Vera Wang, hunting for what she calls the “yin” to her New York “yang” lifestyle, has purchased a four-bedroom mansion in Beverly Hills. In an article in Harper's Bazaar, she revealed she'd been looking for the perfect Beverly Hills vacation home for 10 years. She said, "I looked and looked, but when I found this one I felt so immediately comfortable being in it," she says.

It's that time of year, when colds and the flu make their rounds and keep us all from being our best. This year's odd temperatures (30 one day, 60 the next?!) have made it hard for everyone to stay germ-free. But these tips will help you all year round.

Studies show that expressing gratitude is one of the most effective ways to increase your happiness. It's also a great way to make sure you're living in the moment and attracting abundance in every area of life.

When we express gratitude for everything we have -- and everything we want -- we send out powerful energy to the Universe and, the universe, acting in alignment with that energy, sends us even more to be grateful for.

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 recently posted a list of some of my favorite feel-good quotes. Writing lists is a great way to organize your thoughts, gain insight into your feelings, and just feel good about life.

We've all heard about making a gratitude list to remember all the things you appreciate or a bucket list of all the things you want to do. The suggestions below go beyond the ordinary.

So toss your to-do list for now and start your day with one of these 10 feel-good lists to lift your spirits, instead.

1. Best gifts you've ever gotten - Nothing makes you feel more treasured and loved than thinking of all the wonderful ways people have shown their appreciation to you.

2. Best gifts you've ever given - If getting gifts feels good, giving them can feel even better. Use this list to spark gift-giving ideas when you're stumped, or just to feel happy and generous.

3. Your best mentors - Thinking about people who have influenced, inspired, motivated and mentored us attracts more of the same into your life. Plus, writing this list might inspire you to re-kindle old relationships, too.

4. Your greatest accomplishments, ever. - Start with being named “Student of the Week” in kindergarten and go all the way up to your latest promotion, and beyond. If you have a big task coming up and you need an extra boost in confidence, this is the list to write.

5. Things you'd like your children to know. - This can include family history, how you felt the day they were born or at different stages of their life, or even tips for your children (gleaned from your experience as a spouse and parent) as they continue their life journey. If you'd like, rather than simply penning a list, make a personalized video for each child to view at some later date and present it as a 16th, 20th, 25th or 30th birthday present. Make sure to record it in several different formats, including as an MP3 stored on the Web, so they'll be able to watch it in the future.

6. The best moments of your life. - Include on the list, of course, your wedding day and the day any children were born, but go beyond these moments think about the little things that meant a lot. Your first kiss. Passing your driving test. Graduation. Or that day just you and your Dad went to the movies and then had ice cream in the park. A happy life is made up of moments, after all, not just milestones.

7. Activities that energize you - Once you've written a list of all the things that inspire you, where you can really get in the zone and be excited about life, make it a point to do at least one thing on your list every day.

8. People who love you.

9. People you love.

10. Your favorite things - 'nuff said.

What sort of list would make you feel good today? Sit down and write it, right now.

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.

Does your environment inspire you? Or does it leave you feeling distracted? Whether you work at home or in an office, there are days where you can't get anything done. Co-workers drop by your desk. You feel the urge to check your email or Facebook every 30 seconds.

If you're at home, maybe you hear the call of the refrigerator -- or the couch. Some days, it seems to be that there's always something blocking us from accomplishing our goals.

Sometimes, it's external factors that cause interruptions, but, even more frequently, it's ourselves. We aren't living in the moment and staying focused on achieving our goals. We're letting our mind -- and sometimes our body -- wander to other places. Rather than trying to fight it, this might be your secret weapon in the fight to be more productive. CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT.

When I'm telling you, right now, to change your environment, I don't mean to re-align your living space so it fits your goals, as we'd work on in a Feng Shui consultation. I mean, quite literally, go someplace else to complete your work.

If you work in an office, ask your boss for a work-at-home day, or go to the local coffeehouse for a day of work if you can. If you work from home, the sky's the limit -- and you don't need permission. (This can work, too, if you're not actually working, but just completing tasks like correspondence, bills, or a particular hobby that you usually love but can't stay focused on.)

When we switch our surroundings, we're finding a different energy -- hopefully, an energy that helps us stay more focused. Maybe it's something in your space that's blocking you from focusing on your goals, and a new space helps. Or maybe you just need a change.

When we switch our routine (and working in the same place every day is a routine) we are bringing our mind back to the present moment. When we are truly living in the present, it's easy to focus on whatever we're doing.

So, just step out and get more done.  

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.

Everyone has a few unfulfilled dreams, along with small things we'd like to do on an everyday basis that we just never seem to find the time for. We tend to really shine in whatever area of life we focus on -- for some people, that's career. For others, kids. For some, a new relationship. But when we're honed in on a single objective, we sometimes forget other activities that would make us happy.

One thing I see a lot in clients' homes and apartments are items and clothes that go unused -- sometimes purchased and still in the original packaging. Or even plastic still over the lamp shades from when they were at the store. These items often represent things we'd like to make time to do, but don't.

Instead, we wind up living in a home or apartment that's somewhat unfulfilling and doesn't represent our true self.

Feng Shui Candles for Spirituality

For instance, when I recently went to one client's home,  I discovered beautiful scented candles on the coffee table, still sealed and wrapped. I asked her if she liked candles and liked burning them. She said yes.

I suggested she open the candles and then light them in the evening for relaxation. Well, that simple act of taking time to just open the candles and then sitting and relaxing, enjoying her private space, paved the way to more spiritual thoughts and energy.

As she set herself in that spiritual frame of mind, she began attracting other spiritual people in her life. She feels calmer and happier.

In Her Own Words

Following the Feng Shui consultation, my New York City client mentioned: “I sit at the table and light the candles now, something as simple as that has made a big change. And Ken's very tuned in to these kinds of changes. When you absorb the recommendations of people who are tuned in and have expertise, you begin creating a certain frame of mind within yourself. Then you begin drawing the right people to yourself, which helps you maintain that frame of mind. It's a positive cycle.”

Today, take a moment to look around your home to see what you can do to start living with your space rather than being a guest in your own home. Leave what you see and some of your action items in the comments section below as I would love to hear from you.