Better Home = Better Life But HOW?

It is a modern belief that if you have a beautiful home, you will have a beautiful life. The belief that you can improve your life by surrounding yourself with a prettier space is demonstrated in the media all the time – on TV, in books, magazines, online and even in stores.

You understand that you will be healthier, happier, have more money, make love more often, and of course just be a better, nicer and happier person if your space is nice and prettier to look at.

You heard this, you believe this, and now there are the BIG questions:

How do you get there as quickly, smoothly and peacefully as possible without losing money, time or your sanity? How to avoid the most disastrous mistakes that are always made on construction projects?

Right now, our world is starting to wake up to understand how our spaces and places deeply impact our wellbeing. This is great progress, though there is still seems to be one big hiccup. Most people only use one sense – the eyes – to appreciate spaces. This is a grave mistake leading to an imbalance in the creation of all spaces resulting in chaos internally plus ultimately dis-ease, dysfunction and dissatisfaction. This needs to be adjusted with a more sustainable perspective.

Feng Shui is about the mindful creation, arrangement and renovation of your environments in order to help you realign them for your best experience in this moment and going forward. It is a process and a practice.

This is more than just using your eyes to make a pretty space, but using all your senses and elements to make a truly balanced space for a deeper sense of lasting joy.

There are some steps you can take to avoid these horrible stressors that robe you of the dream of your ideal home and a better life. There are some mindful things you can do to provide you with the pretty space you believe will result in a happier life, but also with the tools that will ensure that this is more than just skin deep. We want you to have a pretty space that has a solid foundation that truly gives you the dream life you so deserve while being in balance with all beings and the planet.

Below are some of the steps you can take on your journey of a mindful Home Renovation using Feng Shui. It is not exhaustive list, but it is a start. Start where you are.

INTENTION.
Discover your WHY. The power of your intention will have a deep impact on the success and process of creating your dream project. Feng Shui is about setting intentions and this is the first step in this process of your home creation. Not understanding your reason behind the renovation will often lead to changes in the middle of the project which result in loss of money and time. Start here and your foundation for the project will begin strongly.

PEN TO PAPER.
Write Down WHAT it is that you want to have. This is an obvious one, but in our increasingly hectic and rushed world, we often skip the obvious. Do not skip this. Write down exactly what you want to include in your project, what is essential to have and what are only the ‘nice to have’s’. This will allow you to save time later as and when you need to adjust due to time or budget reasons without having to dig deep into yourself for these answers. This also allows for all partners in the process having a say in it and being heard. If the space is to be shared, then it is best to make sure all family members participate in the process of creation.

COLLABORATIONS.
Find your Dream Team and do not think you can DIY everything. Use professionals when needed and stop thinking that you are more capable to do it on your own. Our modern society has lied to us and told us that it was better to do things on our own and to be totally independent. This is not how the best of human creations have ever been done and your home renovation is no different. You are skilled in some things I am certain, though I am certain you are not skilled in everything. So finding others that have the skills you lack will help you to achieve what it is you are setting out to do. Plus the journey is much less lonely with a team than driving it solo.

OPEN YOUR WALLET.
No one wants to spend more money than necessary, however, in the arena of spending money on your home renovation, you need to realistic and honest about what the value of the project costs are. Create a realistic budget and keep in mind that this is your sacred space to keep you and your family safe, secure and to provide comfort and protection. What is this worth to you?

Skimping on products and materials in the space that is your ‘home’ seems to be counterintuitive to the ultimate goal of having a dream home. I suggest you ask yourself the question of whether the choice is a sustainable one and listen to your heart for the right answer. Also do not forget to include all costs in the budget so not to be shocked when the furniture delivery fees or temporary accommodation costs are required.

RITUALS & ROUTINES.
A home renovation is a journey and a process. There are steps that must be done, in a specific sequence and to go out of order will disrupt the process and often end in disastrous, and expensive fixes and re-dos. Follow the natural order of the cycle and what needs to be done in a sequence and you will be getting to your final destination quicker and less painfully. Do not rush the process and allow it to unfold as it is meant to, just like watching a garden grow. Rushing things only results in a poor harvest. I suggest you honor each step and cycle of the journey, recognizing it and celebrating the mini-successes along the way.

BALANCED DESIGN.
Making sure the design is more than just a pretty space is essential to the long-term success of the renovation. Both in the quality of the materials, fixtures, fittings and furnishings but also in the selection of these. Use of the Five Elements can often bring in a balanced and harmonic design element to your home that ensures you are not creating an environment that will be out of balance right away. Your choice of colors, shapes, materials and location of these will all work together to create the space and how it feels to live in it. Chose wisely.

YOUR ENERGY.
Home renovations are like doing surgery on your nest, so it is common that it causes discomfort and disorganized energy during the process. Recognition of this in advance can allow you to make some adjustments to your own energy management so you can maintain your own balance throughout the journey in a more calm, smooth and clear manner.

Taking the time to allow yourself time & space away from the project can allow you to regain your perspective and calm any high emotions so you can clearly proceed forward. Maybe taking a mini-holiday during the middle of the project will give you the much needed break to bring back the joy in the journey.

CLEANING & CLEARING.
After the construction is done, the space is cleaned in a physical manner since the job site will often still be dirty from the left-over materials and construction debris. This is the physical space that needs to be cleaned. This cleaning will also help to shift some of the energetic debris left over from the construction, however, it is much more powerful if you allow the process of a proper space clearing and blessing once the space is completed, the contractors are finished and have left. The space clearing can include a sage burning, salt bowl ritual or orange-peel ritual and I often include the ringing of bells to remove the disruptive vibrations from the construction process and brining in new ones. This ritual honors the journey of the renovation and celebrates the completion of the process.

CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
Once your home is done it is important to review your own way of looking at the space and adjust your eyes to become more normalized again. During the home renovation process, we start to focus our attention on the details and often get obsessively involved on the little things. This can be helpful during the home renovation journey; however, it is not helpful in your life afterwards. You need to get a larger, more holistic view of your whole life, the whole planet and not fret on the little things. You will always see things you would do differently the second time around after a home renovation. This is normal and part of the life learning process. However, it is not something to reduce your joy, your success or your experience of being in your new home. Adjust your eyes to see the bigger picture with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude and your space will love you back. Don’t waste time sweating the small stuff but bask in the joy of your new space.

S. Lee Wright's overall Vision is to help as many people as possible to understand the power of space to enhance and enrich their lives. Her mission is to teach them how to do this for themselves. As a licensed Interior Designer, certified Feng Shui expert, Lee collaborates to create spaces plus she hosts a series of online classes, exotic retreats, writes books, designs courses and offers lifestyle coaching. Lee is always seeking creative collaborations!