Episode 151 transcript: Feng Shui Your Life: Simple Changes That Attract Peace & Abundance with Amanda Gibby Peters

Back to the episode…

[00:00:00] Amanda: Your house is in conversation with you, or it's certainly trying to, so it understands the goals, the intentions, the ambitions, and so when you get those nudges, that is your house trying to pull you in the direction of do this, and then that can happen. So just trust those instincts a little more.

[00:00:16] Aneta: We often hear people wishing us a long, happy and healthy life, but what if the length isn't what matters most? What if instead, it's the breath depth and purpose of each day that matters most? Welcome to the Live the Width of Your Life podcast. My name is Aneta Ardelian Kuzma and join me weekly as I interview guests who made changes in their own lives to live more fully with intention, gratitude, and joy. Be prepared to be inspired by their stories of how they shifted their mindset, took courageous action, and designed the life that they always wanted to live.

[00:00:51] Welcome back to Live the Width of Your Life Podcast. My guest this week is Amanda Gibby Peters, and she's the founder and visionary behind Simple Shui, a modern mission-driven, love-based approach to Feng shui. That helps. People around the world, design spaces that support their highest potential. With a master's in professional communication in two decades of experience, Amanda is known for making the ancient art of Feng shui, surprisingly practical, refreshingly intuitive, and undeniably magnetic.

[00:01:23] She's also the author of Simply Shui for Every Day, 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life and Host of the top ranked podcast house therapy. She lives in Dallas with her husband, twin daughters, and their rescue dog, Ruby. It was such a fun conversation to talk to Amanda and I left our conversation wanting to take a look at every room in my house and say, how can I create it to be more energetically aligned and also just to bring me some more joy?

[00:01:53] We had great conversations about mistakes that people make and things that we can actually do to just really create a space that honors us and that help ground us and support the changes that we're looking for. We had such a great conversation and, I hope you enjoy it. Take a listen.

[00:02:09] Amanda, welcome to the Live the Width of Your Life podcast.

[00:02:13] Amanda: Hello. Thanks for having me. I'm super excited to have this conversation today.

[00:02:17] Aneta: I am so excited to have you here, and as soon as I knew that you were going to be on my calendar, I started following you on Instagram more closely and went to your website and the first thing I noticed, and for those that are watching everything aesthetically that you do is stunning. It's so beautiful, all the colors, and so I just wanted to let you know that every time I go to your Instagram and I see the colors and the images and your outfits and literally everything, it's just so beautiful and it's such a wonderful representation, I think, of what you stand for, and that kind of attention to detail I think is not always easy for most of us. So where did you develop your sense of taste and just this notion of just connecting it all together?

[00:03:08] Amanda: So I love that question and I have to say I don't think I've ever been asked it, so thank you you.

[00:03:14] So I am originally from West Texas, so I need to give a shout out because we do everything really big there. And so I would say that my early influence in terms of my personal style definitely came from there.

[00:03:28] So a shout out to West Texas, San Angelo. But I moved to Salt Lake City to go to school. I lived in dc I traveled the world. Obviously you pick up different influences and I just always felt like so many people, this is not unique to me that when I was really dialed into an outfit or my hair was fixed just right or the lipstick was on point or whatever. I felt better. And I will even share this story when my girls, I have twin daughters who are now 22, but when they were in kindergarten we would do the drop off in the morning and the moms would be there and they would always sort of tease, but lovingly tease me about being ready.

[00:04:10] And I'm like, but I never know what's ahead for me in the day, I would get up and get ready because it helped me have the kind of day that I knew I wanted to have in terms of even thinking about sitting down to write a blog post or just back when I was just trying to pull things together.

[00:04:25] So that has been something that I've always carried with me, and in terms of appointing my space, now I need to give a nod to my dad. Because when I was little, I was really frustrated that I couldn't go out one day to play because I had to clean my room. And he said to me, listen, Amanda, if you would just take five minutes every morning and make your bed and just tidy up, you'd be outside right away first thing on Saturday morning.

[00:04:50] And I promise you that was the beginning for me because it just clicked. And so now anyone who has ever been, a roommate of mine or stayed in a hotel with me or whatever they know Amanda makes her bed and it just sets the tone. So I think all of that sort of definitely is the fertilizer behind everything that I do today.

[00:05:13] Aneta: It's so important to actually take the time to do all those things. I think your dad sounds like my mom, who always said make the bed doesn't matter that you're going to come later, you just already accomplished something. You feel good. It becomes a habit, and I think it also makes the rest of your room, like once your bed is made, you don't want to have a mess everywhere else as well.

[00:05:32] Amanda: It's so true. Because there's such a materialistic sense out there that we now equate something being nice or beautiful, as expensive or out of reach or out of touch, and. One of the things that I really strive to do with simple shui is help people understand that there are so many opportunities within your reach right now that don't cost a thing.

