Career & Life Path – Where Am I Going?
Robert Frost said, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the road less travelled and that has made all the difference”. Having worked in global recruitment for many years, I advise young people that they will likely have many different careers and to say yes to any opportunity that isn’t illegal or hurts them or anyone else. All experience is useful and is part of our life path.
This area is often at the front door and it is where we align the Bagua Map. The natural inclination is to add diplomas and work awards, depending on the room it is in. It can also be about your path in life and even if retired, perhaps you volunteer or support others. Think more laterally about what this area should say. Our front door is in this sector and the inside is painted a dark grey. We are seeking a peaceful path in our lives these days and have put lovely prints of gentle flowing rivers, an Asian obi hanging and a French grey weather barometer. It sounds strange as I write it but the entrance is calm and chic with white walls and a small crystal hanging to ensure that the energy, the Chi, stops to enjoy the decor.
Colour and Element
The key element for this sector is Water and the Metal element is an ideal counterpart to be used in picture frames and artwork. A note, glass is also considered a Water element so mirrors and windows are considered to be ideal for this sector but remember to check what is being reflected.
The colours of black, dark petrol blue, greys and white work well as they symbolise the element of Water. It is recommended to put images that resonate with water. With art work showing water, Feng Shui practices recommend gently flowing waterfalls rather than big waves or roaring water; it is all about balance in energy and speed.
The Bathroom
In one apartment, the bathroom was in the Career area where water meets water, like a double dose. We took out an old bathroom setting including a bath and installed a large walk-in shower area. Dark grey ceramic tiles were used for the floor and white and marble tiles were placed on the wall. All to ground the water element and manage the balance of the ‘flow’ of energy rather than it rushing out of the drain. As I have said in other posts, this is the room that Feng Shui people discuss a lot! It is important to keep this area clean and fresh smelling. Feng Shui tip: place a tiny mirror next to each drain and the toilet pipe and state, ‘this mirror represents ensuring that the career energy is remaining in this area’.
The Kitchen
We have had two previous kitchens in the Career area. As always, keep the area clean, uncluttered and fresh. One kitchen had dark stone benches with a mixture of white cupboards and stainless steel. It always looked chic. Art work was hung in metal frames and accessories were black, white and grey including silver metal framed food prints.
The Bedroom
If your bedroom is in the front of the house, it is in your Career sector. Not necessarily conducive to sleep but we have all lived in places that sometimes have strange designs. As always with bedrooms, keep work, TVs, computers and electronics out of the room, this is not a work space. Hang art work that reflects shades of black, soft greys and white and match these colours in bed linen and accessories but be careful with pictures of water as it is still a place for rest and relaxation.
The Office
This one is obvious, the colours of grey and black are ideal and there is plenty of opportunity to add metal elements. It is the ideal area to display diplomas and awards. Equally, it might be an area to set up a hobby you love such as crafts, sewing, art or music. You never know, you may end up with another career.
It’s Missing!
If it doesn’t appear as a room but is in the garden, place a water feature there but ensure it has softly flowing water rather than a torrent. A metal sculpture is also ideal. It would be strange to be missing but modern architects often have novel ideas of what a home should look like.
Final Thoughts
So much to say about what is a life path, but it got me to thinking about where we are heading. I love the quote about ‘a ship in an harbour is safe but that is not what ships are for’. So many people are moving in to new chapters of life, some through no choice of their own but then that is a new adventure. How to approach it, will it work out, what about friends, so many questions to ponder. If we could go back 20 years ago, what we say to ourselves? Would we point out the good, the bad and the ugly for the next decades? Would we do anything different if we had the choice? I jokingly answered a younger friend’s question about going back to my youth. The answer was yes to being around 35 years old with the knowledge I have now. So here we are on the stepping stone to our next chapter and there is a sense of excitement and sadness at the same time as we say goodbye to one life to move forward to the next adventure.
