First of all, etymology- the study of the history and origins of our modern language- is fascinating. After all, if you believe in evolution, bits of that evolution reveal themselves in language.
When my friend Joe called yesterday from Colorado, he shared a facinating story of many words with me that shifted my perspective on how I speak and the things I say. Look up the etymology of words like CULTURE and COMPASSION and you will see this multilayered history of cults and suffering mixed with the rarefied joy of merging lives and celebration.
The big word he shared with me was FOCUS. Here is the actual etymology of the word focus:
focus (n.)
1640s, from Latin focus “hearth, fireplace” (also, figuratively, “home, family”), of unknown origin, used in post-classical times for “fire” itself, taken by Kepler (1604) in a mathematical sense for “point of convergence,” perhaps on analogy of the burning point of a lens (the purely optical sense of the word may have existed before Kepler, but it is not recorded). Introduced into English 1650s by Hobbes. Sense transfer to “center of activity or energy” is first recorded 1796.
FOCUS means HOME!!!!! And so, in honor of the history of the word, here are a few ways to use your HOME to help you to FOCUS!
How to use your home to fuel your focus:
Make housecleaning your best friend. Scrub, dust, clear, clean. The more you clean, the more you generate metal element energy that will literally help your mind to focus. Cleaning also is considered a right-brain creative activity, so you may find far more inspiration if you clean a bit yourself each day, even if you have a housekeeper to help.
Keep your countertops clear, unless you decide to curate a display on them. If your couters are stuffed with stuff, yu will not be able to focus as well. If you do display collections, display them with deliberate purpose. Haphazardly splaying your stuff on a coffee table or a shelf is not what you need…! Bookshelves should feel harmonious when you look at them… like the books can breathe. Room to breathe is really important!
Keep each room identifiable. Even if you re-purpose rooms in your home (ie, you turned the den into a nursery or you work on your kitchen table) you have to do this with clarity. Can you actually socialize in your living room, or is your kitchen the only social space you have? Do you lounge in your living room to watch TV or do you use your bedroom as a TV room?
The more you can clearly create space so that you can eat in the kitchen, sleep in the bedroom and entertain in the living room the more focused your home will be! And even if you do work in your kitchen, make sure you can stow away your work so it doesn’t consume your life at the end of a workday. Do you see how this goes?!
Use bold art to fix your attention. My most favorite way to create focus in space is with art. Commanding art can pull your eye through a room and fix it clearly on one point. You will move toward that focus. Energy will move toward that focus. This is a simple but profound tip!
And… love your home. The very idea that home means FOCUS sheds a lot of light on how much good can come from loving your home.
What does that mean… “loving your home”?
It means adding special touches to your table, filling the air with aromatherapy, creating sensory comfort with music, layering on the style that brings out the best in you and brings you to your space. And if you want to take it to the next level, you can feng shui your space with my DIY guide- Feng Shui 101- and feel the power of infusing your home with greater flow and more of your intention as well as style!
Why is any of this a big deal? Having a home is something to be extremely grateful for… and it is no surprise that in ancient times their focus was on home! When you feel at home in your home, you have a place of origin, coordinates on a map, that can help you to organize, to feel safe, to have your most basic and vital needs met for survival. Use this shelter power to its fullest. xoxo Dana
P.S.: The Cash Camp is coming soon, and the FREE 3-video intro series is all about wealth-building in profound and amazing ways. It’s nearly an hour of exercises to shore up your energy, focus and presence to start building more abundance in every way…!
You can sign to the free video series right HERE!
I’m so excited to share this with you!!!
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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. Its 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. Its 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!
Shelter power represent!