This means not only the people, animals and plants you surround yourself with, but those objects which seem to have no real importance as living things, but are in actuality, part of life’s energy — like the artwork you’ve had since just after graduating college or the sofa set that you inherited from your parents. Those objects might seem like innocuous “things” that satisfy a need or fill space, but, in essence, they say a lot about who you are.
They could play a big part in either feeding your ch’i — or starving it.
Take for example the artwork you’ve had since right after college. It was great back then, it symbolized your freedom from school, being out on your own and Ansel Adams prints were really cool at the time. Those prints are wonderful if they still evoke a good feeling within, and portray who you are today.
Sometimes they start to represent a time of life that you resent, like maybe you started to get yourself in debt by living beyond your means, (say, by purchasing artwork you couldn’t really afford) and a financial crisis came about. If you still display those prints in your livingroom front and center, and you are in your 30s with a new life and different circumstances, then you just might NOT be feeding your fantastic ch’i, but depleting it.
Surround yourself with the things that make you say “I love the feeling I get when I see this.” For me, this window seat covered in satiny pillows with a soft luxurious blanket says that. Everytime I pass by it, I feel comforted and at home. Be real to yourself and understand the power of how you can change your own state of being, just by nourishing and tending to ch’i.
Kristin McClellan is a professional home stager and redesigner who runs her business, HomeCharmers, with her husband, Nathaniel, a flooring expert and furniture craftsman. They work together to make people’s homes more buyer friendly and help homeowners who are staying enjoy it more. You can reach her at 899-1239 or www.homecharmers.net.