[00:05:54] And not only do they edify the room where that thing's happening, like making your bed, but they change how you feel. And when that starts to compound, it changes the experiences you're having in the world and certainly in your life. It's really influential in the outcomes that you're experiencing.

[00:06:11] Aneta: It's so true. And you and I were talking even before we hit record a little bit about how people are really taking more time to focus in on their home space. Because during COVID, during the pandemic, everybody. Was working from home, everybody was suddenly in their house. And for me personally, I was just reflecting on this morning, one of the things that I always wanted was to have plants that I didn't kill in my house.

[00:06:39] And those that know, I have lots of plants in my home space. I love them so much. I talk to them. I think if I'm taking care of my plants and they look healthy, that usually means I'm taking care of myself as well because it's like a direct extension. But the other thing I did was really invested in my outdoor space.

[00:06:57] Now I'm in Cleveland. We don't have great weather like in Texas all the time, but when we have our summers, we appreciate it and for us, I wanted a pergola. I wanted beautiful flowering bushes. I wanted all kinds of flowers and now that's where I meditate every morning when the weather is nice, I sit out there and I meditate and I do yoga out there, and I do my journaling and all these things in my morning, my slow mornings.

[00:07:23] And I look at that and I think this didn't exist. This wasn't here, but it started with this vision because I had a notion of the feeling. That it would create in me when I was able to do the things that I get to do today, and I'm telling you it's even better.

[00:07:41] So for those that are looking to maybe say, it seems so overwhelming, or I don't know where to begin first. Where would you tell folks if they were just looking at their home space first and they want to create that feeling of whatever it feels like, peace or more joy, just the feel good first. Where would they start? Are there specific rooms or what are some things that they could easily do right now that, as you said, don't have to cost a lot?

[00:08:06] Amanda: Yeah, so I love that question. I want to touch on two things though, about what you just shared, because I think this is a really good learning opportunity for people. A lot of times we tend to think, if when, so if I get that bonus, if I get that raise, if I get that job, then I will create that space.

[00:08:21] I'll buy the couch, I'll fancy up my office, create the dedicated space for whatever it is, and the reverse works. You just experienced that, you just shared that like you created the space and now so many things happen there. Probably beyond what your initial inklings were.

[00:08:36] Aneta: Oh yeah.

[00:08:36] Amanda: I always say to people, you think if you have the money, then you can create the space, but you can also create the space and then the things you're trying to call in will feel more invited.

[00:08:44] The other thing I want to touch on here is one of the things I often say is I believe this wisdom, feng shui. Intentional design, however you want to look at it or handle it, is it lives in our DNA. And so a lot of times we will have instincts or this idea but because we can't back it up logically, we put it on the back burner.

[00:09:07] And I want to tell everyone, as crazy as this sounds, your house, whatever that is for you, it can be a town home, an apartment. You can be living in a room, in someone's house, you can have your own home. Whatever that is, your house is in conversation with you, or it's certainly trying to, so it understands the goals, the intentions, the ambitions, and so when you get those nudges, that is your house trying to pull you in the direction of do this, and then that can happen.

[00:09:33] So just trust those instincts a little more that is a conversation that I've spent 20 years not only having in my own home, but helping other people see and sense it. And it is amazing once you really open yourself up to that. So back to the original question of where should people start? I have three power spots. I shouldn't say they're mine. This is something that we observe in feng shui, but the front door, the bedroom, which we just touched on, and then the kitchen, and the reason that those are considered power spots is because. These are areas where energy tends to gather the most, so they have a little bit more of that wattage.

[00:10:10] And so let me just walk you through that. I think the bedroom's obvious. We spend a third of our lives in bed, so that one's not going to require a lot of understanding. But the front door is what we refer to in feng shui as the mouth of Qi. So just like our mouths where we take in nourishment and oxygen and what we need to survive our front door, the architecturally intended front door is where everything we're calling into our lives enters.

[00:10:39] And I know people will say to me I come in through a back door. I don't use my front door. So right there, ding ding. We found an easy win. Start using your front door because here's the thing, like it is this portal and just using it, just finding a reason to go out, like sweeping around it, going out to check the mail, taking the dog out for a walk, you're starting to utilize it and it is such a fabulous spot to really prime with your intention.

[00:11:09] We see this, we hear this from realtors when they talk to us about curb appeal. You've got to make your house feel inviting. That's essentially what you're doing for everything you're trying to actualize or manifest. And then the kitchen is something that we refer to as the seat of health and wealth.

[00:11:24] And this goes back to this notion that in feng shui, it was believed that if you were wealthy enough to have resource to feed people, then they would be strong and healthy, and they could go out and earn money and take care of, livelihoods. And then that would return. And it just became this really beautiful, reciprocal relationship.

