7 tips to align the environment just outside your doorway with your goals

by Ken Lauher

If you’ve been following this column, maybe have picked up my Feng Shui eBook (did you know you can get it now for less than the price of a Starbucks stop??) or even gotten my Ultimate Feng Shui Makeover Package, you may have been focusing your Feng Shui efforts indoors. By now, you’re probably seeing some phenomenal results.

Well, as the weather gets warmer, it’s time to evaluate your outdoor space to make sure it is in alignment with your goals, and see where you can use Feng Shui to strengthen the chi and boost your positive action for even better results!

This Feng Shui mini-guide provides 7 easy ways you can Feng Shui your outdoors today — even if you live in a city or have limited control over the surroundings just outside your home or apartment.

1. Make sure the space is clean and picked up. If you live in an apartment, take a few minutes to pick up any debris from the front of your apartment building (your neighbors will appreciate it, too). If a hose is available, you can wash the sidewalk clean, as well.

If you live in a house with a large yard, this might take a bit more time. Focus on the small tasks you can accomplish quickly that will make a big difference. Pick up children’s toys and make sure they have a storage spot when they’re not being used. Wash off the sidewalk, driveway and patio. Wash your car in the driveway (it will make a big difference to the overall look of your environment!) Wind up hoses neatly and either hang them or put them in a decorative hose pot or another container designed to store garden hoses.

2. Take an afternoon for yard work. – Now that your yard is picked up and neat, focus on shrubs, hedges, trees and trim that have been neglected all winter. If the lawn is ready for mowing, do that first, and you’ll be amazed by the difference. Trim the edges, and then give some shape to the bushes and hedges.

If you absolutely hate yard work, hire a neighborhood teen to take care of the daunting task. (They will probably surprise you by appreciating the work.) But many people find this type of work relaxing, as they can truly “get in the zone.” Use the opportunity to really appreciate nature and all the greenery you’ve grown right in your own yard.

3. Paint. – Take a look around. Could fences, sheds or mailboxes benefit from a fresh coat of paint? Keep Feng Shui colors in mind. Red is considered a lucky color for a mailbox, especially to increase your wealth and income. (Money is supposed to arrive in red envelopes, as well.) Good colors for a fence include red, green or black. For more info on this, visit Feng Shui Fence Colors.

4. Plant flowers. – Use the power of Feng Shui colors in specific trigrams of your back or front yard by planting flowers in these areas. For instance, white flowers can help with fertility, travel opportunities, or attracting helpful people and mentors into your life.

Purple or blue flowers in the wealth corner will have a powerful effect to turn you into a money magnet. And white, pink or red flowers in the romance and marriage corner will help you find true love or strengthen your relationship.

When you Feng Shui your outdoor space, you can lay the Ba Gua map over your backyard separately, your front yard, or the entire plot of land as a whole. (Some trigrams will remain the same this way; the wealth corner for your whole yard will also be the wealth corner for the back yard, but your front yard by itself with have its own wealth corner, as well. When we activate the trigrams in more than one area, it is a powerful Feng Shui technique called “layering” that will emphasize your intention with even stronger energy and bring about the results you desire even faster.

5. “Fill in” missing areas with flowers, lights or water elements. – Flowers aren’t the only way to energize a specific trigram of your yard. You can also use light or water elements, such as water fountains or a pond with a water fall. Moving water is lucky, but avoid stagnant water as this not only attracts mosquitoes and diseases, it creates dead chi that can create misfortune.

You can also use flowers, light, and water elements to “fill in” missing areas of your yard. For instance, if you live on an irregularly shaped plot of land, you may notice one or more areas of the trigram is missing. Shine a spotlight into the “missing” area, or plant flowers or add a water element to the nearest corner to visually connect that space.

6. Feng Shui your front entrance, from the inside, looking out. – You probably already know that one of the keys to being successful with Feng Shui is a bright, open front entrance that welcomes lots of opportunities in to your life in every form. But a good front entrance begins with the pathway to your home. A slightly curved, rather than straight, path to your house will be more fortunate.

Make sure it is wide enough for people to walk comfortably, but not wider than your front door, which will make your entrance way seem too narrow. For a wide path, consider planting shrubs on either side, but keep them well-trimmed.

Your front steps should be neat, clean, and free of obstructions or broken bricks or stones where people could trip.

Make sure no pillars or large trees are directly in line with your front door. A sense of balance in the entryway enhances positive chi; consider placing two large decorative planters on either side of your entryway. These plants will add life chi and balance to the space. Even if you live in an apartment, you may be able to make this positive change to your front entryway.

Finally, make sure your front door is in good condition and that your doorbell works to create a welcoming environment. Consider placing any front entryway lights on motion or light sensors so they come on automatically as someone approaches, to create a sense of welcoming, well-being and security.

7. Make one positive change that will make you happier when you approach your house every day. – Now that you’ve taken care of the basics Feng Shui steps for the area outside your home or apartment, consider the space carefully. How does the energy make you feel? Do you feel happier returning home each day?

Make one small change that reflects the life you want to live or will make your life easier or make you feel more welcome in your own home. This could be something like adding a new patio set for entertaining guests, new porch furniture, or maybe something even smaller, like flower boxes in your window or a colorful flag hanging near your entry.

This change may reflect a goal you have for the near future, or it could simply be something to beautify your home or apartment, that will make you smile every evening when you come home to see it. This could be a focal point in your front or back yard, or just a small touch that adds positive chi to the space.

Now, imagine how happy you’d be in your home or apartment if you added one element you really, really love — that makes you smile every time you see it — to every room in your home.

What positive changes are you going to make today?

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About Ken – One of America’s premier Feng Shui consultants, Ken Lauher helps thousands of people achieve their goals through Feng Shui. He can help you become a money magnet, attract passionate love, jump-start your career and get unstuck. Visit www.kenlauher.com to get your FREE Feng Shui guide and discover the ancient secrets that can help you unlock your true potential.