New Year's Resolutions a la Feng Shui

Happy New Year to Everyone! This New Year, I thought I would take a different approach to New Year’s Resolutions. For several years, I had chosen only one resolution that I wanted to focus on. During the last three years, with all the sadness of family illness and death, my New Years have been void of any resolutions. I did eat a grape for each of my twelve New Year’s wishes, making no real resolutions. But this year, I decided to formulate my resolutions in a manner parallel to aspects of the Ancient Chinese Art of Placement, Feng Shui. It turned out to be a very thorough kind of self-evaluation (where I am vs. where I want to be.). For those of you who are not familiar with Feng Shui, I will make an attempt to define it in a few words.

Feng Shui, literally means, “wind and water,” referring to the topography of the earth, the land and water masses that shape the Earth’s surface, as well as the powerful forces of nature that shape them. It deals with these land and water forms, as well as their shapes and sizes, directions and levels that play a part in the positioning of man-made structures and whether they are auspicious or inauspicious to those who dwell within them. It takes into account the quality and flow of energy, whether it is obstructed or it flows easily, whether the energy remains, or exits too quickly. Inside of a dwelling it also involves the placement of rooms and the furnishings within. Once one learns the basic principles, one begins to see that Feng Shui is quite intuitive. If arrangement of rooms, hallways, and furnishings do not permit a healthy flow of energy, you can almost feel that the movement is obstructed. Good flow of energy is auspicious and brings about opportunity for growth, harmony, and abundance. Energy can be obstructed by clutter, so Feng Shui practices recommend ridding your physical space of clutter. Experientially, we all realize that when we sit in a room with a lot of clutter, we feel inhibited and less creative than when we are in a room that is clean, organized and free of clutter. I would have to write several books to begin to explain the intricacies of Feng Shui principles. For this I would recommend you read several of the many wonderful books written by Lillian Too. I would start with an easy one, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Feng Shui. For the purpose of my New Year’s Resolutions, I was interested in the division of the Pa Kua, or a diagram explaining the eight life aspirations used in Feng Shui. For this, Feng Shui uses a diagram of eight sides (or kuas) which express the eight major aspects of life. Each side (or kua) is associated with an aspect of life and connected with a geographical direction, an earth element, color or colors as well as other attributes. I decided to formulate my resolutions, according to this diagram of eight aspects.
My resolutions were formulated according to the following paradigm: For the purpose of illustration, I have provided examples that are not my resolutions, (as I choose to keep my own resolutions private.)
1. North: The Journey/Career/The "River of Life”
In relation to work, what change can I make this year that would be a progressive step towards the job or field that I want to be in, or that would bring more fulfillment/progress in the job I am presently in? What step can I take that would bring about more acknowledgment by fellow workers or those in my field?
Example #1: I’m going to get additional certification in my field, so that I can move up in my field.
Example #2: I’m going to “dress for success” and I’m going to arrive to work early every day this year, to establish a more professional image.
2. Southwest: Relationships/ Marital Happiness
What step could I take that would improve my relationship with my partner? Or, if not in a relationship, how can I increase my chances for meeting the right person? (See my blog posting, “Making a Space.”) How can I energize my social life so that it is going in the right direction, and I am meeting the right kind of people?
Example #1:I’m going to develop a more supportive attitude towards my husband’s work.
Example #2: I’m going to join a weekend bicycling club to meet people interested in a sport I enjoy.
3. East: Health/ Family Relationships:
Health: What steps can I take this year towards improving my health and longevity?
Example #1: One or two nights a weeks, I will prepare a vegan meal for my family.
Example #2: I will eat more fresh food, less processed food.
Example #3: I will eat out less.
Family Relationships: What steps can I take to improve my family relationships?
Example: I will start a family game night, where we turn off the TV and play board games with the family.
4. Southeast: Wealth and Prosperity
(My husband saw wealth as money, abundance coming in, and prosperity as blessings and wealth retained (such as, savings and abundance). So I decided to go with his interpretation.
Wealth: What step(s) can I take in my responsibility towards a positive cash flow in my life, to get out of debt? (For ideas, see Suze Orman’s books, website, or TV programs.)
Prosperity: What action(s) can I take that will make me more aware of the abundance and blessings that I have in my life? How can I keep that abundance in my life?
Example#1: Volunteer to help those less fortunate, serve food to the poor, etc.
Example #2: Keep a Gratitude Journal.
[5. This area is the center of the diagram, and relates to the area of Life called the Tai Chi, the place where heaven and earth come together and then separate. There is no direct way to evaluate this area, because it is the sum of all the other parts, so I did not make a resolution for this part of the diagram.]
6. Northwest: Helpful People and Mentors
This refers to the friends and helpful people in your life. You might wish to turn this around and make an effort to become a helpful person to other people, or to become a mentor to someone, either at work or outside of work.
Example#1: I will put attention into cultivating worthwhile friendships and seek out new friends who are uplifting and a good influence on me.
Example #2: I will become a mentor, become a Big Sister or a Big Brother, or volunteer my time at a community center.
7. West: Creativity/Children:
What step(s) can I take to engender my own creativity? Am I creating the opportunity for silence in my life, so that creativity can blossom? What creative endeavors, that I have been postponing, can I now bring into my life?
Example #1: I will learn to __(fill in the blank)____ .
Example #2: I will make my own curtains for a room in my house.
Example #3: I will take a photography class.
Example #4: I will help make it possible for my child to take guitar lessons.
8. Northeast: Education
What step(s) can I take that will bring me closer to my own inner knowledge? How can I take a little time to better myself intellectually? What would I like to study next to become a more enlightened person?
Example #1: I will take a class in meditation, and create a pleasant, quiet space in my house where I can meditate.
Example #2: I will finish the degree that I started a while ago.
9. South: Illumination from Within/Recognition and Fame
What step(s) can I take in life that is/are a reflection of my values, of what I have accomplished?
How can I share what I’ve learned with others to contribute to society?
Example : I will write a book, sharing the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years in my career.
Example #2: I will start a blog or a website that illustrates my values, what I value.

I’m not looking for 100% success, just progress in my life. Good luck with your New Year’s resolutions. Now, I have to clear the clutter from my desk, so I have a positive energy flow for my 2008 blogs! Best Wishes for a great 2008!