Go Feng Shui yourself

Feng Shui is most often discussed in terms of our environment: our homes, our workplaces and our gardens or outside spaces.  We, as energetic beings, interact with the energy of our environment.

There’s no doubt in my mind that, by applying Feng Shui knowledge, we can ensure a harmonious space in which to exist.

However, there is another aspect of Feng Shui which is often overlooked.  If you’ve read any of my other articles on Feng Shui you will know that I talk of layers: we can view everything fairly superficially to begin with and then delve deeper into another layer and another layer until we find the perfect environment for us at that time.  Another way to use layers in Feng Shui is to think of the environment as one layer, time as another layer and ourselves as layer too.  After all, if we Feng Shui the space we’re in shouldn’t we Feng Shui ourselves too?

So, how do you Feng Shui yourself?  It probably won’t surprise you to learn that this has many layers too.  On a superficial level we start by treating our physical body in a way that conforms to Feng Shui principles.  Feng Shui is part of the system known as Tao (The Way) which also includes macrobiotics, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, shiatsu, chi kung and tai chi.  So, we have some guidance on how and what we should nourish our body with and keep it in balance to maintain good health.

Now let’s go beyond the physical.  Feng Shui, and in fact Tao generally, is about balance.  It isn’t about achieving and holding on to a balanced state.  Instead it’s the activity or dance of energies that constantly go on with the aim of achieving balance.  This dance gives us our energy, creativity, vitality and passion.  In Feng Shui these energies can be broadly categorised into 8 segments (before slipping into more detailed layers!).  These are represented by the trigrams (three lines showing a mix of yin and yang energy) and shown on a diagram known as the Bagua (8 Palaces).

Each of these Palaces represents a category of our life: wealth, recognition, relationships, children, support, career, education and health.  It’s quite sensible to assume that, if we focus too much on one aspect of our lives that other aspects will suffer from lack of attention.  In fact, a buzz phrase in business at the moment is ‘work-life balance’ and a model used by life coaches is similar to that of the Bagua.  This clearly demonstrates that a system that is thousands of years old is as relevant today as it’s always been.

Let’s use it now to bring some balance into your life:

1. Take the 8 areas shown above and mark out of 10 your current satisfaction level (with 1 being poor and 10 being completely satisfied).  This is your benchmark and shows the areas you need to work on first.

• Wealth
• Recognition (do you get noticed for what you do?)
• Relationships (family, partners and social)
• Children (whether you want them, don’t want them, have them or not)
• Support (who’s there to listen, lend a hand or pick up the pieces if needed)
• Career (or business if self employed)
• Education (knowledge, qualifications, experience etc)
• Health

2. Now focus on the area with the lowest mark:

• Write in detail how this part of your life would look to score it a 10/10
• Go back over the detail and highlight the bits that would give you a middle score (between your original low mark and 10/10).  This will add a sense of realism to the process and provides a focus for short term goals
• Now write down at least three things that you could do that would take you closer to this reality

3. Up to now this process probably sounds like a coaching session but here’s where the Feng Shui bit comes in because you can invigorate the appropriate energy in that sector of your life that will help you to achieve the actions you have written down.  For each sector you are working on you can apply the following to your home, room or even an altar that you set up to focus on bringing your life back into balance.

• If you are working on your Wealth sector use Water in the form of dark blues and black colour, water imagery or even an indoor fountain in the south east area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Recognition sector use Wood in the form of green tones, tree imagery or houseplants in the south area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Relationship sector use Fire in the form of red tones, triangular shapes and lots of light in the south west area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Children sector use Earth in the form of neutral and yellow/brown colours, square shapes or pottery in the west area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Support sector use Earth in the form of neutral and yellow/brown colours, square shapes or pottery in the north west area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Career sector use Metal in the form of white, gold and silver colours, domed shapes or glass/chrome decoration in the north area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Education sector use Fire in the form of red tones, triangular shapes and lots of light in the north east area of your home, room or altar.
• If you are working on your Health sector use Water in the form of dark blues and black colour, water imagery or even an indoor fountain in the east area of your home, room or altar.

4. Work on one sector at a time.  Don’t try to change everything all at once as it will make the dance of energies even more erratic and balance longer to find.

