Ever since I was very young, I've been intrigued by the flow of energy through a space. I often re-arranged my bedroom furniture until it felt “just right” to me. But it took me many years, bouts of depression and financial ups-and-downs before I finally discovered my true life purpose.

I talk a lot about living in the present moment, simply being. But often, people ask me what that really means and how do you accomplish it? Being in the present moment is when you're not thinking about the past or worrying about the future. You notice everything around you. You feel fully engaged in whatever you're doing.

At that point, time will start to disappear. Next time you look up, a lot of time may have passed, but it may have felt like mere moments to you. You are in the zone.

This happens often when we're doing things we love, that are in alignment with our true purpose. But, optimally, we begin to live our life in that state. When we are living most of the time in the present, stress and worries fade, we appreciate everything we have, and we are happier. With that positive energy surrounding us, it becomes even easier to attract everything we want in life.

Like any skill worth having, learning to live in the “now” takes practice, but I've discovered some activities that can help you become more grounded and bring you back to the present moment, even in times of stress.

1. Take a walk -- whatever the temperature is outside! Pay close attention to the sights, scents and feel of everything around you. Feel the cold air hit your skin, or feel the sunlight breaking through the winter sky.
2. Get lost in a good book.
3. Dance. Just dance.
4. Meditate. You can do this anywhere, at any time, to get truly grounded in the present time.
5. Take several deep breaths and focus on “your word.”
6. Take a power nap -- anything more than 20 minutes may leave you groggy.
7. Make a gratitude list.

Please share your experiences in the comments section. What do you do that helps you get grounded and return to the present moment?

When we are afraid, we are not living in the moment or following our true life purpose. When we feel fear, we let primal emotion take over, and it holds us back from all we could be and accomplish.

Some say we are at a turning point, right now, and have been for many decades. The feeling is growing stronger, and reaching more people. We are being called to live a more enlightened existence, release our fears, and move to the next stage of our evolution. Are you ready?

If you've been wondering for some time what's holding you back, I'm going to share the answer with you right now.

It's fear. When we begin to experience the emotional sensation of fear, our breathing grows shallow and we can't get all the oxygen we need. Our body releases the stress hormone, and we perceive that we must fight or run away -- the fight or flight mechanism. This comes in handy when we face true danger that requires this response. But most of the threats we sense, in today's modern world, are imaginary. FEAR IS IN OUR MINDS.

Many people have described fear with the acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real. This is as good of a description as any other. Very few “real” threats exist for most people in today's world. Instead, we create perceived threats and experience fear before something bad actually happens -- or before we even have compelling proof that something bad will occur.

I wrote about how fear and fright affect us physiologically in this blog post.

But right now, I'd like to focus on something more positive: the release of fear and all that we can accomplish when we finally liberate ourselves from fear. Being free of fear lets us achieve all our goals, live in a state of gratitude and happiness, become a money magnet, and send love out into the Universe so we will receive the same back. What could we accomplish if we were not afraid?Anything.

Three Steps Toward a Better Life

There are three steps you can take that will help you release fear from your life.

But don't be dishearted if you don't accomplish it right away, or if fear keeps creeping back into your life. Just as, after losing weight on a diet you need to continue exercising and remaining conscious of your eating habits to keep the weight off, you must be vigilant about freeing yourself from fear.

Whenever you see fear creeping into your life, follow these three steps to embrace reality -- a reality free from fear. Each time you do this, you'll get better at it until it feels natural. The instances where you discover yourself afraid and need to go through this process will diminish.

At the same time, you'll find that without fear, you are more effectively accomplishing your goals and attracting everything you want into your life. Go ahead. Get started. What have you got to lose... except your fear?

1. Live in the moment.

Many times, our fear arises because we project into the future situations that won't ever come to pass. Or we think about something that happened in the past and predict the same undesirable result in the future. If we are truly living in the moment, then we're not thinking about a future that hasn't yet occured or dwelling on a negative past. There's no room for fear in the present moment, because nothing in the present moment is endangering you. (Again, unless there is real and imminent danger, in which case, action is needed and it's even more important to stay in the present moment and deal with the danger in the best way possible.)

When you are living in the present moment, there is either no reason and no room for fear.

2. Having a hard time staying present? Face your fear and question why it's there in the first place.

Fear = False Evidence Appearing Real. Once you start to call your fear into question, you'll realize it's based on false evidence.

Let's imagine that you meet an attractive person who is a friend of a friend. You want to ask them out, but you're afraid. What are you afraid of? Rejection? What if they say no? So what if they do. You asked. Would it mean you're completely undesirable and destined to remain alone?