[00:11:46] And so in the kitchen. We want to, if you think also about when people tell stories about their lives growing up, usually there's at least one where the kitchen is the backdrop, it's such a hearth of a home. And so by really paying attention to what you're prioritizing in that space. What you are saying about yourself, what you're creating room for, it's another potent spot.

[00:12:11] And, for me, what I see often in kitchens is this stack of cookbooks that we never use, or all of the gadgets, my favorite is the espresso maker despite, running through the coffee shop every day. It doesn't matter what something costs, if you're not using it, it's not really working in your favor. So it's always the opportunity there is an edit or an audit to get clear about what's important to you and what's really having relevance in your life.

[00:12:38] Aneta: That's so good. It's making me think about what you said about making the choice first to upgrade or to make changes. When I first started I left my corporate job and created my own business and started working from home. The front office it was really just a place where we gathered, bills and things like that.

[00:12:56] And then now I was starting to see clients there in that and I remember making the decision one day where I was like, no. In order to really feel good about that space, I am going to repaint it. I'm going to buy new furniture. I'm going to switch things around and add the plants and get new bookshelves and really go through everything, it was so time consuming, but it felt so good, and I wanted to create a space where my clients looked forward to coming because it was so relaxing, it was so soothing, and because of that, I had more pride. And so did start getting more clients. And so I love this notion of saying, okay, what do you really want? And then inviting that in.

[00:13:40] And it's making me think about my kitchen, what happens when you have a table, for example. I've had a table in there for a long time. I don't love that table anymore. It's not really my style anymore. What happens when we maybe upgrade some pieces of it, but there's something there that you're like, I really want to get rid of it, but I just haven't found the right piece yet.

[00:13:58] Amanda: Yeah, so I think that there's sometimes this misconception that it's about getting rid of everything and starting over. There's a lot of confusion around feng shui is about clearing clutter or feng shui is about minimalism, and it's not. It really is the definition, or let me say the translation of feng shui is wind and water.

[00:14:15] And wind is symbolic of energy, water symbolic of fortune. And fortune, meaning anything you consider necessary for living a good life. So when you're in the practice of feng shui, it's about aligning yourself with the energy of fortune. And so it is an ongoing conversation, and course, people will say to me I don't love anything in my house.

[00:14:35] So what do you suggest then? Sometimes that's reshuffling things so that they are able to be revived in a new space, a new purpose. Sometimes it's about saying, okay, thank you, table we've had some good years together and I'm looking for something and it's going to be time to move on.

[00:14:53] And just really acknowledging that this chapter's done and something else is coming in. Sometimes, I had this experience many years ago. In fact, I'll share this exercise because this is such a powerful exercise, if you don't mind. Okay. And it'll tie into the furniture.

[00:15:08] So, one of the first things that I learned when I was first studying feng shui was this idea of environmental metaphor. There was a physicist, and his name escapes me right now, but he said that feng shui is essentially, the intelligent use of environmental metaphor. And I love that because I was right out of grad school, communications masters and, I was like, okay, I can get this metaphor thing.

[00:15:30] And so what I started doing is walking around my house and just assigning things as I saw them. One word, no filtering, no editing, just sort of a word. And what I knew about Feng Shui. Everything is energy. Everything's connected, and so all of this energy was being communicated to me, and so what I did was I switched out the items for I am, okay, So one way you can do this is go into a space that you really love and identify the things that you love and realize those are all strengths, of yours, you can then go to a space that you feel frustrated or it feels neglected, or it just won't come together. It doesn't feel cohesive. And what are the words you describe it with?

[00:16:20] And notice that, that's where maybe you are getting in your way or where maybe things are not working as well for you. Now, the beautiful thing of this exercise is you have a template for what works well, and so now it's just a matter of applying it to the space that doesn't feel as loved. When I first did this, I had this green chair in my office.

[00:16:39] Now, we had moved from Salt Lake. We had this really cute little home on the side of the mountain, and we moved to Texas. And the homes here are big, much bigger than the house we had. Tall ceiling, so I had this little chair in my big office and it just looked so out of place. Like I was playing doll furniture but I felt like I couldn't get rid of it until I could afford something else.

[00:17:01] Like I didn't feel like, it was responsible. Anyway, so I'm looking at this chair one day and I'm describing the chair and I'm realizing. I'm not willing to take a risk on myself. I'm playing small. I'm staying stuck to my past. And I hauled that chair out myself that day, put it on the sidewalk and just set, free. And I will tell you, all the school kids that came home that day, they just all took turns sitting in it.

[00:17:28] Aneta: They're like, what's going on at that house?

