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Do you feel tired, uninspired or overwhelmed? Have you lost direction in life or feel that you’re no longer in control of your own destiny? Is there something that you wish you could change – a relationship, your career, your financial situation, a health issue, or other issue? Do you have big dreams but have no idea how to make them a reality? Well you’re in the right place…

Today we speak to Feng Shui expert Salvatore Manzi who believes that by clearing away obstacles that weigh you down, and redesigning your space to align with your intentions, you will propel yourself towards your ideal life.

Discovering Feng Shui completely changed my life. Feng Shui came into my life when I was at a real low point, I was in a job I hated, in an apartment that was a dump, and struggling through a relationship that was unhealthy at best. Someone gave me a book on Feng Shui. I tried out some of the things it suggested and my life turned around. My work relationships improved, my partner and I stopped fighting, and we moved into a beautiful new apartment, all within a few months.

My journey began in Paris. I was roaming the streets late one night when I stopped to see the full moon reflecting off the River Seine beneath the Notre Dame. Bearing witness to that beautiful reflection, I had an epiphany: I’d lived my life searching for beauty and perfection on the outside, and the world was really just reflecting what was on the inside. So began my inner journey, and it’s one I’m far from finishing!Over the last 20 years, I’ve studied with a Master Taoist and learned about energy systems, the flow of energy, and Feng Shui. I studied with a Native American Shaman, and learned about the plants and animals and the power of ritual, ceremony and intention. And for eight years I studied with a spiritual teacher who taught me unconditional love in personal relationships. At the moment I’m honoured to be studying with a Feng Shui Master from the East to learn more about Chinese mysticism. Feng Shui has become the foundation of my life’s work.

My clients range from entrepreneurs who are expanding or launching businesses to new home owners to couples who are moving in together, to parents who want to ensure their child’s room is supporting him/her. Men often call me because they get complaints about their home/office space and want to know how to make others feel comfortable in it. Women often contact me because they feel stuck in a relationship cycle or they are desperate for a career change. Everyone wants to know how to increase the flow of abundance into their lives.

The most common issues that clients need help with are work, relationships and health. When these issues arise I always focus on the entrance to the home (career), the bedroom (relationships), and the kitchen (health). I tend to address issues like this, which can have a big impact on people’s lives:

1. Front door/entrance – be sure it’s free from clutter and debris, that the doorbell works and that the house name/number is visible.
2. Bedroom – nothing under the bed (stale energy), create as many natural “pairings” of things as possible (pictures, ornaments, pillows, etc. to symbolise your own balance and integration of your masculine and feminine nature), and no TV (unless it’s in a cabinet), desks or exercise equipment.
3. Kitchen – check the fridge and stove are clean and in good working condition (symbolises better health and wealth), and if you have your back to the rest of the kitchen when standing at the stove, install a reflective surface/mirror so you can see what’s going on.

To help create a success-enhancing space at home I also advise people to:

1. Create inspiration points: What is the first thing you see when you enter your home, room, or office? That “thing” is a visual cue to where your energy is going once you’re in there. Re-set the energy in the room by making something that inspires you the first thing you see.
2. Make space: Clear the clutter! Eliminate the excess! Anything that is unused, unfinished or unloved is dead weight on your path.
3. Wake up to something beautiful: let the first thing you see when you wake up be something that makes you feel grateful and hopeful.

‘What if my home or office is a mess?’ I hear you say… Everyone has a room in their home or space in their office that’s a big mess! Feng and Shui mean “wind” and “water” respectively and those are metaphors to help understand the natural flow of energy in a space. If there is too much resistance in the space (clutter), the flow is reduced. If there is too little resistance, the flow can be overwhelming. Balance is the goal. In other words, clutter slows down everything. If you feel stuck, or like things just aren’t working out the way you wanted, chances are you have some stuck energy in your psyche/emotion/mental world and it is being reflected by the clutter in your space. Reduce your excess physically, and the “weight” of those energetic blocks get lifted so you can make the changes you want.

The best way to begin is to START SMALL! Pick the smallest table top, the smallest drawer, the smallest cabinet and clear the clutter. The next day, do the next smallest, and so on. The energy begins as space is freed up and soon the momentum builds until you are ready to tackle what used to seem like the impossible clutter mountain in that room you try to ignore!

A principle of Feng Shui is that our lives are shaped by three things: Fate (things we can’t control like who are parents are); personal character (that which we can control and grow like our intellectually and self-awareness); and environment (the space which holds us and energetically and ideally supports us by reflecting the stories we have about ourselves, past, present and future).