Absolutely not. Rejection has nothing to do with you. Maybe that person just got over a bad relationship and doesn't want to date. Maybe they had a bad day at work and are just in a lousy mood. Maybe they're too shy to accept a date! You don't know, but any of your thoughts of your own unworthiness are unsubstantial. It's not about you... except in your own mind, which is the only place your fear lives.

Once you start calling your fears into question, you'll see how untrue these projections are.

3: Let yourself feel the fear.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “What we resist, persists?” If we resist our fear, it will only grow stronger. Trying to avoid it or ignore it doesn't work; it just makes it worse. Instead, let yourself feel the emotions. Again, be completely in the moment and present with your fear. Try breathing deeply to bring yourself into the present. Breathe through the fear. Let the fear flow through you... and out.

You'll realize you survived the emotion, the fear is gone, and you survived. Now it's time to accomplish your goals!

Your Next Step

Now that you have three tools to free yourself from fear, put it to action. Do the thing you fear the most, whether it's skydiving, public speaking or starting your own business. Each time we face fear -- in any context -- it weakens its grip on us.

Knowing we can face fear and survive, even thrive, our fears (all of them!) begin to diminish.

Remember, our coping mechanisms to liberate us from fear are like muscles... the more we use them, the stronger they grow. Take the steps to live an existence free from fear, where you can pursue and accomplish your goals and remain true to yourself.

Feng Shui isn't necessarily about clearing clutter, but in many homes, it definitely helps with clear-thinking and staying focused on your goals. Where do you start? Looking at a mess can seem overwhelming unless you develop an action plan and tackle one space at a time. Here are 5 easy tips to get you started.

1. Start with the kitchen - Do you expect -- and receive -- an avalanche every time you open your kitchen cabinets? Time to take stock and re-organize. Check the expiration dates on everything and toss the old stuff. If something's on the verge of expiring, Google some recipes and see how you might be able to use it ASAP. Nothing appeals? Toss it now and cross it off future grocery lists.

Moving down to your kitchen drawers, it's time to be brutal. Keep two of common utensils like spatulas and cake servers -- not five. Evaluate everything in your drawer. Have you used it in the past year? Do you foresee using it the future? If not, out it goes. Well, you may want to hang on to Grandma's french fry cutter, but only if it brings back fond memories. Then, make a commitment to slice some crinkle cut sweet potato fries and bake them up tonight.

When you're done with the great purge, set your intention to keep your countertops clear (think of creative places to stow appliances you don't use often, like the garage or basement) and to wipe off your stove every night after dinner.

2- Focus on your home office. - How can you bring your best self to the table for creative, fulfilling projects or even paying bills if you're sitting amidst piles of clutter? Take the same approach you did with the kitchen, and toss or shred junk mail, expired coupons, catalogs and old magazines.

Then create a sorting system you'll stick with. Buy folders or bins that are fun and inspiring so you want to use them, and make a place for bills, mail, receipts, magazines to read, etc. As papers pile up monthly, sort through and get rid of what you don't need.

Also, begin transitioning to a “paper-less office” by requesting electronic statements for your monthly bills. Scan in important paperwork when you do the monthly purge. You can store on your hard drive or securely online for an automatic back-up solution of important paperwork.

3- Create a leaner library. - Don't have a Kindle yet? Or maybe you're a bibliophile who can't bear to part with a book. Evaluate your the books in your home library the same way you evaluate other items in your home. Do you use it frequently? Does it bring you joy? Does it serve a purpose? Books you use for reference (and you can't find the equivalent online easily), books you read over and over again, or titles that  make you smile when you see them deserve a space on your shelf. Donate the rest to your local library -- an organization of people who still appreciate books the way you do.

4 - Go for a photo finish. Photos, like books, accumulate with time. Piles of photos that need to be placed in albums, or photo albums that are falling apart, create emotional and physical clutter in your environment.

View photos objectively, rather than with sentiment, and follow these rules: Toss duplicates, unflattering pictures, photos that are too dark, too light, too blurry or too grainy. Now that you're left with the best, sort into relevant categories and place them in photo boxes. Find your favorites and put them in frames to hang down a long hallway, in the foyer, or on stairwell walls.
You might also scan your pictures (this is a great task to give to kids on a rainy afternoon), back them up, and stow the originals.

5. Create a sanctuary in your bathroom -- starting with your make-up drawer and medicine cabinet. - Ladies know it's hard to create a private space for rest and re-awakening when you can't find your mascara in the morning. The first step to a more zen bathroom is to clear the clutter, including toiletries, make-up, perfumes and lotions you don't use. This is also important for your health, since expired make-up, make-up that doesn't look quite right, or has a bad odor is spoiled and could be harboring dangerous bacteria.

