Restore, Rebuild and Re-invent Self-empowerment

By Pat Heydlauff

It is time to send all the negative energy, financial bad news, doom and gloom packing so 2010 can be a new beginning. Whether 2009 was a good year for you or a really bad year, you need to make way for the new year by getting rid of any negative thinking and negative energy in your surroundings.

A basic Feng Shui principle requires you to eliminate or unclutter anything negative from the past to make room for positive new ideas, activities, relationships and financial income to enter. This step is critical because it paves the way to a new and better future in the year ahead. You cannot expect anything to get better if you keep doing the same old things and keep thinking the same old thoughts.

According to William Arthur Ward, an American, author, editor, pastor and teacher, “Our words mirror our thoughts, our manners mirror our self-esteem, our actions reflect our character and our habits predict the future.” In order to create the new habits to help you both predict and create the future you want you need to:

• Restore your belief in yourself

• Rebuild the positive energy in your surroundings and

• Reinvent self-empowerment

Step One: Restore your belief in self by focusing on your hopes and dreams. What were your hopes and dreams when you were five years old or when you graduated from school? Is that who you are today or what you have become? What happened to those dreams? Have you allowed a lot of negative thinking by you and others create the future you currently have?

Or, perhaps you are one of the lucky ones who knew right from the beginning exactly what you wanted out of life, stayed focused and today you are living your dream. If this describes you then keep doing what you have been doing. Keep dreaming bigger and bigger dreams, stay focused and your dreams of the future will become your reality.

If you are not living the life you would like then it is time to change. All you need to begin is a pen and tablet.  Draw a line down the middle of your paper and label the left column negative energy and the right column positive energy. Write all negative thoughts and things you can think of in the left column you need to eliminate from your life so new positive energy to enter. Give each item a numerical value with number one being the most important. In the right column, write all of your hopes and dreams and positive thoughts. Rank them as well making the most important item number one.

Next, focus your attention and actions on each number one. Keep your focus on eliminating the worst negative energy offender until you have either solved the issue or removed it from your world. Then and only then should you move onto number two. Do the same with the number one positive energy item on your list. This process will help \bring balance into your life and restore your belief in you.

Step Two: Rebuild the positive energy in your surroundings to support your hopes and dreams. Use the following Feng Shui techniques to increase positive energy in your surroundings.

• Place a mini water fountain or picture of a lake or stream in the north area of your living room or office to improve career energy.

• Add plants or a landscape picture of healthy trees or abundant gardens in the east to improve new energy such as a new job, new relationships, new businesses, new clients also things like good health, new beginnings and wealth.

• Energize the south for good luck and good fortune with something red like a red candle, a picture with lots of red or even red pillows.

• Make sure nothing is under your bed so positive new energy can circulate around your body at night to ensure both a good night's sleep and all the energy you need to create a better tomorrow.

• Do remember to unclutter your surroundings by getting rid of stacks of stuff, clothing you haven't worn for years, piles of magazines and paperwork. Always begin in the bedroom, next move to the kitchen and then the remainder of your home.

Once your surroundings are clutter free and provide your supportive energy it will be much easier to stay focused on your hopes and dreams.

Step Three: Re-invent being in-control of self. The result is self-empowerment 21^st Century style. Once you have accomplished the first two strategies you will be well on your way to being in-control of yourself. The more negative energy and negative thinking you eliminate from your life the faster positive new thoughts, ideas and actions will enter your life making it easier to create the future you desire.

Once you have also energized your surroundings to support the "new you" all that is left to do is to stay focused. To help you stay focused, write the number one item on the right side of your tablet on cards or sticky notes and place them everywhere you regularly look. They will serve as a reminder. If your first item requires multiple steps, break it down so you see little accomplishments along the way. If it is a multiple year item then you can add item number two on your list to your cards or notes.

The secret is to stay focused. If it takes meditation, prayer, journaling or listening to specific types of music to help you stay focused add it to your arsenal of tools along with the note cards. You can even put daily reminders on your computer to help you.

The result of this process is self-empowerment when you know that you can do anything you set out to do. It is knowing you are responsible for what you have created in your life up to this point and also knowing that you are creating your future through your thoughts and actions. You are in-control of yourself and have either energized self-empowerment for the first time in your life or have just re-invented it.

Contentment comes from being satisfied with what you have. Joy comes from self-empowerment and creating the future you want and deserve.

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