You can see in someone’s environment if they have self-esteem. That sounds like a bold statement, but it is fairly simplistic. If you want to know what a person thinks of themselves, there are very basic ways to tell just from looking at their home. If you want to bolster your own self worth, there are easy feng shui switches to make a marked difference in the amount of value and pride you have in yourself and your life. While the premise behind feng shui to boost your self- esteem is easy, the effects of small shifts can be very impressive!
If you can follow and accept the very time-tested notion that your home is a mirror of your mind and your life, the idea that your home reflects your self-worth is easy to accept. (more on your home as a mirror of your life right HERE).
The Japanese concept of esho funi – “oneness of life & environment”- is an ancient principle that goes deeper to explain potential emotional and even karmic ties we have with our environment on a grand scale, even more profound than the way that we simply influence our home or office as a mirror of our life. I love this quote from the Gosho, “When the hearts and minds of people grow tarnished, then the land also becomes tarnished. When their hearts and minds are pure, however, so is the land. The pure and impure lands are not separate realms. The goodness or evil of our hearts and minds determines the nature of the land.”When you purify your heart and mind, you can purify the environment at large.
Purifying your life and thinking more powerfully good thoughts about yourself and others is no small task. There are a few simple ways to see if your home is reflecting some cracks in your self-esteem, though, and by making the shifts, you can bolster your confidence and make room for more clarity and joy. It’s esho funi from the outside in- change your space and that helps you change your life! Ready?!
6 Feng Shui Ways To Build Self-Esteem
1. Fix Broken Stuff. This is easy: if it is broken it must be fixed. If you aren’t willing to fix it, get rid of it.
2. Dump things that make you feel bad about yourself. There are so many spaces filled with objects that people have due to obligation. Whether you inherited something you hate, your feel guilty because a friend gave you a piece of art that you don’t like, or you are holding on to objects that leave you feeling stuck in the past… all of these can go. you can always put them in storage if you can’t decide what to do with them… or you can personalize and improve them. Ideas to improve things you just can’t dump: better picture frames, refinished antiques, more curated collections of objects on shelves. I’m sure you can come up with a long list of your own ideas…but do them!
(an extreme example of a sanctuary at home!)
3. Create more of a sanctuary. Homes that have a “favorite spot” in them are homes that support well-being. I know where I go in my own home to relax, and another where I go to “plug in” to my own spirit in a meditative way. HERE is a more extensive post on creating sanctuary that elaborates on creating a sanctuary.
4. Fall in love with housecleaning. If I see dirty dishes, a dirty home, piles of clutter, or a whirlwind of random stuff strewn about a house I understand that there is a disconnect happening in this person’s life. All sorts of messes are a sign of overwhelm, confusion, obstacles, low-self-worth or all of the above! Cleaning on a regular basis and learning to love the process (it is very creative) can do wonders to create a space for clear thoughts. Yes, you can hire a housekeeper, but still look after your daily mess-making. We all make messes, but not all of us stop and pull them together!
5. Go more green, in your habits, too. Of course, I am an advocate of “green cleaning.” Chemicals are not meant to permeate our homes and our lives. Beyond the green cleaning, cultivate a few more green habits. When you actually start living a more “eco-friendly” life, you are more connected to the planet in a holistic sense. Walk instead of driving, really recycle with mindfulness, consider composting, perhaps get a bird-feeder for your patio or grow a garden, shop at a local Farmer’s Market, shut off the lights you don’t need to leave on, etc, etc. These small habits have a big effect on your personal space and your experience of connection to life at large.
6. Showcase an accomplishment. While you certainly don’t need to create a trophy case in your home, even abstractly demonstrating your accomplishments can boost your self esteem. While you can hang a diploma, you can also put your books from a favorite college class on a shelf. You can display mementos of achievements or personally big days in your life. You can also weave some of your passions into your space to achieve a similar connection to your home. If you love cooking, you can set up a kitchen with a box of your favorite recipes or if you love sports, you can weave a bit of the motif in your home in a way that makes you feel the passion and pride that we all can use as often as possible!
No matter what you do, if you stay aware of the connection between your space and your life, you will always be empowered to make simple changes (like a big Spring Cleaning, any season if the year) on the outside that affect your life on the inside!
xoxo Dana
P.S.: If you’re ready to take the energy around you to the next level, detox the negativity and make space for joy, the Joy Immersion: 30 Day Negativity Detox is here for you.
THE JOY IMMERSION is a commitment to happy-making, mirror-polishing, life-lifting and simple space shifting for 30 days. It’s loaded with lots of actions that can help you detox from your own negative stuff, uncover more of your greatness and light, and see happiness everywhere you look…!
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And, if you want to dive in to your own personalized feng shui in a modern, practical way, Say hello to Feng Shui 101.
It’s the guide I made for you to create your own personalized Feng Shui at home, in the office, wherever you may be… in 8 weeks.
It’s not filled with strict rules or what you “must” do.
It’s filled with information, questions, exercises and even videos and classes to help you confidently create amazing spaces with killer Feng Shui and live with more flow. Learn more about the 8-week Feng Shui adventure & grab your copy to get started right HERE…
And, as always, please let me know what happens!
Like! I was reading a few different past blog articles on here and decided to start writing again. I wrote at night before I went to bed and then because you are certain that writing in the morning is beneficial I wrote in the morning too. I had a super happy and productive day. Thanks!