, affirming, thoughts.

How often do you focus on what you don’t have or what is missing in your life? If you are like most people, this is a common occurrence. It is easy to fall into the trap of what is wrong, what is missing, and what you are not able to do. The dilemma with this is that it generates more of the same, because thoughts DO create things. Each of us energizes, feeds, and empowers the target of our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.

If things are not the way you want them to be, it takes clarity, patience, and a healthy dose of optimism, to create new default patterns that are rooted in a positive, life enhancing perspective. Once you get there, it is much easier to recognize when you are not in the flow and get back on board.

The dilemma is: how can you create such a shift? First, acknowledge, accept, and embrace your circumstances. Then take positive steps to change them. I am not suggesting that you ignore the realities of your life. They are there for a reason. DO stop dwelling on them, wallowing in angst about them, repeating them in stories, agreeing with others that this is the way things really are, taking action out of fear, etc.

Your energy and your environment mirror each other. You can shift from the inside out or the outside in. It doesn’t matter where you begin. What matters is that you DO begin.

So for today,

Do what you can,
with what you have,
from where you are.
And know it will be enough!

Starry, Starry, Night …

July 2012  full moon

Photo by Jack Donahue, July 2012

This summer I have been intrigued with the series of gorgeous moons that we’ve had. Watching the moon rise from the NH Mt. Washington Valley has been a real treat. Tonight at about 8:15pm we had a stunning, waxing crescent in the western sky, a few days shy of a first quarter moon. During last month’s full moon I noticed that the moon was rising about 10:30 and 11:00pm in the east. Knowing that the moon heavily influences our energy and emotions, this led me to do some research.

At the time of a new moon, the moon rises about the time the sun sets … it’s just not visible. Throughout the 28 day cycle the moon rises between 30 and 70 minutes later each day. This is why it was rising towards 11:00pm during last month’s full moon, compared with about 8:00 pm during this evening’s waxing crescent moon. It’s a “young” moon, so it’s coming up early. As the month goes on, it will be visible later and later on clear nights.

The amount light the moon emits, directly influences our energy patterns. Beginning with the first visible crescent after the new moon, and continuing until the full moon, light and energy  increase in unison. This is a time when you are more likely to feel like taking action and have the energy to do so. They are excellent days to begin new initiatives and important days to take advantage of each month.

After the full moon, light and energy decrease. Things slow down. The waning moon is a time when it is easier to let go and release things. It is an excellent time to clear clutter. Notice your energy during these periods as well. If you try to begin new initiatives during these periods, it may feel like an uphill battle and they never take root.

The next full moon is Friday, August 31st. We are in a very nice cycle between now and then to set new initiatives in place, take action, initiate plans, and make things happen. The monthly moon cycle is a great example of the yin and yang, or ebb and flow, of the natural order of life. Working with the natural cycles enables life to move along more easily, with fewer obstacles. Over the next few months play with bringing your energy and initiatives into alignment with the moon cycles and notice what happens as a result.

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Tips for Getting Back on Track

Water Lily 5

July evaporated into thin air for me. Did you ever have a month like that? One day it was July 1st and before I knew it time was quickly closing in on July 31st, with my list of intentions waiting to get done. That was my experience this past month.

It turned out to be an excellent study in energy. We had a series of guests, including a puppy named Charlotte, throughout the month. Everyone who enters your space and everything that come in, shifts the chi. We love having guests and Charlotte was an absolute delight. I forgot how much time and attention puppies require though. At one point we had 3 dogs and several guests, and I realized I was caring for everyone else but myself. By mid-month I let go of my agenda and just went with the flow, setting my sights on August 1.

Now that it’s August 1, I plan to get back on track by living life a little slower. When I slow down, my productivity speeds up. To help me slow down I am clearing out extraneous “stuff” and focusing on what is most important. This includes:

1. Beginning each day with a mediation or some quiet, reflective time
2. Cleaning my house and putting it back in the order I prefer.
3. Thinning out email and removing myself from lists that are a distraction.
4. Setting aside some “lake time” to enjoy swimming and kayaking.
5. Being selective about social events, to be fully present and enjoy the ones we attend.
6. Getting my blog back on track.

If you have had a similar experience, stop and reflect on what is most important to you. Look over your obligations and identify a time when you can “slow down to speed up.” Figure out distractions or energy drains … things that are taking time without adding value. What can you eliminate, drop or delay? What is one thing you can do to put yourself first again? For me, it is my morning practices. When I take time to meditate or reflect, my day unfolds more easily. Things take less time and obstacles are more easily resolved. I have noticed this for years.

During this period, my I Ching weekly reflections provided guidance about how the week would unfold. And they were true to form. The one I didn’t fully understand revealed itself the day the CO shootings took place.

This week’s I Ching reflection is a “Continuing” of “Penetrating Influence” that changes over to Creative Power. It is a time to take initiative and move forward again.

We also have a full moon in Aquarius tonight … a time when projects, goals and ideas come to light. An excellent time to move ahead.

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New Wallpaper Blocks WiFi

WiFi blocking wallpaperA new wallpaper that blocks WiFi is in development at the Grenoble Institute of Technology. Being promoted as a way to increase computer security, this new product could also protect people from incoming WiFi signals, particularly in densely populated areas. It also might provide a good way to create a “quiet room” in a house that already uses WiFi.

The more our living and work environments have 24/7 WiFi, the higher our need will be to create spaces for sanctuary within our homes … spaces where we can our bodies can truly rest and release our sensory overload while we sleep as well as spaces where we can read, reflect, meditate, and practice mind-body-spirit disciplines such as yoga or tai chi.