5. Once you are happy to up your mark in that particular sector then start work on the next lowest scoring sector.

6. If you can, consult an accredited Feng Shui consultant to survey your home and/or workplace.  Any changes they can recommend will support your inner Feng Shui work.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

 This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment. 

 If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk

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The potted plant – and how it can improve your business

Can this humble peace lily improve your business?

Having potted plants in your office is good for the health of your employees which means that it’s also good for your business with reduced sickness rates and increased productivity.

The principle of bringing nature into our indoor environment has always been advocated by fans of Feng Shui and research is gradually catching up to prove the benefits. 

In a recent study by Dr Tina Bringslimark of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences the amount of plants that could be seen by employees had a direct correlation to sickness rates: the more plants the lower the sickness levels.

US research has also shown an increase in productivity amongst workers who have plants in their environment.  The Washington State University study showed an increase of 12%.

There are a number of reasons why plants can have an effect on us:  the production of oxygen and reduction of other toxins in the air; the production on negative ions to counter the effects of electrical equipment; the psychological belief that plants are healthy for us and so we react accordingly.

Each explanation is valid but, before you go foresting your offices take some Feng Shui advice:

• The types of plants you choose should work within Feng Shui principles and be strategically placed to bring harmony to the energy of your space.
• The number of plants should be adequate for the size of your space.
• All plants need to be looked after and kept healthy.  A dead or dying plant is probably worse than having no plants at all.

With that in mind, and if you have business issues such as absence rates and low productivity to address, maybe your next business trip should be to the nearest garden centre.

Jackie Notman is a business and feng shui consultant.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

Business Energetics is based on classic Feng Shui principles and brings together your environment and your people into one harmonised and focussed profit machine. 

If you would like to find out more about how your business could benefit from living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website http://www.fs168.co.uk/businessenergetics

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Do we need Catweazle to help us open our eyes?

Some of you may remember Catweazle.  For others he may have passed you by or perhaps you weren’t around then.

Curiosity doesn't kill the Catweazle

Catweazle was the title character in a 1970s children’s TV programme in the UK.  He was a wizard that lived in the 11^th century and managed to transport himself through time to the 20^th century – the 1970s.  As you can imagine his new world would have seemed truly magical and amazing when seen through 11^th century eyes.

I loved Catweazle: he questioned everything, took everything apart and broke a lot of things to.  Needless to say the recent announcement that he is going to experience a movie remake caught my eye.

The original scriptwriter, Richard Carpenter, will provide the screenplay for the new movie.  His motivation for creating the original TV series was ‘concern that children seemed to accept technology with barely a thought about how it worked and (I) thought that a character who saw modern scientific advances like electricity and motorcars with a fresh questioning eye would help to interest children in science.’

I started to wonder about the huge technological advances that have been made since the original series in the 1970s: our world now would seem truly magical to someone picked up from that decade and transported here.  Yet we take all this technology for granted: being in constant contact with people; having information at our fingertips 24/7; portraying our lives on social media for all to see and living on credit in a virtual money world.

All these things we accept without understanding not only how these systems work but whether they are a good way to live our lives.  Slowly, insipidly, we are giving over control of our lives and ‘computer says no’ is no longer a funny catchphrase from Little Britain but a real situation.

If all the world’s computer systems crashed or were hacked it is said that our world would stop functioning.  And why?  Because we don’t understand the computerised lives that we have built for ourselves and we’ve become so dependent on living through technology that we wouldn’t initially know what to do if it went wrong.  Of course, we’d rediscover how to live our lives in a simpler way, but at what cost?

You might think that I’m against technology, harking back to a simpler life and say it’s my age or whatever.  I love technology.  I love the internet and the potential it offers.  But, like everything, technology offers both advantages and disadvantages.  Rather than embracing technology completely it might be worth questioning it first.  Do a Catweazle: break it down, understand how it works and then just take the best bits for you.  That way you stay in control (somewhat!)

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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A simple way to boost productivity at work

Designing your own workspace improves health, happiness and productivity

ScienceDaily (2010-09-08) — Employees who have control over the design and layout of their workspace are not only happier and healthier — they’re also up to 32 percent more productive, according to new research. … > read full article

This research shows how important environment is to us, whether it’s our home, the place we work or where we spend our social time such as shops, pubs and clubs.