[00:17:31] Amanda: It was the funniest thing to watch, but eventually someone did pick it up and I was like, I don't even need to know what's going there next. I've now created room for something to happen, and as soon as I did that, next weekend, I was at Nordstrom and they were doing a big shuffle of furniture and they were getting rid of some stuff and there were these two amazing chairs. And I was like, are you getting rid of those? And the lady said, yeah, I'll give 'em to you for 75 bucks. And I was like, done. Honestly, it was creating the opportunity for me to be open to even see that.

[00:18:10] And I think sometimes we don't realize that our attention, I mean, we're starting to understand, attention is currency, but our attention is either being supported or distracted. And so sometimes it's just figuring out where you are on that timeline. Is it time to just release something to see what new ideas show up?

[00:18:26] Is it time to have the conversation your time's limited, or is it time just to show appreciation? Because it's not really about getting rid of everything, it's just about figuring out better ways or different ways to use the things that we have.

[00:18:38] Aneta: I love everything you said about that, and I too think I hold on to certain things because I feel like it has to be the right time. And that is a way of playing small. It's not being ready to release old parts of ourselves. And maybe we've outgrown and we know we've outgrown them and we're still keeping ourselves stuck.

[00:18:56] I really am going to go remove that table. My husband's going to come home and go, where are we eating? No, I think that's awesome. I want to talk about the bedroom too, because, in our bedroom for some reason, I think the bed looks great, and then I have this tendency of just accumulating, there's the basket with the clothes that need to be put away and things like that.

[00:19:16] Do you have some daily rituals that would help just to make sure that before you go to bed the place is just clean? It's all put away. Everything is just really peaceful. There's not a lot of stuff lingering. On the floor or in baskets or, at what's that thing called at the end of the bed? Like a treasure test or something that, yeah.

[00:19:37] Amanda: Yeah. So I have a couple different rituals. One is I'm a big believer in walking your space either in the mornings or the evenings. I think that there was, a quote from Oprah many years ago where she was like, let your home rise up to greet you. And it's in that same sense of take care of your house and your house is going to take care of you.

[00:19:58] And one of the simplest ways we do that is just by walking our space. Now for someone who's in New York in a studio apartment that's obviously not hard, but for some of the people I work with, they have really big spaces, and that's a lot of new crap to cover every day. And yet, here's the thing, your energy is being impacted by every corner of your space.

[00:20:23] And so by walking your space, you just become really attuned to what needs lifting, what needs judging, what needs fixing, and it keeps you more aware of your surroundings, so when it comes to walking at the end of the day, if you choose to do it, then what I like to tie into it is figure out the five minute things.

[00:20:45] Put the dishes in the dishwasher. If there's a basket of laundry that can be put away, put it away. I do encourage a lot of my clients who promise me they have no time. Okay, let's actually time you. Let's time you right now, because we get really dramatic about not having enough time.

[00:21:00] And I love this. I feel like if you measure something, it gets managed. And so if you time how long it takes to actually unload the dishwasher, if you time, how long it actually takes to make the bed. Some of those things you start to realize. I have two minutes. I can do this. I have five minutes, I can do this.

[00:21:16] And you get things done. So what are the five minute tasks at the end of the day? Because when you wake up, that energy that you are waking up to is getting its fingerprints all over you before you go out. So when we feel frustrated and overwhelmed and already the decision fatigue has, sunk its teeth into us, it's because of a lot of the things that we just keep putting off.

[00:21:38] If you do that the night before, you get to wake up and you get to really take in the day for what it is, not what it was yesterday or last week. And so it's not easy in the sense that people don't want to hear another to do, but what happens is it starts to compound. And you start to feel better, like you mentioned about making the bed.

[00:21:57] You just feel better. And when you start to feel better, we forget that gives us a little bit more energy, and so we have that gas in the tank to get those things done. Anytime you take care of your house, it is an act of self hospitality. But here's the thing, you're also informing what type of energy is welcome in your space, right?

[00:22:16] We always talk about wanting to call money or love or opportunity and prepare your space so that it can welcome that possibility into your life that possibility will feel welcome in your space.

[00:22:27] Aneta: I love that. So if someone is listening and they are like, let's bring in the abundance, let's bring in the money. Maybe they're an entrepreneur listening, or maybe they're just want to bring in more money and more abundance. What are some of the things that they can do? Some of the first things that they could do that's rather easy?

[00:22:45] Amanda: Okay, so I'll keep this somewhat on the cost light side. I would say anytime you're looking to bring in something new and something that you're not as, let's say, comfortable with, A lot of times people love the idea of abundance, but the minute I say buy some fresh flowers, they're like, that's too expensive. Okay. We've just identified.

[00:23:05] Aneta: Yeah.