The medicine cabinet is also an important space to keep clean, organized and clutter free. You don't want to be rummaging for a band-aid when you're bleeding and expired medications lose potency.

We've come full circle here -- start by checking expiration dates and tossing anything that's old or about to expire. Then toss anything you haven't used in at least a year. You might create two baskets or bins, and place all your make-up inside one. As you use a particular cosmetic, place it in the second bin. Anything in the first bin -- meaning you haven't touched it in a year -- should go. As you buy cosmetics, only buy products to replace ones that expire or run out.

Prevent “Clutter Creep”

Now that you're finished, you don't want to go through that again, do you? Stay on top of expiration dates and sorting. Follow this rule with everything in your home: If it doesn't serve a purpose or bring you joy, out it goes.

With less “stuff” to worry about, you can focus on finding and living your true life purpose.

Many years ago, I discovered my passion was Feng Shui. I began offering consultations, and then started this blog to share my knowledge with a broader base. I began creating eBooks and other information products, all to help people find their true path. That's the amazing thing about living in the moment and finding your true life purpose. You become immediately and intensely inspired to help other people do the same thing. You want to share it with the world.

We've all heard the phrase “Do what you love and the money will follow.” We know that finding your passion is the way to profits, as a business  owner or an employee. But what if you've discovered your true passion, that one thing you'd do for free even if no one paid you -- and now you're not sure how to make money at it?

Here are a few ideas.

1. Find a job or start a business in the field. Love video games? You might consider becoming a designer or a tester. (Now that's the life for some people!) Love color and interior design? Either start your own business as an interior designer or work for a firm that provides that service. It's a very clear path from what you love to how you can make money.

But what if your passion is a particular sport? The chances of becoming a professional athlete as an adult, when you haven't spent your life working toward that goal, gone to college for your sport of choice, and been drafted by a pro team, are very slim. But you can pursue your passion in other ways.

2. Teach it. - If you can't be a professional athlete, you might decide to be a coach and mentor the next Tim Tebow. Or maybe you love guitar so you become a private teacher. The expression, “Those who can't do, teach,” isn't quite true. You need the skills to be able to teach it well. But someone with the gift to teach find a wonderful, rewarding career or business.

3. Write about it. - In the age of the Internet and self-publishing, it's easier than ever to write about your passion and garner thousands of readers very quickly. Whatever your passion, you can start a blog, write a book, and make money from your efforts.

4. Talk about it. - This is different from teaching; I'm talking about public speaking to large crowds at industry events, seminars, and even your local bookstore. Whatever your passion, everyone has a story to tell. Why not parlay your story into a successful career as a public speaker?

5. Sell products related to your passion. - Someone passionate about a sport may open a retail store or an ecommerce site selling the tools of the trade. Whatever you're passionate about, there are products related to it. And if there aren't? Why not invent some, and then sell them, while getting others to sell them, as well.

6. Make a difference with it. - Whether you think locally or, through the Internet, globally, you can create a strong community around your passion. Think of this not so much as nurturing your prospects, but as sharing your passion with others, and the money will come.

7. Do it all. - Many successful entrepreneurs today have successful blogs and info-products, teach classes at local colleges, offer their services as a public speaker, and provide consulting services. In addition, their website may have an ecommerce component where they sell products related to their passion, and most entrepreneurs devote time to helping those less fortunate, mentoring others, or nurturing a community around their passion. (Or all three.)

Writer Les Brown said, “Aim for the moon -- if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars!" It's especially true when you're thinking of business ideas that will permit you to follow your passion and share your life purpose with the world.

In his book Excuses Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits Wayne Dyer talks about overcoming avoidance by doing what you make excuses not to do. He writes: “I have a free will, and there is nothing I need to avoid. I will refrain from using any excuses to justify my avoidance behavior.”

Sometimes, it's enough to tell yourself you will do something, and then do it. Other times, although we want to overcome our blocks and procrastination, we make it harder than it has to be. We promise ourselves we'll do something, but it never gets done.

At these times, a close friend, coach or mentor can encourage us and hold us accountable. Tell someone you trust what you intend to do. Even if you find it hard to remain true to yourself, you won't want to break your word to this other person.

Make sure this person is someone you trust to keep your idea to themselves and someone you know will encourage you to stay true to your word. We all need a hand, sometimes, on our life's journey.

If you want to attract an accountability partner into your life, you can use Feng Shui to help. Take a look at the section of your home that corresponds to “travel and helpful people” in the bagua. You can activate or strengthen this section with metal objects such as windchimes or brass lamps.