Employers who don’t take this information on board are missing a trick and, in the current economic climate, they can’t afford to do that.  Increase productivity positively impacts the bottom line.  Not only that but employees who are in an environment that fosters productivity are more likely to be creative and happy – and less likely to leave which negatively impacts the bottom line. 

Jackie Notman is a business and feng shui consultant.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

Business Energetics is based on classic Feng Shui principles and brings together your environment and your people into one harmonised and focussed profit machine. 

If you would like to find out more about how your business could benefit from living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website http://www.fs168.co.uk/businessenergetics

Your perfect partner – green leafy & lush

Plants (living, fresh, healthy plants as opposed to dead or plastic dusty ones) bring nature into your home or  workplace and have the same positive effects as nature imagery: If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words Then What Do Your Walls Say About You?  In addition, plants contribute to our physical environment in a number of ways.

Firstly, plants absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen which is opposite to us humans who absorb oxygen and give out carbon dioxide.  The increased oxygen from plants will have a positive effect on our brain function as well as reduce our fatigue so are ideal in a workplace.  Plants also control humidity to a level that is beneficial for humans.  Therefore we are perfectly suited to live in harmony with plants. 

As well as oxygen plants give off negative ions.  These are found in the atmosphere and are noticeable in places that you associate with fresh air such as the sea or in a rural area away from roads and industry.  Positive ions are also found in the atmosphere and are given off by electrical equipment and manmade materials such as plastic or nylon.  Positive ions can cause fatigue and lower our immune system and we need to counteract them with negative ions.  Plants are therefore ideal to counter some of these effects and improve our wellbeing.

Finally plants take in gases that are noxious to humans and can have a purifying effect on the atmosphere.  Research carried out by  Dr BC Wolverton for NASA, attempting to create a breathable environment for a lunar habitat, found that houseplants are the best filters of common pollutants such as ammonia, formaldehyde, and benzene. These poisonous chemicals can be released by furniture, carpets and building materials, which are then often trapped by the ventilation systems in our workplaces.  This in turn can cause respiratory and allergic reactions for people working in these places.

Energetically, plants can also have a distinct effect depending on their species and are often used in Feng Shui to balance Yin & Yang energies. 

So, befriend your plants and look after them because they can bring a lot to your relationship and it could be the start of something beautiful.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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Colouring in a happy life

In a recent post When is Light not Light? I talked about the difference between full, real light and limited spectrum artificial light. If we look further into light and break it down into the wavelengths that we can perceive we have colours that we can consider individually.

You may think in business that colour isn’t particularly important or perhaps opt for the safe neutral colours that seem to be promoted on TV and in magazines.  But it’s worth considering colour in a little more detail, not just in what colour you paint the walls but also in your brand, signage and even the colour of the company vehicles you use.

As with light, individual colours can support your employees as well as your business:  its brand, its image and its relationship with customers.  If used correctly colour can stimulate, create the right ambience and support business objectives.  If no thought is given to colour then you could hinder the work of your employees, your brand and your business so it is worth considering and is a cost effective way of bringing positive changes to your business.

Individual colours have different psychological and physiological effects on us.  Perhaps you’re ‘in the pink’ or ‘feeling blue’.  These aren’t just sayings.  Studies have shown that different colours affect us and are the basis of Colour Therapy which uses colours to heal both physical and psychological symptoms.

In 1968 Dr Jerold Lucey at the University of Vermont successfully used blue light to treat jaundiced babies.  Blue light has also shown to be effective in treating pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.  A recent study by Dr John Anderson showed red light to be effective in treating migraines and pink has successfully been used in prisons to calm violent prisoners.

