Stop. Take a Look Around! Live Life~Love Life WK 48

Familiarity can creep up on us like a tiger stalking its prey. Imagine you are a deer, happily chewing a mouthful of grass; you may become temporarily unaware of your surroundings and before you know it- the tiger will pounce!

Similarly, we become used to our environments and may not place too much importance on them. This is a quite a common outlook, yet our environment can so easily reflect upon our ability to work well or relax fully. Good business people work in a clear environment; likewise it is easier to relax in a clean and tidy home. A well-organized area actually inspires us to work better because we know exactly where everything is when we need to get a job done. Whether you require your pen or a duster, an organized environment saves time and is user friendly.

Good organization calms the mind. If we are continually looking at mess our heads can become hot. We can’t stand it and may well end up in an argument... all those of you with messy teenagers, small children or untidy partners will be familiar with the feeling of permanent frustration when trying to create order out of chaos... OR having to nag others continually into doing the tidying up. At work, it can be difficult to prioritize when all the paperwork is in a muddle and important documents can get lost, making us appear incompetent- similarly, if you lose your passport or birth certificate at home it will create the need for a replacement.
ABOVE: Feng shui compass
The world of interior design has infiltrated our lives, to a very large degree, through the internet and a host of reality shows. Whatever the trends, you need to feel ‘at home’ in your home and comfortable at work. Trends come and go. Besides individuals who are famous for their designs and artworks example: Laura Ashley, one of the major trends during recent years has been Feng shui with its Eastern Origins. Feng shui sounds intriguing and is clearly popular, being founded on the balance between Heavenly time and earthly space. As with other Eastern religions and practices such as meditation, it has been well received worldwide. The origins and practices within Feng shui are very complex, having religious connotations giving rise to historical outcomes. Mostly people are familiar with the Yin Yang aspects and apply these when decorating their homes, following the basic belief that it will improve their health and well-being. Whether it is any more effective than decorating your rooms to suite personal taste in ways that make you feel happy and content may be considered questionable.

As we have said before, life is always about making the most of every situation. If you live or work in an environment that you don’t like and are not in a position to change, find time to go out to places of interest... shopping at lunchtimes, strolling through the local park in the evening. If the place is a mess and the thought of tidying up is overwhelming, set time aside and do it in realistic chunks AKA bite size pieces!! The sense of achievement one tidy cupboard creates should spur you on to the next area.

Final thought, your environment is an extension of you, so show it some respect!

Jaz McKenzie

If you would like to write articles or poetry for Its Braap contact: itsbraap@live.co.uk

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