Looking to get noticed on a date, at a party or during a job interview?

Red is one of the most powerful colors of the rainbow, symbolizing good luck, success, or a fiery personality, full of passion. For entrepreneurs attending networking events, red will catch people's eyes. Incorporating a fun pin or accessory that invites comments will also help you catch people's attention so you can find out how you can help them in their pursuits.

However, if you're going on a job interview, red may signal combativeness. Blue, which represents loyalty and trustworthiness, is far better for this purpose. A clean, bright blue shirt will get you noticed for your credibility.

Green is also an attractive color for people with many different kinds of chi. Representing hope, new ideas, and good luck, green is sure to lift your energy and inspire those around you.

Multicolored floral patterns are also auspicious for social engagements. When you wear clothes featuring many different colors, you'll appeal to people of many different personalities. Different chi is represented -- and strengthened -- by different colors. Regardless of what type of elemental chi a person possesses, multicolored clothes will draw them in and raise their chi. Bright floral patterns are fun, feel-good clothes.

Why not celebrate the unofficial start of summer with a wardrobe makeover and bring out the bright-colored clothes.

Are you seeking love? Commitment? Fulfillment in a romantic relationship and an eventual family? It all starts with a first date.

What you wear on that first date can increase the odds you'll form a powerful connection with potential for a long-term relationship. On the other hand, the wrong choice in clothes can make you disappear quickly from the person's mind as soon as the door closes on the evening.

Red to Turn Heads
If you want to turn heads, a red dress or shirt will do the trick. This sends a message that you are a person full of passion. Red, often the color of a Chinese wedding dress, is an auspicious color for most occasions, and especially for a woman or man seeking a mate.

Pink or Peach for Seduction
If you want to show that you're open to seduction -- and looking for a more intimate connection -- a pale peach or beige satin top, which blends with your skin and gives the illusion that you are almost nude, sends a subtle message to your date that you are both daring and passionate. Pink has the added benefit of being a lucky color for finding a marriage partner.

Whatever you wear, make sure you are comfortable. An outfit that is flattering in its fit, cut and colors will give you tremendous confidence before you even leave your home. That confidence will project itself as a radiating inner light, attracting others -- including that special someone -- to you.

Dress to Enhance Your Chi
If you want to impress your date, you can choose colors that enhance your most positive inner traits or, alternatively, colors that correspond with your sign in the Chinese zodiac. These colors strengthen your chi.

For instance, if you are creatively charged and ready to deliver stimulating conversation -- and looking for someone who can do the same - wear blue, red or purple.

If you wish to showcase your natural compassion, green, blue, black or red will send a message to your date. Black can also indicate wisdom, class and style. (Think of a black tie affair.) However, to avoid depressing black chi that could overwhelm the otherwise happy occasion, dress up the outfit with colorful accessories, such as a red evening bag.

By strengthening your chi for a special occasion like a first date, you increase your own confidence. The right colors also change the way people perceive you and affect their chi in a positive manner, as well.

Rainbow Colors to Connect
Most people respond to rainbow colors. Salespeople often wear this color in order to appeal to a broad variety of buyers; this technique can work on a date, too. Rainbow colors enhance every type of chi and support the virtues of all five elements.

It takes a certain personality type to pull off a rainbow outfit without looking like a clown. Consider, instead, using rainbow elements on your undergarments or in very small doses, like on a piece of jewelry.

The Five Elemental Colors
Instead of a rainbow, you can employ the five-elemental colors in any order on your outfit to bring good fortune during a first date. Using the five elemental colors in an outfit is a special Feng Shui technique used to increase your fortune during important events.

You can see that Feng Shui can help you dress for a successful first date. With so many different color options that will help you make it a night to remember, you can choose the combination that works best for you.

I'm curious, do you have a favorite first date outfit or color that you really like?

According to a University of Michigan Ann Arbor study, the physical act of washing your hands can help remove those niggling second thoughts about a decision you've made.

The metaphor of washing your hands of something as washing your conscience (or your mind) clean may have some basis in truth. Graduate student Spike W.S. Lee conducted the study, analyzing how individuals reacted to decisions they made based on the simple act of hand washing. Lee found that when people literally washed their hands after a decision, they felt justified about their choices and felt increasingly better about their decisions. When people did not wash their hands, they were less likely to justify their decision.

For more interesting tidbits on the relationship between hand washing and its effect on the mind, the NPR podcast (embedded below) also offers more food for thought.




Photo by Arlington County.
[Lifehacker]

For info about Feng Shui, go here: Feng Shui Quick-Start Guide