[00:23:07] Amanda: You might not be comfortable with wealth, and that's fair. So what are the things that you can do in your space to make it feel more wealth welcoming and we've just hit on quite a few of them. Taking care of your space, appreciating your space, making sure that you have something fresh out in the kitchen.

[00:23:24] It's the seed of health and wealth, so it can be a fresh bowl of fruit, but also making sure that you don't have anything that is sort of expired in the spice cabinet or the pantry or the fridge. Clearing space, like having pockets of open space is a signal I have room to receive,

[00:23:43] Now again, it's not about minimalism, but if I go into your kitchen and every counter space is covered with the espresso machine and the toaster and the blender and all cookbooks, and you don't use any of it, in fact, you tell me, I don't ever cook. If we're going to have a conversation, all of these things that are taking up space, because I want you to have that room for things to land in your life.

[00:24:08] We're going to look at your office if you have a home office, do I feel like there are competing interests happening in here? Are you prioritizing your focus, your productivity in this space. Your bedroom, are we going to prioritize rest, replenishment, romance, or do we have all of the busyness that we don't want people to see in our bedroom?

[00:24:32] I often say, your bedroom is going to tell me what you think of yourself within two seconds. And even those little nightstands, right? I often joke with people, they're those little altars of hope. We really think that everything bedside is going to change our lives. And if we're working with using the things there, fantastic.

[00:24:52] But if there are all more things to do, then that is a distraction. And it's really good to get into the habit of having some sort of regular ritual of checking in, clearing out, creating open space, deciding who gets that type of proximity to you. So those are really simple things to do. The other two suggestions that I would encourage people to consider.

[00:25:18] I'm going to always go back to fresh flowers. Anytime I'm doing a new big project or I'm doing some kind of launch, I will put a regular order of fresh flowers to be delivered, and I pick them up all the time at the grocery store, but I go through the effort of having something delivered here so that I can't get too busy or distracted.

[00:25:38] And it's that reminder of you're in the present moment. Stay here. You are worthy. Beauty matters, and it really lets me be comfortable with some of those big leaps because oftentimes the excuses we use for not buying fresh flowers are the things that are getting in the way of us having that wealth show up in our lives.

[00:25:58] So it's a way of getting comfortable with it. And then the last suggestion. Anytime we're trying to make a big change, and I always say this at the start of the year, this is a lunar New Year tip, but anytime we're calling in something big, we need to make a big change in our house. So for some people that would be buying something new and big and noticeable, but it can also be switching rooms around.

[00:26:20] It could be taking all the art off the walls and moving them into all different spaces. Like when you make big changes, you are signaling, okay, I'm ready to see things differently, and that can be really powerful in and of itself.

[00:26:35] Aneta: That's interesting. So what I heard you say too is that, if the kitchen, you have things that you're using, so maybe you do like to cook and you have a little thing with all your utensils and a teapot and all this stuff, is that okay?

[00:26:50] Amanda: Absolutely. Yeah. As long as you love what you're utilizing that's the thing. Like again, your space is in conversation with you. So if you're like, I use the juicer every morning.

[00:27:01] Aneta: Yeah.

[00:27:02] Amanda: That deserves that priority, real estate. But if you have something out like, oh, years ago people were really big into bread makers. And you're like, I've never used it. Okay. And this goes for any spot in your house if you're holding onto something because, and then you're trying to call things in. It's like ordering a new washer and dryer, but not asking them if they're going to haul the old ones away. If they don't haul the old ones away, where are you putting four appliances?

[00:27:32] You have to create the space. And so it really comes down to what is important to you and the categories I use. Do you love it? Do you use it? Do you need it? My wedding dress, this is the example I always share. I love my wedding dress. I am never going to wear it again. Probably won't fit into it, but it's never going to go anywhere.

[00:27:51] I love it. It gets to stay, right? But everyone knows the things, especially we get into closets. This is where people start to, that is telling you like, okay, I am procrastinating, I'm afraid. I am not sure. That stuff is in conversation with you too. So if you feel like you're hedging on your business, you're not showing up as fully as you want, you're not sure why people aren't seeing you, why you're not fully visible, you can start to look at your space and see where maybe you are not really aligned. Does that make sense?

[00:28:24] Aneta: Yeah, totally makes sense. And I think for me as I'm listening to you, it's being mindful and present and it's being intentional. And sometimes, there's that old expression that if there's a dead body in the living room long enough, you're just going to learn to walk over it and you won't even see it anymore.

[00:28:39] And so the same thing, like sometimes you're like, wait, why is this even here? How long has it been here? Why am I still holding onto this thing? And this happened, we were having an event in our basement and we don't usually go use the basement all the time, even though it's finished. And the last time I had a big party down there was during the holidays.