If you are interested in finding out more about colour and its effect on our bodies I highly recommend Light: Medicine of the Future – How We Can Use it to Heal Ourselves Now

In your workspace it is important that you clarify the objective for each area before deciding on colour schemes.  As a general rule colours can be said to have the following effects:

Blue	Calming, relaxing, quiet Ideal for reflective or restful areas
Green	Creativity, study, optimism Ideal for training or research areas
Yellow	Sociable, interaction, communication Ideal for meeting rooms or customer service areas
Orange	Happy, active, extrovert Ideal for public areas, canteens or meeting places
Red	Stimulating, fast, hyperactive Ideal for transit areas and public areas where movement and activity are important

However, you can go even further with colour.  At Business Energetics we also use colour on a deeper energetic level than described above by taking account of the orientation of the building and the energy of particular individuals.  Using the right colours, not just in your environment but in your business branding, will help keep you one step ahead of your competition.

Jackie Notman is a business and feng shui consultant.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

Business Energetics is based on classic Feng Shui principles and brings together your environment and your people into one harmonised and focussed profit machine. 

If you would like to find out more about how your business could benefit from living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website http://www.fs168.co.uk/businessenergetics

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When is light not light?

Here in the UK we’re moving towards Autumn.  If you’re an early riser like me you’ll feel a little nip in the air, see condensation on cars and notice it’s not quite as light.  If you’re especially sensitive you would have been able to smell the seasons change a few weeks ago.

I’ve always loved Autumn visually.  The reds, russets and golds put on a fantastic display before leaves fall and we get ready for the colder months.  However, for the last few years I’ve noticed that I don’t like moving towards Winter.  Darkness and cold do nothing for me.  I’m not sure that I could be diagnosed with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) but I know my energies lift when Spring makes a welcome return. 

SAD’s symptoms are depressive and bought on by lack of natural daylight.  People affected often find that light boxes help their symptoms.  These light boxes provide full spectrum lighting which mimics natural daylight.  For those not affected, or don’t believe they are affected, it may be hard to understand what all the fuss is about.  After all, light is light isn’t it?

Actually it isn’t.

Light is in fact a nutrient and as vital to us as air, water and food.  Just as the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat will affect our health and well-being, so too will the quality of light that we are exposed to.

You can't beat real, organic light

Our natural light comes from the sun and reaches us through a spectrum of waves.  The length of these light waves will determine whether we can visually see them or not and what colour they are:  The visible spectrum is seen as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  The invisible are infra red and ultra violet.  When we receive full spectrum lighting with all these waves present it is a little like drinking pure water, breathing clean air or eating organic wholesome vegetables.  In other words, it’s good for us.

However, when we created artificial light, firstly in the form of incandescent light bulbs and then fluorescent tubes, we created a very poor second to what is naturally available to us.  For neither produces light that is full spectrum so, although we can see what we’re doing, we are not getting the full nutritional value of light as we would if we were outdoors.

If you work in any sort of office building you will probably be reliable on fluorescent tubes to provide your lighting.  If so, and you are carrying out any sort of creative work then the lighting will probably hamper your efforts because we are unable to see colours correctly unless we are seeing them in full spectrum light.  You may have experienced buying an item of clothing or cosmetics that looked the right colour in store but was very different when you got it home.  And, if you’ve ever been in a store changing room you’ll probably have noticed that your skin is either very pale or sallow.  These effects are all to do with the choice of lighting.

You may also find difficulties reading things printed on white paper because artificial light is not absorbed by white paper but bounces right back at you.

Of course, these problems are just minor compared to the health problems of spending a lot of time under artificial light.  I’ve already mentioned SAD but there’s a lot of research being carried out into the effects of full spectrum light deprivation:

• In 1980 Dr Fritz Hollwich studied the effects on the endocrine system. Whilst working under artificial (part spectrum) lighting levels of ACTH and cortisol (hormones produced when we are under stress) were secreted. For people working under full spectrum lighting these were absent.
• A ten year study at John Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore showed a positive effect of full spectrum light on the reduction of breast, rectal and colon cancer.
• In Russia, full spectrum lighting was used in a factory to address high incidences of colds and sore throats. After installation the bacterial contamination of the air was reduced by up to 70%. Furthermore, workers who did not receive full spectrum lighting were absent for twice as many days as those who did.
• Recent classroom tests have shown that students working in full spectrum light have a marked reduction in hyperactivity, absenteeism and an increase in academic achievement.

So, what do you do? 

