Dear Conscious Design Magazine

I have read a few fengshui books and gone to a few workshops.
I am totally overwhelmed and confused ! My life really needs an overhaul right now, and I just don't know where to start. Sometimes I think that fengshui has made my life more chaotic because I am now afraid to make a wrong move. Help !!!

KJ, Andover, NJ

. Dear KJ,

I really hear your distress ! The first matter at hand is to cancel out the words chaotic and afraid ! The purpose of fengshui is to enhance your life, not to add stress. Remember, not everyone has the same path in life and believe it or not, people can exist quite happily without fengshui ! All of the modalities that are available to us such as fengshui, vastu, and environmental psychology are analysis tools that we can use to make conscious design choices that empower us and make us happy.

A great place to start the process is to work with your front door !

In feng shui, the front door is the main mouth of chi (life force) for the home bringing in vital energy and opportunity to you. It is the transition point from the outside world to the inside world, and it is your private space. The front door and the area immediately when you step inside, create a first, and lasting impression about who you are, for you and your visitors.

I like to remind my students about the old television show where a check for a million dollars was brought to the door of various strangers to see how it would impact their lives. If the man with the million dollar check was in the area, would your front door attract him? Your door needs to proclaim your importance and significance in the world.

Front Door checklist:

The door should not be blocked in any way, and should be able to swing open freely. The door should not scrape along the floor.

All clutter in the front door area needs to be removed.

Repair all cracks and anything broken or neglected.

Replace old hardware with bright new hardware.

Confirm that your doorbell works and had a beautiful sound.

Supply beautiful lighting in the front entrance area, inside and out.

Replace a worn out welcome mat with a new and beautiful one. Remember, a worn out mat says that you have "worn out your welcome".

A pair of guardians supplies protection and support for the front door. Lions or fu dogs make great guardians. Keep them outside the door.

Wind chimes are often recommended as a cure or enhancement, but this can be processed through your fengshui consultant.

Red geraniums on both side of front door have been recommended to attract wealth. This is best optimized with a south facing door.

Door Color: Traditionally a red door was the color and symbol to attract prosperity- used in many churches. Feng Shui applies color to create harmony with the 5 elements of water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Most important of all, the door needs to really stand out. . If it is the same as the house, it seems nonexistent, unimportant.

Use your front door ! Almost every fengshui student has heard the words " Be a Master of your life, not a servant in it." Use the front door, not the servant's entrance. Empower yourself.

Good luck with this very big first step !
Renae Jensen
Founder Conscious Design Magazine