Top Ten Common Mistakes made in Feng Shui

The following are the top ten mistakes I have seen throughout the years from clients who implemented feng shui in their homes and were disappointed with the results. These are common mistakes that are not always clearly outlined in feng shui reference books or are overlooked by well-intentioned people.

1. Fixing what isn’t broken: If you are not having any issues in your life. If you are content and balanced DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. No matter how many friends come over and tell you that you have ‘bad feng shui’ or your home does not meet the classic definition of how a room should look for feng shui. If it is working for you, then leave it alone. Feng Shui should only be implemented when your life feels out of balance.

2. Having no specific goal: Take on one aspect at a time. Try not to implement feng shui with general undefined goals. Be specific: I want a new job, I want more love in my life, I wish for more respect. Etc.

3. Inflexibility in the outcome: So often people anticipate what the outcome will be that they do not recognize the positive change when it happens. You may be expecting to get one job but another career opportunity presents itself. Do not disregard this outcome. You might find that the unexpected opportunity is exactly what you needed.

4. Overdoing it- a little goes a long way: I once had a client that was very frustrated that all of her feng shui ‘cures’. They were not producing the results she was seeking. When I reviewed her home I counted 9 wind chimes, 5 protective ba guas, lost count of the number of hanging crystals she had, and 5 water fountains. Sometime too much protection keeps all the positive energy away. It is like building a castle wall, then digging a moat, and then adding guards at every lookout. One or two items are sufficient. Too much actually may have the opposite affect of what you looking for. When you have an infection and the doctor gives you penicillin, you do not take all the pills at once. You take them one at a time and gradually you see improvement. It is the same with feng shui.

5. Sneaky feng shui: Often, I receive calls from people who want to implement feng shui for family members without their knowledge. Although this does work, you must be very very careful. You should never affect the energy of another person without their knowledge. Any negative energy that results may come back to you.

6. Feng Shui-ing your clutter: Moving your clutter from one room to another, from one of the 8 Aspects to another, or stuffing it away where you can’t see it, will only result in negative energy in the area you have moved it to. When you have clutter, no matter where you put it, it will still affect you negatively.

7. Expecting miracles: Unfortunately, Feng Shui is not a miracle producer. It cannot fix a broken bone (it can prevent you from falling and breaking the bone in the first place), it will not give you the winning lottery numbers (but it will provide you with the extra money to buy the lottery ticket), it will not bring back a lover that doesn’t love you (it will introduce you to many people who will love you) etc.

8. Ignoring your personal style: When implementing feng shui, always be creative and try to use items and color schemes that match your style. Feng Shui should be subtle and fit your lifestyle.

9. Delegating: Avoid the urge to rush out and hire someone to do all the work. If you need to move furniture, paint walls, select art, etc. do it yourself. It is far more powerful and you will see results much faster.

10. Not following through: After you implement the feng shui that is right for you and you get the results you desire, do not sit back and relax. Your reality has now changed. Your life is balanced and you are happy. Make sure within six months of a significant change, that you re-assess your space to ensure that your life is not getting out of balance in a different aspect. For example: you conducted a feng shui solution to find a new husband, you subsequently met the man of your dreams. You spend every moment thinking of him and being with him. Be careful that you are not now neglecting your family since they may become resentful of the new relationship and that might lead to stress and strain between you and your family.

Always remember, Feng Shui should be fun and creative. It is a process to be taken with an open heart and mind. Take your time, remember to breathe and everything will be fine.