1. Use daylight wherever possible.  If you’re in an office and you have a window turn the lighting off.  Not only will it help your health but it will also save energy.
2. Full spectrum lighting is available but it is more expensive than normal fluorescents or bulbs so choose with care where you use it.  For example, if you’re a business you don’t need full spectrum lighting for cupboards and corridors and other transit areas.  Prioritise the areas where people spend most of their time (ie, at their desk).
3. Have one full spectrum bulb at home, the area that you spend most of your time in when you come home from the office.  This way you can get some decent artificial light in the dark evenings of the winter months.
4. If you have a home office use a full spectrum bulb in there too.  It will allow you to work more effectively by reducing stress, minimising glare and seeing colours naturally.
5. Take a break in the day.  A twenty minute walk at lunch time will bring enormous benefits.  It’s not just the fact that you are getting away from your desk that is helpful, but the daylight will energise you.  If it’s not too cold try and expose some skin such as your forearms.  This will mean that you can take in a little more of the sun’s nutrients.
6. Get out and about as much as you can on your days off.  If it’s cold then wrap up well but go out and bathe in daylight.
7. If you find that you have symptoms that appear to be linked to the seasons then contact a health professional who is familiar with SAD and consider use of a light box.

Just being aware of the difference between artificial and natural daylight will help you enormously because you’ll be able to choose full spectrum light when you can.  And light, real light, will lead to a happier and healthier life.

Jackie Notman is a business and feng shui consultant.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

Business Energetics is based on classic Feng Shui principles and  brings together your environment and your people into one harmonised and focussed profit machine. 

If you would like to find out more about how your business could benefit from living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website http://www.fs168.co.uk/businessenergetics

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You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

Work/life balance is not a one size fits all

A recent survey by Make it Cheaper, a web based utility price comparison site, found that nearly two thirds of the business owners they surveyed feared burnout due to their demanding schedule.  35% get stressed about finding cover if they do go away and 20% aren’t able to switch off from work.

We are all told that work/life balance is important and, of course, it is.  Not getting the balance right in our lives  can cause stress which can lead to physical and mental health problems, for ourselves and those closest to us.

So, what do you do if the company needs you?  What do you do if you can’t switch off?  What do you do if your work/life balance is out of balance or not what the books tell us it should be?

I have sympathy with an employee who is stressed by an overbearing boss or unmanageable workload.  But business owners, who are in control of their business and their workload, need to think again.  For business owners there is no such thing as work/life balance.  Work is life and life is work and most people who set up and run successful businesses do it because they have a passion.  To tell them they must switch off their passion, forsake their email and blackberry and go cold turkey for a couple of weeks is far more stressful than their heavy workload.

Work/life balance is important.  But so is your viewpoint and your individual likes, dislikes and character.  So, if you want to go on holiday with your PDA then why not.

The same survey also found that some people were using a variety of ways to cut costs on holiday and 8% of the respondents said they saved money by not taking the kids with them!

Jackie Notman is a business and feng shui consultant.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

Business Energetics is based on classic Feng Shui principles and  brings together your environment and your people into one harmonised and focussed profit machine. 

If you would like to find out more about how your business could benefit from living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website http://www.fs168.co.uk/businessenergetics

WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.

Want to improve employee engagement? Time to think outside the box.

Employee engagement is certainly a buzz phrase at the moment.  The Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) estimate that 20% of employees in the UK are highly disengaged meaning they are not happy or satisfied in their roles and not loyal to their employers.

However, in this current climate of high unemployment, is that really a cause for concern?  People are not leaving the jobs they have or, if they do, plenty of others are looking so they can easily be replaced.  Well, that attitude has a logical argument to support it but doesn’t take into account the benefits of employee engagement.  Viewing people as the line in the company accounts titled ‘resource costs’ is short sighted and foolish in business terms.

Positive employee engagement unleashes productivity, creativity and pro-activity.  All these ‘tivities’ mean an unrivalled energy in your company that is noticed by customers, prospects, suppliers, competitors and other people who want to become your employee. 

“You sort of smell it, don’t you, that engagement of people as people. What goes on in meetings, how people talk to each other. You get the sense of energy, engagement, commitment, belief in what the organisation stands for.”

Lord Currie, former Chair of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) taken from ‘Engaging for Success: enhancing performance through employee engagement’ by David MacLeod and Nita Clarke, 2009.