When it comes to using Feng Shui to transform your life, the best advice is always to look at your environment and see how it reflects who you are right now, versus how you were and no longer want to be. Then, ask yourself what you can do to the space so that it reflects the you that you are becoming.

1. Set your intention by answering this powerfully clarifying question: “What do I value and want to have in my life?”
2. Create space by asking yourself: “What do I need to let go of in order to have that thing?”
3. Create a reflection by asking: “What feeling do I get when I think of having that thing?” Find something that captures that feeling for you and place it in your space as a focal point. It will act as a constant reminder of where your life is going.

A powerful technique for manifesting your dreams is to create a vision board. In 1992 I created a collage of images that inspired me. Immediately, things started shifting in my life that were inexplicably synched up to that collage, and the shifts continued unfolding for years. My accidental discovery of the art vision boarding sparked a thirst for just how it is that we can create and turn dreams into reality.

Creating a vision board on top of the Feng Shui bagua, the grid which depicts the nine life areas of life (below) act as visual reminders of what we want to be, do or have in our lives. They are powerful because they are visual representations of our intentions and can quickly align our mind with where we want to take our lives. That alignment may take a day, or 30 days or 6 months, but with our eye on where we are going, we cannot help but end up there!

Having taught, written, and practiced vision boarding over the decades, I’ve learned secrets that separate successful vision boards from those that are just pretty images. Everyone knows that having a goal is good. Writing a goal down, however, increases the chances of success exponentially. So imagine what having a visual representation of our goal that activates the visual cortex and reticular activating system portion of our brain can do! Shazam!

You can use the idea of a vision board to create a Feng Shui Life Map.  This involves going around your living space or office to ensure what you have placed as your intention on your vision board is being reflected in every area of your space. Essentially, the aim of Feng Shui Life Mapping is to turn your entire home into a 3-D vision board, by placing, orienting and envisioning the various items in your home in such a way that they continuously remind you of your desires and intentions.

Layered vision boards takes intention to the next level. Imagine you’re having an off day and someone tells you to “cheer up”. Do you? Probably not! When it comes to vision boards, if you’ve make yours when you’re in a state of inspiration and hope, and make a point of looking at it when you’re feeling happy, it’s likely that your positive energy and momentum will accelerate the manifesting of your desires.

However if you made it when you were in a negative frame of mind or subconsciously you had a strong negative momentum going even if you were trying to be positive, you might react to it as if it were that annoying person telling you to “cheer up!” we you’re in no mood to hear it. And this can elicit a knee-jerk rejection to the very things you were trying to manifest.

Placing a neutral picture over the vision board guarantees that we look at our vision board from a neutral energetic state. From that place, if we’re in a good mood, we can peel back the picture and reveal the full expression of our Vision Board as we align with the positive momentum it brings. If not, we can just enjoy the neutral picture. It’s not necessary for everyone to cover their vision board with an image. If the board is in a place where there is a lot of stress (like an office), having the image to cover the board is helpful.

Life mapping can take us all closer to doing what we love. It can help us find greater fulfillment in the professional world by helping us get clear first on what it is that we wish to create in our life and in the world. From that clear place, it helps us set SMART goals to get there, and the big impact is that it teaches us how to use objects in our environment to help us remain focused on creating that reality.

Transforming our workspace or desk can help us do this too. Everything about my office is reflecting some aspect of my professional life. If I consciously create an intentional space that inspired and uplifts my energy, I will definitely launch my career to great heights! I’ve just created a self-guided, 4-week course called Desk for Success that will help anyone create an office that will launch their career.

Applying the principles of Feng Shui in the work place can can be hugely beneficial to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs have the benefit of complete control over their environment and from that place can curate a work environment that supports their mission, and their team. Whenever I want to “energise” a space or team, I turn to any number of tools that “add” energy to a space: lighting that is balanced and uplifting, aromas that spark creativity and joy, plants that give off positive ions/oxygen, moving objects such as water features or desk toys or mobiles that keep energy moving healthfully, and sounds that are pleasing such as water fountains or music or even chimes.

My big dream now is to create a conscious awareness of our space. The current trend of meditation and mindfulness leads naturally to such consciousness. As we build appreciation, we can create spaces that reflect the very best of who we are and flow effortlessly towards our collective highest good.

For more information about Salvatore, visit his website. You can also check out his desk for success course here and order a copy of his book: Feng Shui Life Mapping Master the Art of Designing your Future here.

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