Chinese New Year 2012

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone.

Monday, January 23rd is the first day of the Chinese Year of the Dragon.
A great day to eliminate any remaining clutter, especially clutter in your
writer's work space. Clutter can distract you. Clutter allows your brain
to lose focus. For a variety of reasons, and for everyone, but especially
for writers, it behooves you to always keep your focus strong. As a writer,
it will help you to become more productive, and your writing will flow more
efficiently and smoothly.

Last year I wrote an article, which was published,  about using Feng-Shui 
principles and techniques to help anyone to eliminate clutter. No need to
"believe" in Feng-Shui, it is not a belief system. Just use what you want and
leave the rest. As a graduate student of various cross cultural healing modalities,
while living in South-East Asia, I studied, learned and practiced many things,
Feng-Shui  among them.

When I returned to reside in the United States, I wrote a brief course curriculum,
then taught the basics of this time honored process to metaphysical students.
These men and women were eager to learn how to improve their environment,
and to learn various techniques for improvemnt and healing in other areas of their
 lives. While there is more than one school of Feng-Shui,  both of them give
extraordinary benefits and results when their techniques are applied correctly.

Without exception, all the students who used the principkes and the tips provided
in the course were successful. In all of their applications, they met their specified goals,
achieving the results they desired. Each one of them, even the skeptics, discovered that
Feng-Shui works!  It has been around since the second to fourth century BCE. Just as
opening a window allows fresh air to circulate, decluttering makes space for new energy
to circulate. Please enjoy the excerpts from  my article provided below, I hope you find
them as useful as others have. Please let me know how well it worked for you. Until next
time, know that you are full of unlimited energy to create, so plan to use it wisely.

Feng-Shui Decluttering

While Feng-Shui may appear to be complex, its application for decluttering is simple:
If you don't use it, eliminate it. That means donate, recycle, renovate or discard.
Once you resolve to purge your clutter, where do you begin?

• Remove all obstacles for the free circulation of  "chi" (life energy)  from each area of  your home or office work area.
• Clear clutter first. then clean before painting, renovating or using Feng-Shui "cures."
• Begin in the front hallway
• The next most important is the center of the home or office area, as this is related to health
• Use the basic shape of the Feng-Shui bagua to "divide" each room or area into 9 sections.
• Work on only one section at a time for 18-27 minutes.  Schedule 3 of these "chunks" of time for each day. Do not exceed these time limits. Work on only one area or room at a time. Continue sessions until that area is clutter free. "Chunking" makes decluttering more manageable and also avoids having any feelings of being overwhelmed by the task.
• Just as removing weeds enhances the splendor and benefits of a garden, decluttering restores beauty and order to your indoor environment.
• The old adage "a place for everything, and everything in it's place" holds true, as does "less is more."
• Try it and see!

Second Mondays

The first Monday of  2012 consisted of what I term a "Meeting Monday." Attending a staff writer's meeting is the morning event of the first Monday of each month. Afternoons and evenings on these days are most often used for my meeting with those to be interviewed, then additional research and follow up on new ideas and/or new or previous writing assignments. A full day, so no  post occured here to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year. For 2012, those are my wishes for you and all folks on the Second Monday of the New Year.

Second Mondays in future blog posts will be reserved for reviews of articles. books, and/or blogs recently found to be helpful in enhancing and expanding my creativity.  If you schedule time to investigate these reccommendations, perhaps you will experience the enhancement and expansion of your own creativity,

The first of the above wishes, is "Happy."  Today the suggestion is that you take some time in the next week to consider exactly what that word means to you. What constitutes your sense or feelings of being  happy? How do you define happiness? What will it take to make this a Happy Year for you? Of course this requires us to think! Trust that your brain will be happy with the exercise. Next, write your insights down. Think about them some more, and then take some action in the direction of what "Happy" is for you. Sounds simple. It is. Like Nike says, "Just Do It."

"Healthy and Prosperous" will both be adressed in future blog posts. Do you have goals relating to your health and/or prosperity for this year? Are these goals  written down? Have you set specific dates for accomplishing them? What action will you take to assure you reach your goals in these areas?

As professional writers or wanna-be's, we know or ought to know, about the importance of goal-setting to activate our success quotient. Any goal must be in writing, have our intention to commit to it, a date/time set for it to be accomplished, and then consistent action taken in the direction of each goal to demonstrate the seriousness of the stated, written committment.  That being said, a subset of this worthwhile agenda may involve several other items designed  to assist you in achieving your goals. such as creating mind maps, vision boards, using creative visualization techniques, meditation, and if you are so inclined, prayer.

 It may also involve other people. In the latter instance, it is now known that if your share your goals with other supportive people, you are more likely to attain them. Make note of the word supportive because it is vital to your success. Share your most important writing goals with your writer's group, a critique buddy, or a supportive friend. You may wish to consider sharing your writing goals by posting them as a comment on this blog. Your positive goals will be acknowledged and supported here.

Also, it is not too late to join in the writer's exercise ROW80. It involves sharing  your writing goals with other writers, and writing about in on your blog. (Yes, you must have one.) ROW80 is realistic and keeps in mind that you have other things to accomplish in your life every day. Find out more about this and how to begin at ROW80 or on Jenny Hansens's  informative blog, COWBELL.

That's all for today's Second Monday. As the Mayan people say when bidding someone farewell until the next time, "Cheb'i," which when translated means "Take it slow!"

The Creative Writer

All writers are creative, it is only only the degree of creativity which varies. That is true of all writers on any given day, or possibly any given hour or minute. Creative energy can flag as well as surge. How to keep that energy  flowing at optimum levels is the subject of my recent research. Tips to stay in the flow, and help your writing glow will be posted here periodically. How you stay optimally creative will be welcome in comment form on this blog. If you are a writer, you are welcome here. If you are not yet a writer, but currently a "wanna-be," you are also welcome here at the Writers-Sphere. Enjoy!