[00:28:58] So I went down there and I still had a Noel pillow sitting on a chair there, and I was like, I don't want this here. And I probably had gone down there to grab a couple things in the basement, but I hadn't spent time down there. But, okay, so I made the changes because I was too embarrassed. But I'm like, but we should do that for ourselves. And so if I did the five minute and I walked everywhere in my house, then I would've noticed it.

[00:29:23] Amanda: Yeah.

[00:29:24] Aneta: The same thing with if there's an apple that looks like it's probably on its way out, get rid of it from the bowl. And that takes a little bit of attention.

[00:29:34] Amanda: It does, and that's what's so interesting is that when you start to really okay, let's get to the bedrock of this. That's a lot of time, that's a lot of, like you said it's this effort. Okay, so then let's become more mindful about our consumption. Do we need, do we want, like I always love springtime.

[00:29:53] When you go to the plant nursery and you see everyone with the big hearts. I'm one of them. And you have all of these beautiful blooms, right? And all the ambition in the world. But I often am thinking to myself, okay, are you ready to water? Are you ready to deadhead? Are you ready to replace? Are you ready to deal with the rabbits eating Some of this? Because it's not just a bringing it in your home. I think that's where we get tripped up. We bring it in and we expect it to do all of the work. And the minute it comes in, we've just said, now I'm responsible for.

[00:30:23] Aneta: Yeah.

[00:30:23] Amanda: And so really having that filter as we consume and let things take up space in our lives. Because what I have found over the many years of doing this is most people are really looking to have more space or more time. So every time we bring something in right, we're saying I have the bandwidth to take care of it, whatever that is. And it's not about, like I said, getting rid of everything, but maybe moving forward just being really aware of everything that comes in is now a responsibility of mine, and that does tend to change the way that we shop. We consume, we think about trends, we think about the energy we're bringing into our homes.

[00:31:04] Aneta: Yeah. Do you recommend that before making purchases then that maybe we go through and just get rid of some things, donate, bless and release before we make a decision to buy something new and then try to find a new home for it?

[00:31:22] Amanda: When I first started out, I really loved that idea, like something in, something out. The way we consume now though today, I started this before Amazon was even a thing, so today I feel like we would just be really doing the landfills a disservice. But what I do recommend is still playing with that notion, okay, if I had to get rid of something to bring this in, what would that be?

[00:31:45] Again, my girls are grown, but when they were little and we were on the target aisle and they were like, I want this or I want that, I'm like, okay, when we get home, what are you going to let go of to have this? Now, initially when we first started out, they were like, I'll get rid of whatever.

[00:31:59] But as they got older and under understood that, they were like, okay, I don't want to get rid of anything, and they put it back. So really, again, just being mindful. And I think that goes with everything. If you're someone who doesn't like to take the dry cleaning over, stop buying things that need to be dry cleaned.

[00:32:14] If you don't like to make the bed, don't buy more things to put on your bed. Like this is really about getting to know your energy so that your space is supporting it.

[00:32:24] Aneta: I like that so much. And it just reminds me too, it's like our kids are grown and they've moved out and I was so excited to give them a bunch of stuff, because they live in their own apartment now and they didn't want to buy a bunch of stuff. I said just go downstairs, shop and you don't need to buy everything new.

[00:32:41] There's plenty of things that are great. But, I do think that it takes intention and time to say, you know what, I'm in my fifties and my husband and I, we have plenty of things that we don't use all the time. And I think that's the indicator is we're not having these big parties anymore. The kids' graduations are over.

[00:32:58] Because you tend to accumulate things that you use and maybe use them a few times and then you're like, I don't really need. This big coffee maker. And so do you work with as you're working with your clients, do you work with certain organizations that you really enjoy or appreciate that then can receive these items?

[00:33:17] If someone's like, okay, I want to really make a concerted effort to start to release some of these things. I don't want to throw them in the landfill. I want to make sure they go somewhere. Good. Are there any organizations that you're aware of, maybe the word not that we can contact so people can do that?

[00:33:32] Amanda: So I tend to now, especially because of Facebook and nextdoor and some of those apps, we'll look to see if there are local places that can take some of that stuff on. Shelters are always great places. There are swap, and kind of stuff. There are always opportunities based on what it is.

[00:33:53] I'll give you a really common example. This is probably one that a lot of people aren't thinking about, for people who got into acquiring all of the essential oils once upon a time and then never use them, there are people who will take those. I'm in a situation like that with a client.

[00:34:07] We're just going to do a little bit of local research, because I find that the sooner we can let it go, the better it is. Because a lot of times the doubts, the worries, the what ifs start to creep in. And so it's like, okay let's move through this as efficiently as we can.

