**I Feng Shui my Thinking

Today I am taking a sabbatical from my usual political ranting and ravings to share with you some important lessons that I have learned over last six decades. Feng Shui is meant to maintain good health, wealth, relationships, creativity and more. The aim of Feng Shui is to create a living and working (and dying — feng shui is for graveyards, too) environment in harmony with nature and the flow of energy. Feng Shui literally means "wind-water”. The Chinese art or practice of positioning objects, especially graves, buildings, and furniture, based on a belief in patterns of yin and yang and the flow of chi that have positive and negative effects. I am using Feng Shui in a more metaphorical sense as it relates to attitudes, communication, and perception.

One of the most important lessons that I learned is that attitude is everything. In reality I have little control over my external environment. How I perceive people and events around me will have a direct effect on me whether I choose to be in fear, be happy, be defensive, or accept what I cannot control.

About fifteen years ago I met Dr. Gerald Jampolsky who started a not for profit organization originally in Tiburon, and now in Sausalito, CA called The Center for Attitudinal Healing. Dr. Jampolsky’s background was a pediatric psychiatrist at UCSF Medical Center. His primary practice was to deal with children who were terminally ill from cancer. Doctors traditionally deal with the physical side of medicine and sometimes unfortunately neglect the emotional implications of a disease. These children wanted to know what it was like to die and how to deal with their fearful feelings of dying. He started the no charge “Center” over thirty five years ago to help people deal with loss and fear around family members, jobs, self esteem, relationships, and illness.

Dr. Jampolsky’s first book of over twenty, was entitled, “Love is Letting Go of Fear”. The premise of his book is that we cannot simultaneously be in a state of “Love” or “Fear”, we may only choose one state. I found his work so rewarding that for two years I became a volunteer facilitator and led weekly two hour Person to Person meetings. Ultimately I became a member of the “Centers” board of directors for three years. You may view the “Principles of Attitudinal Healing” on my August Blog listed at the end of this article.
Another person that I learned some useful life skills from is Byron Katie. Her most famous book is Loving What Is, talks about acceptance, perception, and self judgment. Freeing my inner critic allows me to love myself as I am. Whenever someone says something about me, or I perceive a written thought, I try to ask these questions: (1) Is it true? (2) How can I actually know it’s true (3) How do I react, and what happens when I believe that thought? (4) Who would I be without that thought?
Whenever I am in a personal or business relationship with someone or an organization I try to ask myself several questions: (1) Who is benefitting from this advice or decision, (2) What are this persons motives, (3) How will the actions of the other party affect my life in the future?. For example I believe that the U.S. and U.K. government was complicit in “911”. People will then ask me what and who benefitted from this terrible event? (1) The past administration was looking for a “False Flag” event to get us into a war in Iraq. (2) The UK’s BP Oil had many oil wells nationalized by Hussein that they wanted back in private hands. (3) The “Military Industrial Complex” and “Wall Street” have profited handsomely from the war. (4) Private contractors such Halliburton, Fluor, BEA, Bechtel, and KBR have received billion dollar no bid cost plus contracts. (5) Larry Silverstein, the Lessee of the WTC Towers received a $500 million net insurance settlement as a result of the building collapses. (6) The Port Authority of New York, since their construction, have been losing money on the partially occupied Twin Towers. (7) Coincidentally “Short” sellers of American Airlines, UA, and J.P. Morgan stock profited handsomely within one week of 911. The list of benefactors of “911” and the Iraq/Afghanistan wars reads like the Manhattan phone book.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff”, is another big lesson for me. I realized that over time, even death can be “Small Stuff”. Making a big deal out of many issues caused me to waste my energy, alienate others, and get myself stuck in the past.
Non violent communication in the past has been at times a challenge for me. If someone is angry at me, it is probably not for the reason they or I perceive. There is a saying I try to remember during stressful situations, it is, “I usually am never angry for the reason I think”. A conflicting situation, many times is just a catalyst to release past anger that I totally failed to deal with.
My Ten Commandments breaks down simply to the Golden Rule. I try to use the “GR” in both my daily personal and business life, and it has paid off handsomely for me in both better quality personal relationships and increased profits.
Forgiveness is probably one of the most difficult challenges I face in life. Many people are confused about the concept of forgiveness and boundaries. I forgive myself or another person so that I can be free of future anger, condemnation, and revenge. Forgiveness gives me the opportunity to have a loving, pain free life. On the other hand I am very clear about my personal boundaries, so that my potential for future pain and resentment can be minimized in the future. For me forgiveness and boundaries are two distinct, but somewhat cause and effect concepts that are related. Strong clear boundaries minimize instances that require forgiveness.
I conclusion my ultimate goal in life is “Peace and Joy”, with good health, love, close friends, laughter, adequate money, etc. are the delivery systems that lead me to my simple goal. I can always change or modify my attitude, but not necessarily external forces. I try to never take a short cut of assuming information or relying on blind faith. I need to appreciate and embrace, in atmosphere free of fear, the great innate resources that I have, called my “Emotional Intelligence” and “Critical Thinking” skills.
You may visit Harvey’s Blog and leave comments at: http://harveysrantsraves.blogspot.com/