by Pat Gray

Created on: November 26, 2007

When Feng Shui Doesn't Work

So you've tossed your clutter, adjusted colors and lighting, balanced your five elements and kept the toilet lid down for weeks, and there is no desernable change, let along improvement, in your life. You are still not rich, haven't married Liam Neison, and still have chronic back pain.

Obviously that Feng Shui nonsense doesn't work and why did you waste all of that time anyway. Right?

Maybe not.

There may be several things you overlooked in your strategy. Here are some things to consider.

Is Your Intent Pure?
The biggest thing to consider is intent - the motivation behind your attempts. When you are seeking an end for a negative reason, Feng Shui doesn't seem to work. Or it may not work in the way you hoped it would.

For example, I was hoping to regain the love of an old flame, who I KNEW had found someone else. I didn't set out to have her fall under a bus or anything, I just hoped that they would drift apart and he and I would drift together again. Still, there were negative aspects to my goal - their possible unhappiness, as well as a bit of selfishness on my part. It didn't work. In fact, I suspect that there was a negative kickback, because the relationship with my mother soured - she was born in the year of the Dragon, as was my 'beloved'.

Is change really your intention, or is it just something to do because someone said so? You have to want change. Or if you need more money, but what you really want is a more rewarding job, target career or knowledge, not wealth.

Did You Change the Right Area*?
Targeting the "wealth" area of your environment may not be the right thing to do to improve your chances of prosperity. For example, you may need to improve your visibility in your chosen field, so you should really be targeting the "fame" or "helpful people" areas. Your efforts may be a bit stale, so the "creativity" or "knowledge" centers may need attention.

Did You Make the Right Change?
One of the quick and easy 'western' Feng Shui' suggestions to increasing wealth is to keep the toilet seat down. This is a practical tip if you have a large, thirsty dog but isn't so effective at keeping your money from being flushed down the drain, which is the logic behind this tip. Fixing a dripping faucet may be more practical in saving money.

Or you may be wearing red to stimulate prosperity, but if your element is wood, the 'fire' of the red will drain your energy. Wearing dark blue may the better choice - blue is a water color and water helps wood.

Did You Miss an Opportunity?
Sometimes we don't see things for what they really are - problems or distractions may be opportunities that we miss because we are so "sure" of what we think we want. Or they may be indicators that we are going down the wrong path. Keeping a Feng Shui journal, to record the things you change and the changes you see, will help you to look back and possibly spot something you originally missed. You can then take advantage or tweak your changes to achieve more desirable results.

Don't give up just because your early attempts fail. Re-examine your goals and your strategy, and try again. Open up to new possibilities and to change. You might be surprised.

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* Feng Shui practitioners position an octagon on our homes or rooms, with each 'slice' of the octagon representing a different aspect of life - Wealth, Fame, Relationships, Children/Creativity, Contacts/Travel, Career, Knowledge, Elders. The orientation of the octagon depends on the Feng Shui school you adhere to - a good book will help you decide what system is best for you.

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