Episode Notes

Today is Memorial Day to honor those who have died while serving in the U.S. military.  Commemorate this day as you see fit whether attending memorial services, gravesites, participating in parades, working, or gathering with family and friends. We honor those who have served with prayers, peaceful energy, and humility.

______________________

Julie Ann Segal and I have known each other since 2017. She participated in one of my 12-month WeMentor LABs to evolve how she led as she redesigned Metro Interiors, her business. In March 2019, we did a WeMentor Mini LAB: Designing Your Office, Home, and Life with Vision Boards. This was where I learned about Feng Shui, a four-thousand-year-old Chinese philosophy used to create balance and harmony in ourselves and the environments through the art of placement.

Feng means “wind,” and Shui means “water,” two elements we can integrate into our spaces to balance and harmonize the energy around us. Julie Ann introduced us to new ways of putting a vision board together. She is doing some ‘live’ local vision board classes in June and August 2023.

Julie Ann joined me for two podcast conversations about the concepts she now has in her new book Change Your Space to Change Your Life: elevate your energy with Feng Shui, one room at a time. You can purchase her book beginning July 8, 2023. Both discussions can be found in this Episode’s Resource section at wementor.com. Type Julie Ann Segal in the search bar, and this episode will appear.

There are three ways to live with intention: energy, design goals, and tools. In this, our third podcast conversation, Julie Ann shares design inspiration from Change Your Space to Change Your Life.  We begin with Julie Ann’s writing journey and then discuss the first part of Julie Ann’s book about Living with Intention—the foundation of feng shui and design.

Caroline Patrick Bor-Nei, a master educator of Feng Shui and author of Diary of a Feng Shiu Consultant and Visual Artist, writes this. “Julie is truly a special, unique, and talented designer who has devoted her career to learning from the most valued master teachers about the art of placement, known as Feng Shui. Her ability to understand these ancient teachings is of great benefit to her clients during these modern-day challenges. Combining her knowledge of design, Feng Shui flow ideas, and a pure heart, her book reveals these qualities that can be incorporated into your living and working spaces.”

Julie Ann Segal is an interior designer, Feng Shui consultant, and the owner of Metro Interiors, a design firm dedicated to creating beautiful spaces through mindfulness, energy, and intention.  Blending the ancient art of Feng Shui with various contemporary Interior Design practices, Metro Interiors redesigns spaces to reveal environments rich in comfort, beauty, balance, and harmony. Always on the cutting edge, Julie Ann’s dynamic approach utilizes styles from eclectic to classic, modern to traditional. She wants to bring this into your spaces.

ENERGY

Did you know our thoughts go into our spaces? I recall Oprah Winfrey describing a sign above her office door that said, “You are responsible for the energy you bring into this room.” This is why grounding our energy and clarifying our intentions are so important.

Julie Ann’s writing journey began with a thought as a teenager. Decades later, a wiser Julie Ann has a lot for you to discover as you change your space to change your life. Below are some of the benefits Julie Ann and many of her clients have experienced from a Feng Shui practice.

• Reaching your goals faster
• Enhancing your wealth
• Having more peace in your life
• Letting go of the past
• Lifting your spirits or inspiring you
• Improving your health
• Giving you more energy

Her book is timely as we continue to create a work/life balance from the home office. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we lost our private spaces when everyone started working from home. Julie Ann did too. We discuss how she prepared her home for home officing. I love how she unified her workspace through color in two different areas of her home. Every inch of her house and garage follows the concepts and principles of Feng Shui she teaches her clients.

I received an advanced copy of Julie Ann’s book. It shows her dedication and ability to follow through on what she envisions for her life, no matter the difficulty. She has helped my family change our lives by changing our home’s front and back entry spaces. I appreciate being part of her awe-inspiring life and her journey to becoming an author.

In the introduction, she writes, “My inspiration and excitement for life come from an inner knowing that there is more to living than what we can physically see and touch. We can tap into that knowledge not only through intuition and the mystical arts but by becoming more aware of the seeming coincidences of everyday life.” Julie Ann illuminates her point by sharing her story of intuition and Feng Shui at an early age.

Mike Dooley, New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Possibilities, wrote of her book. “Julie Ann Segal’s fun and practical approach to Feng Shui will inspire you to create spaces that raise your vibration and support positive growth in your life. Her approach to the art of Feng Shui makes the design process simple, lovable, and easy to follow.” We discuss how she knows Mike Dooley.

Julie Ann invited me to volunteer at a Mike Dooley event at the Mall of America before Covid-19. Mike and Irish Mystic Lorna Byrne spoke about angels and mysticism. We discussed what we learned about Guardian Angels. Lorna wrote a must-read book if you want to know about Angels called Angels in My Hair: The True Story of a Modern-Day Irish Mystic.

James Van Praagh is a master teacher and spiritual medium. He acknowledged Julie Ann’s book in this way. “In Change Your Space to Change Your Life, Julie gives a very practical approach in mixing known ancient tools together with a crisp designer’s wisdom and instructs how you can enhance your life by altering your personal environment and, in turn, creating the greatest life you ever dreamed possible.” James Van Praagh influenced the title of Julie Ann’s book. This is worth hearing.

Julie Ann writes, “We are surrounded by an energy field that experiences constant motion and vibrations. We discuss how our rooms make us feel and impact how we show up. Feng Shui consultants have understood energy (chi) intuitively for thousands of years, and the study of quantum physics is beginning to prove what Feng Shui consultants have long known: we are all part of a great universal energy field. We are intimately connected to our surroundings.” 

DESIGN GOALS

How does one create harmonious energy? Julie Ann suggests decluttering. I like the idea of filling one paper grocery bag each week with items you no longer use or love. I have one brown paper bag partially full in my closet right now. I am inspired to finish it and thoroughly declutter my clothes closet.

In Chapter 2, we are introduced to designing with goals. With every goal comes resistance. A client of Julie Ann’s, John, went through a divorce. She talks about his dilemma with his daughter and how she helped him improve his relationship with her by redesigning several spaces. You’ll find out what he learned from working through his resistance. A story worth hearing. 

TOOLS

Julie Ann’s three ways to create harmonious energy are:

1. Allow for flow/movement in your space and prevent stagnant or blocked energy. Take a walk through your home. Does your furniture arrangement appear inviting, or are certain pieces preventing you from moving freely in the room? Do certain rooms feel crowded with furniture, knickknacks, or other items? Are objects placed behind doors or obstruct natural walkways, thereby blocking energy?

2. Surround yourself with what you love so it resonates with your vibration (doesn’t feel “off”). Think about your home. Does it reflect meaningful memories from the past? Does it also remember who you are today and who you want to become? Are you holding on to objects you haven’t used in years that hold no meaning for you or have negative associations? Letting go of items that are unused, broken, or no longer speak to you can free up time, energy, and space.

3. Motivate and energize yourself. Use this renewed energy to propel your self-improvement journey. Remember: Your mind and body are intrinsically linked to your space. Treat your body as you would your home–with love and respect. That means tuning in to its needs, nourishing it, and understanding when to make changes.

To awaken more possibilities in your life, try Julie Ann’s meditative Do-Be-Have writing exercise that helped me clarify this next phase of my life. This exercise is useful to do each year. Scroll down to the C.A.L.M. activities section for details.

Take a Saturday morning to create a Vision Board for the next part of your business and life. Locally, Julie Ann has two options for you: June 17 and August 26, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Plymouth Community Center. Email me, and I will get you signed up. Plus, you will get a free copy of her book, Change Your Life to Change Your Space. DOWNLOAD