[00:34:22] Aneta: Yeah. That's a really great idea. I want to go back to the front door because we talked a little bit about some of the other spaces. I made some changes recently, like the sweeping put new flowers out, looked at, but, tell me some of the other things that, why is the front door so important and what are some things maybe on the low cost side as well that people can do that really will help bring in that really good energy or maybe ward away any negative energy, because you said a lot of energy comes through the front door.

[00:34:48] Amanda: Yeah. So that's the thing, when you take care of your front door, you just brought up something that I think a lot of people don't think of. You are very specifically signaling, auspicious energy is welcome here, right? When things are taken care of, you don't necessarily have some of that low lingering energy gathering. So the best example story I can think of for this is when I was little, again, we seem to be talking about my childhood today, but I was little, and we're going to go sell all this stuff to raise money for the school.

[00:35:18] And if you sell this much, you'll get these prizes. So there I was selling popcorn or chocolate or whatever it was, and I was like, let's go right as soon as we get home. And my parents both worked. And so my dad would always say, okay, so if you see a house that doesn't look like anyone's home, don't go to the door.

[00:35:34] If it looks like, anything's overgrown or anything's broken down and the driveway don't go to the door, like he was giving me all that. If it starts to get dark and the lights aren't on, do not go to that door. So I had my criteria. Think about that here is this huge megawatt energy wanting to come and sell you something. Like here's the best opportunity of your life and your space is not inviting.

[00:35:57] That's what we're talking about. So it really is like think of your front door as a first impression. Think of the front door as signaling, like life is thriving here. This is just a signal of coming attractions.

[00:36:10] Aneta: Yeah.

[00:36:10] Amanda: And so from there. You hit on a lot of it, you sweep because it is a way of really just preparing the space, right? It's an out with the old and with the new. Something I love about sweeping is I've been really fortunate to travel almost, just I think every continent and everywhere I go. You always see or notice people sweeping.

[00:36:32] I feel like this is something that, again, is just in our DNA, so there is something about the inhalation and the exhalation of the day with a sweep. Color, especially if you bring in living things. It says life is happening here. Someone is coming out and watering. Someone is taking care of this.

[00:36:47] Someone cares about their space, the color, calls our attention. Energy goes where the eye goes, so anytime you have color involved, it's going to get attention. Making sure that the address is visible so people, AKA energy knows where to find you, that the lights are able to go on at ease because that really helps to manage unwelcome energy.

[00:37:09] If you think about one of the things they say in terms of neighborhood safety, leave your lights on at night. So all of these little things that you would do, if you think about what you would feel comfortable, in terms of approaching a front door, what would make you feel like, maybe I want to buy this house.

[00:37:26] Those are things that you can do. And then from there, some of my favorite things to suggest for people is, anytime you're wanting a fresh start. Get some peppermint essential oil or steep some peppermint tea, and then just, damp a rag with it and wash down your front door. That will really give your front door a breath of fresh air.

[00:37:44] I love working with cinnamon too. Cinnamon's a great essential oil, or you can work with actual cinnamon. You can put cinnamon sticks by your door. There's all different ways to work with it. Cinnamon oil along the door, but it's a way of calling in prosperity too. If you think about the holidays, right around end of October, November, especially here in the US anywhere you go, it smells like cinnamon, and that's mostly when companies go in the black, so it is very much associated with wealth and prosperity and people spending money. So that's another really great thing that you can do once you've prepared the space.

[00:38:19] Aneta: I have peppermint oil and I'm going to go do that to door today.

[00:38:23] Amanda: I love it.

[00:38:24] Aneta: Give a little bit of a sweep too. Any particular colors we should paint our front door,

[00:38:29] Amanda: No, there's this notion out there that, feng shui says you have to have a red door. And red doors are fantastic because they're going to gather you a lot of attention, but here's what's most important, so people will be like I have to have a red door, but I hate the color red.

[00:38:43] No one said you have to have a red door. It's really about understanding what the colors mean, but more importantly, that when you pull up to your space to the best of your ability, meaning what is within your jurisdiction to do that you make it a space that feels inviting to you. So if you love a purple door, if you love a shiny black door, if you love a yellow door, paint it so that you feel good because if you love it when you pull up, and that's the energy deposit. I can't beat that.

[00:39:14] I can't outdo that. And that's really what you're trying to do is to bring in and shore up as much of that feel good energy as possible. I mean that's one of the other ways we'll describe Feng shui is how do I shore up as much positive Qi?

[00:39:28] Not because you're trying to have no, negative experiences, life is going to happen. Feng shui is not an inoculation, but it really is about how do we have this healthy balance so that when the withdrawals happen, when life happens, we don't go in the red. That's what Feng shui is. It's just like managing the books.

[00:39:47] Aneta: So good. Are there any things that we should just stop doing? We talked a little bit about the clutter. We talked a little bit about making sure you're using all the things that are out making the bed. Any other things that you're like, okay, this isn't easy. Don't do this anymore. It could be blocking you.

