BoomerGirl Diary

My playground is “space.” I create in it. It’s what I do. And what I know is that when environments are efficient and pleasing to look at, they inspire us, naturally contributing to our sense of well-being and ultimate happiness.

But when I added the practice of feng shui to my bag of tricks, I found the information confusing at times, contradictory at best, and for many clients, downright frightening.

“Our bed is facing my good direction but my husband’s bad direction.” or “Oh my God, the bathroom is in the center of my house ... does that mean I am flushing all my money down the toilet?”

What I’ve discovered is that when someone finds out their bathroom is in a “bad” place, that knowledge alone takes them from the very thing that they are seeking: well-being. If the desired goal is to feel better, the information has backfired. How do you reassure people that even if their bathroom is not in an auspicious location, life is still worth living?

When people call in a feng shui consultant, what they want is an improvement of an existing condition (money, relationship, health) through a change in their environment. Feng shui is meant to provide a cure. And although I have seen many cures applied, I have witnessed that they don’t always work. Why a remedy fails I believe can be explained by another Chinese principle. This principle is the umbrella under which feng shui resides: the Cosmic Trinity. The Cosmic Trinity states that we are born with three aspects to our lives: Heaven Luck, Earth Luck and Wo-Man Luck.

Think of Heaven Luck as your boat, given to you at birth. It is the stars under which you were born, your gifts and your challenges. Heaven Luck is unchangeable. Earth Luck, on the other hand, is changeable. It is the wind that fills the sails and the currents of the water you encounter along the way. (Earth Luck is actually your feng shui. It's not a coincidence that "feng" means “wind” and "shui" means “water.”) And finally: Wo-Man Luck. Your Wo-Man Luck is how you steer your boat, the choices and decisions you make, and the attitudes you hold.

So although the Chinese believe that feng shui (or Earth Luck) is an important contributor to one’s happiness, it is only one-third of the equation. There are still two other aspects that play a role in how the drama of our life unfolds: Heaven Luck and Wo-Man Luck. But is one aspect of this holy trinity more powerful than another? Will unsupportive parents (Heaven Luck) prevent you from being successful? Does bad feng shui (Earth Luck) overpower your well-being and bring disaster?

Since Heaven Luck is unchangeable and Earth Luck might bring you gusts of wind, colossal boulders and rocky shores, it would stand to reason that by pointing your boat downstream you would achieve a smoother ride. Well, Wo-Man Luck is the navigator and you are steering the boat. You can move your bed, your dresser, or even your stove, but unless you’re pointed downstream, things really don’t change.

So it appears that the third aspect of The Cosmic Trinity — Wo-Man Luck - holds the key to opening the doors to all of your desires. Wo-Man Luck: the decisions you make along the way and the attitudes with which you make them, is the most powerful contributor in your desire for an improved condition.

Life improvement comes about not because we are necessarily tapping into good feng shui, but because we are tapping into our own well-being and well-being is like paddling downstream. When we go home and our surroundings welcome us, soothe us and work for us, we tap into those happy feelings. That is the best feng shui remedy I can offer.