Furthermore an engaged employee will behave in certain ways which will define certain outcomes such as improved customer satisfaction because the call centre staff have gone the extra mile, or reduced conflict or absenteeism because employees are happier to be at work.  As a result, employee engagement is measurable and more and more research is showing that an organisation with engaged employees out perform organisations who do not have the same level of engagement.

In 2006 a Gallup survey found that organisations with low employee engagement levels had 51% more employee turnover than those with high engagement levels.  A second Gallup survey in the same year showed that the Earnings per Share growth was 2.6 times higher in organisations with high employee engagement compared to those with low engagement levels.

Of course, many people are already convinced that employee engagement is a good thing.  It’s the application of a strategy that causes problems.  There is a plethora of studies that show what has worked for other organisations and there are many companies offering services to help you improve your employee engagement.  Where to start?

• Recognise that you are dealing with people who are all different, have different emotions and motivators and need to be treated as individuals.  Therefore having a ‘one size fits all’ generic solution will probably not work.
• Measuring and benchmarking is important.  If done correctly you will know where to focus your effort and you will know if those efforts have been successful.
• Don’t stay on one level, think outside the box. 

The levels I use are:

Intellectual

This is the basic level that most people operate on.  There are many models available that help us to build teams, create effective managers, measure and benchmark, etc.  It’s all valid stuff but, it’s only the beginning.

Physical

Don’t overlook the working environment.  The most recent Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) showed that job satisfaction levels varied across workplaces suggesting that the working environment had an impact on engagement as well as demographics and the role itself.

There are many aspects of our working environment that have an impact on us biologically, emotionally and mentally such as lighting, ventilation and colour.  If detrimental this will affect employee engagement.

Metaphysical

This third level is based on classic Feng Shui principles which, in a nutshell, harmonise the energetic levels of the people, with the energetic level of the organisation, within the energetic level of the environment.  Harmony is the key word here and it is a crucial factor for high levels of employee engagement.

Pull these three levels together and you have a unique synergistic solution for your organisation.  I call this process Business Energetics.  It’s a little out of the box and encourages you not to be a sheep.  After all, if you want to stay one jump ahead in the market you need to get out of the box first and let the sheep follow you.

More information on Business Energetics can be found here.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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The real challenge of living a spiritual life

There is a certain spiritual writer whom I used to admire.  He had a down to earth approach on how to live a spiritual life.  After selling many books and earning a lot of money he decided that he could no longer be spiritual in the rat race any more so moved to a remote part of the world to live off his profits.  And I thought – what a cop out!

There is a long tradition of using isolation to improve our spiritual connection.  Monks would live in caves and people seeking the truth would become hermits.  The Bible tells us that Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and seek the face of God.

Mostly these people lived in poverty, gave up any worldly possessions they had and their actions were seen as a sacrifice in order to gain in spiritual richness.  They relied on the generosity of strangers or followers.  However, that was in a world where money was not the foundation of society.

Can we find spirituality in the real world?

Today, attempting to live without money is impossible (unless you are doing it for a short period and writing a book about it or making a television programme).  Removing such an embedded energy from our lives invites distrust, judgement and exclusion.  Yes, you can use some of the barter systems that operate around the world.  To a point.  Or you can rely on the kindness of your family and friends.  To a point.  But, somebody somewhere has to be earning money to be able to bestow such generosity on you.

Of course, self sufficiency could work but land is expensive, especially here in the UK, which brings us back to money. 

So, is the possibility of a spiritual life only for the wealthy?  Once upon a time, when people retreated from the world to seek enlightenment, their isolation was seen as a sacrifice in return for spiritual richness.

These days, for those who have money and choose to retreat there is no sacrifice.  So, is enlightenment not achieved?  Is sacrifice the key rather than isolation?

After all, it’s easy to be spiritual and have good thoughts all the time in a world without difficulties and challenges but the true spiritual pioneers are making it work in this world: where money is the language we all use, where mortgages and bills have to be paid and we have to interact with each other throughout the mundanity of life.

If you can take all of that and still smile and be kind to people I salute you for overcoming the spiritual challenge of life in the 21^st century.

Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer.  This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.

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