This week I was shocked when I woke to pictures on Facebook of my former neighborhood in east Nashville ripped to shreds by a F-4 tornado. The last two of the homes I lived in were in the direct path. The night before, at the exact time it was happening, I was extremely dizzy, nauseous, and disoriented.

I just returned from the San Francisco Writers’s Conference. It was four days of panels on anything and everything you could imagine related to writing and publishing. I felt like a kid in a candy store.

If you’ve been reading my newsletters, you know I’m branching out into publishing. My real dream is to be a legal thriller novelist and, of course, my day job is that of a self-help author. You can imagine how I was pulled in so many directions.

The other day I was sitting at a restaurant bar and overheard a conversation of two guys to my right. One had just moved out of his house as part of the divorce process. Soon thereafter, two other guys sat down to my left, also fresh from divorce.

A designated workspace is often overlooked for writers, not to mention a feng shui-ed workspace. But alas, a high-powered office isn’t only for the exec types. You too can (and need to) have a workspace set up for success.    

I’m usually a glass half-full person who veers towards seeing the positive in people and situations. But something is amiss. And I don’t think it’s just me. In talking with friends, acquaintances, and even strangers, there is a general malaise upon us that has the familiar scent of depression

A common clutter question I hear is whether it’s better to have clutter sitting out or stored behind closed doors. Both affect us in different ways. Just like we have a conscious mind and a subconscious mind, we have conscious clutter (visual) and subconscious clutter (hidden).

Studies have shown that subliminal messages can boost self confidence on and off the field using positive visual images, words, or symbols. Of course, the same thing can happen with negative messages.

Is it possible that decluttering could lead to more than just a clearer, spacious home, but also towards enlighenment? 

Whether you are buying or renting, here are some feng shui tips to be aware of before you sign on the dotted line. 

After doing many interviews over the years on feng shui, I noticed that most interviewers wanted to hear the “magic pill” stories of feng shui. Stories where people met the person of their dreams the next day, won the lottery, or got a big job promotion. I do have those stories. But, instead, I will tell you how manifesting with feng shui really works. And it’s probably not what you think.  

Do you feel like your home is taking you over? Like you have no space, you can’t get ahead of things you need Marie Kondo on speed dial? If so, it’s time to reclaim your power and become the master of your domain. 

It’s that time of year. Christmas lights, family gatherings, mistletoe, Christmas parties, and…. Unwanted Gifts. We all get that uneasy feeling when we unwrap the fruitcake, the ceramic angel fairy, or fringed elbow-padded sweater, and have to pull off our best improv performance.

Whether you are a copyrighter, a blogger, a novelist, or anyone who puts intention behind words, you are a writer. Writing is one of the most alluring of all arts. It only takes pen and paper or a keyboard. It is immediately accessible to anyone at virtually anytime of the day, anywhere. So why is it so hard to sit down and just do it?  

If you’ve been through the ringer with decluttering, then the words release and let go may be permanent fixtures on your frontal cortex. You know the verbiage: If you no longer love it or it doesn’t spark joy, then it’s time to say adios.

The planet of love, beauty, and money turns retrograde on October 5th through November 16th giving us a chance to review our relationship with all things we value. Just like an investor needs to reassess a portfolio and perhaps move things around in accordance with fluctuations, this is your time to do that as well.

You may have done numerology for your birthdate or name, but what about your home? Every house has a soul and a personality as unique as its occupants. Beyond the blue shutters or soaring ceilings, your home has an energy that is expressed through numerology.

Feeling stuck? In a rut? Do you feel like you’re on your path, off your path, on a dusty road, or maybe just taking the scenic route? Are we constantly creating new paths like Robert Frost’s The Road Less Traveled or is there a well-defined paved road we planned before we got down here? Sometimes I think free will is our ego taking weird detours.

Your home should be your refuge from the world, not an emotional minefield. It should be the one place you recharge our batteries, not run you down. Here are some suggestions on what to look for and how to minimize the potential energy drains in your home.

Most people don’t think much about the energy they put on each morning as they get ready and take off into their day. But each article of clothing you put on, in addition to the accessories, plays a role in how you feel and therefore what you attract back to you.

At the core of all our wounding is worthiness. I don’t feel worthy. I don’t feel good enough. If you've done any sort of therapy or self-help modalities, you’ve most likely come across some attempt to address your unworthiness. I am worthy. I am enough. I’m proposing bypassing this language altogether.