The WiFi world provides the opportunity to be tuned in throughout the globe at any time of day or night. The downside of this is that our bodies and minds are never truly at rest. Although there is controversy about whether or not WiFi hinders our health, prolonged exposure is said to exhaust our stress-response system and wear down our immune system.

Health problems also show up as:

Brain fog, scatterbrain, brain pressure
–Tinnitus, headaches, feeling pressured
–Loss of fine motor skills
–Muscular, cellular problems
-Problems associated with pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands.

 

The wallpaper that blocks WiFi is a sign that more and more products will be coming on the market that will help us to create quiet spaces and bring better balance to our modern living and work environment. It is uncomfortable to live in the extreme. When things shift from one end of the spectrum to the other, equilibrium eventually set in. This is one example of how we are moving towards the middle again.

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Healthy Buildings: A Growing Trend

20100225-marston-house-002-640x427The Health Product Declaration project, announced on March 15, is an encouraging sign of things to come. The building industry is beginning to move beyond “green” and toward the production of more socially responsible and sustainable products. As reported by Bill Walsh, Executive Director of the Healthy Building Network, 30 building product manufacturers are participating in a pilot project to create an Open Standard to disclose information related to product content and health concerns. These companies are to be congratulated for this innovative and voluntary effort.

According to Walsh: “The HPD Pilot Program is rigorous, designed to maximize disclosure and accuracy of building product data, and ensure that it is reported in a fair and consistent manner wherever it appears. The Pilot Program challenges designers, specifiers and building owners to define the critical information that they need to make informed choices that promote healthy environments and globally sustainable materials use. The program is also designed to test the limits of what manufacturers know about the contents of their building products, and what they are willing to disclose to their customers. Nobody thinks it is going to be easy, but the participants agree that an open standard format has the potential to save everyone time and money, while improving the quality of information and decision-making.”

This is an exciting step forward. Transparency is important in every industry. As consumers, the more we know, the better decisions we can make. When it comes to building products, consumers deserve to know what’s in every product, particularly as it relates to the impact on our health. As more and more people become health conscious, consumers will turn away from products that contribute to allergies, respiratory problems, immune system disruptions and cancer. Healthier and more sustainable alternatives will take their place in the market. The FEMA mobile homes are a public example of what to avoid. Our tax dollars were spent on products that made people sick, due to formaldehyde, among other things. Full disclosure upfront will help all of us make better decisions going forward.

The emergence of the “green” movement has been helpful but doesn’t go far enough. Buildings containing unhealthy and potentially hazardous products can still receive high “green” ratings. The Health Product Declaration can help correct this problem.

For the past 25 years, the Institute of BauBiologie and Ecology (IBE) has been advocating healthy building practices. With a mission to help create healthy homes, schools, and workplaces, free of toxins in the indoor air and tapwater, and electromagnetic pollutants, IBE offers some great resources and programs for creating healthy buildings. Check out the Healthy Building Network and IBE websites if you would like to learn more.

We are in an age where the truth will continue to surface. Companies providing worthwhile products and services that are also upfront and truthful about their business practices will have a competitive advantage and thrive as we move ahead.

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New eBook: 365 Affirmations for Prosperity


365 Affirmations For Prosperity (Kindle Edition)

By (author) Margaret M. Donahue

Release date March 6, 2012.

Amazon Exclusive: eBook Introductory Price $1.99

Short and simple, this ebook provides 365 affirmations to help you shift your energy and consciously attract more of whatever you’d like into your life.

Information about prosperity and the Law of Attraction is abundant. Many of us know what to do. There is a difference, however, between knowing what to do and actually putting that knowledge into practice. Every day I notice people pushing prosperity away from themselves through longstanding patterns and language that supports an abundance of scarcity rather than an abundance of prosperity. This doesn’t have to be. Change your patterns and you change your life.

Prosperity means different things to different people. Many people equate it with money. It is actually much more than money. Prosperity is about overall well-being. It is about genuinely being happy with yourself and your life from a source that lies deep within. It includes wellness, good fortune and having a close network of family and friends that you genuinely like, trust, and can rely on to help you out, confide in and share experiences.

Prosperity also includes living life on purpose, consciously and deliberately. Having a positive outlook, even when things don’t look so good, is part of living a prosperous life. When the world seems to being going in a negative direction, a person with a prosperity consciousness places his or her attention elsewhere. As you notice what is going on in the world at large you choose to repeat what is favorable and withdraw from people, events and circumstances that drag your energy down.

If it is money that you want, realize that money is energy. You are more likely to attract money to yourself if you are happy, healthy and maintain a positive outlook. We push things, including people and circumstances, away from ourselves when our energy is low, our reserves are depleted, we carry a negative vibration, or we don’t believe we can have what we want …both consciously and subconsciously.

There are some that say the Law of Attraction doesn’t work … what they may not realize is that holding such thoughts and expressing such feelings contributes to their life experience which may be about the lack of what they say would really like to experience.

We are what we experience, what we promote, and what we believe, think, feel, say and do. Many times this comes down to us being living and breathing contradictions. We send out mixed signals and we get mixed results.

Use this ebook to select an affirmation each day that you believe in. As you do, your energy around prosperity will strengthen and more of it will become a regular experience.

Try 365 Affirmations for Prosperity at the introductory price of $1.99 and see for yourself. I’d love to hear from you about what’s working as well as areas you find challenging and where you would like more guidance.