Feng Shui Tips for Your Home Office - Part 2
Part II: Setting up Your Work SpaceThe furnishings you choose for your home office - especiallyyour desk and chair - can have a powerful influence on yourability to succeed and prosper. When setting up a home office,it can be tempting to use whatever extra furniture is on handaround the house or to economize with second-hand furnishings.Neither of these is a very good idea.Ergonomics - how well the shape, size, and other design featuresof your desk, chair, and lighting work f...
...or you - is a veryimportant consideration for any work space. Sure, using thatextra kitchen chair is a lot cheaper than buying a new"executive-style" office chair, but if it’s not comfortable itis not helping you get your work done. A lamp that’s fine on abedside table in the bedroom may be woefully inadequate as tasklighting for your workspace. If you are going to work from home,make sure your home office is working for you by investing infurnishings that make it easy and comfortable for you to focuson business. Second-hand office furniture requires special consideration, asit often has terrible "predecessor chi." Never buy usedfurniture from a business that went bankrupt, no matter howcheap it is - it will fill your home office with the energy offailure, anxiety, and disappointment. On the other hand, if youabsolutely positively know for sure that the previous user ofyour second-hand desk chair made a zillion dollars in a legaland ethical manner and is now living a life of ease in Acapulco,go ahead and take it! All those good success vibes will help youprosper as well.Family furniture hand-me-downs will have good or bad energy foryou depending on the quality of your family relationships. Ifyou have a great relationship with your Dad, for example, andconsider him a good role model, using his old desk and chair inyour office can help you feel looked after, supported, andinspired. In general, a large desk provides energetic room for expansivethinking and growth. However, too much large furniture in atoo-small room will stop chi cold, and you may discover thatthere’s no new business coming in. A good desk chair can be adjusted to the correct height for yourbody and work-surface, is stable, and provides good back and armsupport. Your desk chair represents your support and foundation,so make sure it is in good shape for the job. Remember that the work you do is a form of self-expression.Although it is important that your office furniture beergonomically suited to the work you do, don't feel you have togive this space an "office" look unless it helps you concentrateon business. THE VIEW FROM THE TOPIn the corporate world, successful entrepreneurs are oftendescribed as being "visionaries," in reference to their abilityto conceive and implement dramatically new ideas that transformentire industries. In feng shui, "vision" - both physicaleyesight and imaginative power - is symbolically associated withthe Fame gua, with lighting of any kind, and with the windows inyour home or office.An office that lacks windows - such as a home office stuffedinto a corner of the basement - keeps you out of sight of othersand can lead to feeling isolated and out of touch. For anentrepreneur working from home, a windowless office implies youcould be out of touch with your clients and that you are unableto foresee where your entire industry is headed.If your office has small, high windows or no view at all, useposters of landscapes with a far horizon to create the illusionof being able to see into the distance. If you overlooksomething unattractive - such as grubby garbage bins - keep theblinds closed (it’s best if you can use material that will allowlight in while blocking an unattractive view). If you arefortunate in having a beautiful, inspiring view outside youroffice windows, a large wall mirror can reflect the view intothe room and fill the room with positive chi.Be aware that mirrors can be tricky in a home office. A mirrorthat reflects your desk can symbolically double your work. Interms of your income, this could be good. But how well will youhandle the increased workload? Sometimes more work means morestress, contributes to family problems, and leads to physical oremotional exhaustion. And unless you keep your desk very tidy,that mirror will be doubling your mess and clutter as well!To be in command of your business, sit in the Command Position:where you have a clear view of door, but are not directly inline with the door. If you are not in the Command Position inyour office, this can mean that you are not in control of what’sgoing on in your business, and that new developments (andproblems!) often take you by surprise.If you can’t place your desk in the Command Position, use amirror to provide a reflected view of the doorway. And keep inmind that a desk in the Command Position is only helpful if youare able to get in and out of your chair with ease, otherwiseyou may feel "backed up against the wall" by business situations.Wherever you sit, make sure that you look at somethinginspiring: a photograph of your spouse and/or kids, a brochurefor that exotic vacation you hope to take by the end of theyear, or a mock-up of the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award youintend to win someday.Excerpted from The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui by StephanieRoberts (Alpha Books, 2004)© 2004 Stephanie Roberts
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