by Carole Hyder
On one of our walks last week, my friend Julie and I were discussing big picture outcomes in many facets of our lives. It's good to have someone who doesn't confine you to parameters but lets you soar into near oblivion with ideas, what-ifs, why-nots, so-whats. She provides the net so I can do some daring trapeze leaps without getting hurt. I trust I do the same for her.
Along the way as we were reaching up pretty high with our dreams, she paraphrased a quote that Steve Jobs said at the Stanford Commencement address. I went home, looked it up, and found it to be at the basis of effective and powerful Feng Shui.
You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path. - Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2005
Feng Shui is not only about helping people thrive where they are and be fulfilled in their present situation, it's perhaps more importantly about helping people set up their space so that it pulls them into the future - into the life they've always wanted. The hard part here is to be able to access the dream about their ultimate life experience, not just concentrate on the next step out of context with the big picture.
Below are some ways to help you dream bigger so you can change your home into the life you've always wanted.
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- Don't plan on thinking about your ideal life; you have to create it. In other words, you need to dance it out, or paint it, or make a vision board. From these activities, you'll capture the feelings that will let you know where your heart wants you to go.
- Don't ask how you're ever going to arrive at your dream life or start to second-guess the process. (
This will never happen.
What is wrong with me?
) Truthfully, how it's going to unfold isn't any of your business. Your job is to create it. - Don't use friends or family as a sounding board unless, like my friend Julie, they provide you the net to do all the spins and twirls you're inclined to try, won't rain on your parade, burst your bubble, or laugh in disbelief.
- Don't let the dream stay in your heart - write it down! Anchor it into physical reality. This is important because
you won't forget the details of your dream; you can tweak it from there; and you must make sure it's what you want. - Don't forget to implement the dream in your Feng Shui adjustments. As you infuse the physical adjustments you make in your space with your ultimate dream, you will see how your home or your office will gently but steadily move you forward. Some steps will be huge, while others will be almost negligible. Either way, you're connecting the dots to the expansive and fulfilling life you are meant to experience.
I doubt Steve Jobs knew about Feng Shui. (On the other hand, who knows?) However, he did know about dreaming big. He started with the end in mind and worked backwards. So did Edison. So did Ford. Working backwards is different from going backwards. Get your dream out there, make it even bigger, and then work backwards as you move forward.
The above article is printed here with the author's permission. Carole J. Hyder has accomplished international success as a Feng Shui consultant, speaker, teacher, author, trainer and media personality. She has been a Feng Shui consultant since 1992. She is the author of numerous books, CDs, DVDs and courses. Carole is founder, president, and an instructor of the Wind and Water School of Feng Shui, licensed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. The program is available both as a correspondence class or in a classroom setting. For more information on Carole's work, visit her website, carolehyder.com.