Want a Successful Business? Try Feng Shui

By Sherry B. Ways



Imagine that, overnight, your business has become more prosperous than you ever thought it would. The work environment is peaceful and harmonious. The office environment is not only supportive and invigorating, but also promotes alertness and productivity. Employees and partners are inspired and motivated. Sound like your office? If not, you might want to consider the use of "feng shui," the ancient Chinese art of placement.

Thousands of business owners around the country have embraced this 3,000-year-old tradition and implemented its techniques and benefited from its teachings.



Demystifying Feng Shui

Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway"), literally translated, means "wind and water." It is a natural science which theorizes that the environment is considered an integral element in the art of living. There has been an increased interest in feng shui in the business world since the early 1990s. Donald Trump is among those who have used it to position their companies for success.

Chi (pronounced "kee") is the life force energy that is influenced by all things and is a pertinent factor in all life forms. The purpose of the practice of feng shui is to maintain and increase the circulation of chi in our environment to allow us to be healthy on all levels through our energy system.

When our chi energy is blocked, we experience all kinds of negative factors including low employee morale, loss of income and stress in our work environments. Chi needs to be in balance in our lives and environments.



Applying Feng Shui to Business

For new and well-established businesses alike, a few exploratory questions using feng shui can help determine if a chosen profession will ensure personal and professional growth.

For example, are you a match for the type of business you are in? It is important to ensure that the career you select and the business you are in are compatible with your personal spiritual energy. This can be analyzed through a feng shui practitioner's examination of your birth chart.

Is this the right time in your life to be doing your business? Again, your birth chart can determine when the most successful times are for your business.

Find out whether or not the feng shui of the building you conduct business in is compatible with you. Your spiritual energy should reinforce or match the building you are working in.

Are you and your staff seated in your best directions? When you and your staff are seated in the most positive directions, focus and efficiency are enhanced for business success.



Avoiding Clutter

Once these questions have been answered, think about decluttering your office and consider the positioning of your office or work area. Feng shui associates business wealth and success with zen surfaces and clear space. Chi cannot flow with clutter on your desk and in and around your office. Inventory your office and all those things on, in and around your desk. Clutter interferes with the growth and development of your career.

File unnecessary papers, throw out old files and keep your desk and your entire office free from unnecessary clutter. Decluttering your office will allow chi to move freely throughout your entire space. After you declutter, choose things to place in and around your desk and/or office that helps to support your career and success.



Positioned for Success

Chi will move where you tell it to move. It will move in accordance with the arrangement of your office furniture, dŽcor, mirrors, colors and lighting. Chi tends to be most active where colors and lighting are the brightest. It tends to flow most smoothly along curved and straight lines.

The more complex the arrangement of your furniture, the more complicated and potentially obstructed the movement of chi will be. The more obstructed the movement of chi, the more obstacles you will encounter in your work.

Choose the office or cubicle that has the best light. Find out what your best sitting direction should be and try to sit in that direction if you can. Also consider the command position. Ensure that you are sitting with your chair and desk facing the door to your office and/or cubicle so that you may have a "command" of who is exiting and entering your space.

These are just a few suggestions to consider for using feng shui techniques to manipulate positive and productive energy in the workplace. To truly obtain a full and deep education and understanding of feng shui can take years. Visit your local bookstore or library to learn more about this age-old practice.

Whether you are a novice or a master, there are many applications you can effect to encourage good feng shui and, in turn, affect your work environment, co-workers, employees and prosperity in a beneficial way.



Sherry B. Ways is one of two principals of Design Scheme Interiors LLC, a residential and commercial interior design firm that incorporates feng shui principles with interior design. For more information, contact her at sherry@designschemeinteriors.com or visit the company web site at www.

designschemeinteriors.com.