[00:40:03] Amanda: I would say, okay, two things. One, be mindful of Google School and like good feng shui, bad feng shui. That's just a marketing tactic. And I say that because a lot of my dms will fill up with, I read this, what do you say? And I'm like, I have no idea the context, I can't answer that question.

[00:40:23] So I say to people is if you read something bad then challenge yourself to name three ways that could be incorrect. And if you can't, then you probably don't know enough to believe that it's actually bad. Like really hold yourself accountable for that. Run the wisdom through your own filter.

[00:40:39] And then the other thing is, I would say be mindful of those trends list. What's in, what's out? I know that's a really great way to get views and things like that, but I think it has people consuming and buying things that don't feel aligned. Again, I'll go back to anyone's closet, when we go in, a lot of times we have things that we'll still have tags on them or things that we bought but we've never worn or we wore once.

[00:41:02] And a lot of that comes from maybe we're shopping when we're not in our best self energy. And so we're buying from like compromised versions of ourselves. And so when we go into the closet, we don't feel a match to it because maybe our mood's improved or so keeping in mind those trends are the same way. Like you might feel like, I'm going to get that, because that's the thing to have. But if it doesn't feel true to you, then you're going to feel that incongruency. So I just say, if you love it, go for it. But if not, then just let the trend pass because trust me, it's going to.

[00:41:35] Aneta: I love that. I think that's so great. Amanda, tell me how people can best support you if they're like super curious. I know that you have a lot of services and offerings. What's the best way that they can find you and also support you?

[00:41:49] Amanda: So I'll tell you a couple ways to dive down the rabbit hole. Because once you hear a Feng shui conversation, usually that's what you're looking for. Where can I learn more? So my site, simpleshui.com, I've had that since 2008. So there is a blog that goes way back till then. So there's so much information over there and different ways you can work with me.

[00:42:09] Instagram, which is at Amanda Gibby Peters. There's a lot of content there and you can learn so much if you just scroll and read posts. And then I would also say my podcast house therapy. Those are usually 15 to 20 minute episodes. But there's a lot of explanation, and again, anytime you can get access to expertise, it helps make things feel super accessible. And so that's a really great way to feel more confident. Understanding and working with Feng shui.

[00:42:37] Aneta: Oh, that's wonderful. And you have a book.

[00:42:39] Amanda: I do have a book, Simple Shui For Every Day. Yeah, it's a 365 ways to work with feng shui. There's a tip for every day. It is not calendar specific. People always ask that. It's not, when I first came into Feng Shui, I was like, I just want to keep doing stuff, but I didn't want to have to read, and I eventually did read everything, but like I didn't want to keep reading books to figure out what tip. And so when I did the book, I was like, okay, so if someone's like me and they're just like, give me a different tip every single day, this helps.

[00:43:10] And it helps you start to understand this conversation. It helps you to start feel like, okay, my house is having an influence on me, but I can have an influence on my house too. So yeah. That's a great resource.

[00:43:23] Aneta: I am getting that book because my book is also a post for every day and people are busy and sometimes we just consume so much, but we don't apply it. But if you have something that you read and you're like, I can take action on this right now and it'll make a difference. Imagine at the end of the year, what happens when you've gone through all of them.

[00:43:43] Amanda: Yeah. And it's also easy for metabolizing, like you're not trying to remember a ton of information. You're like, okay, this is the one thing.

[00:43:49] Aneta: Yeah, it's manageable. Wonderful. We are going to include all of those in the show notes. And I know you have something for the office specifically, so I downloaded that, which I'm super excited to go through. The final question I want to ask you, Amanda, even though I could talk to you for hours, is what does it mean to you to live the width of your life?

[00:44:07] Amanda: So I love that question. I've listened to your podcast. I've been thinking about that and I just turned 50 this year and so I would say that for me, what that is now is, it's twofold. One, saying no more to things so that I can say yes to the experiences and the stories that I want to tell for like this next run, like it's really getting better at the no. So I can say yes.

[00:44:32] Aneta: I love that answer so much, subtract, add and that aligns to feng shui, which is so good. I have loved our conversation. I love the work that you're doing, everyone. Should really follow you on Instagram. I'm telling you, it is just like a daily dopamine hit, just looking at the images and of course, there's such wonderful content, not just in the images themselves.

[00:44:53] I really appreciated our time and I just wish you continued success, Amanda.

[00:44:57] Amanda: Thank you so much. I appreciate the conversation. This was fun.

[00:45:01] Aneta: Thank you for listening to today's episode. If today's conversation inspired you to dream again, break out of your comfort zones or reflect on what it means to you to live more fully, then please follow this podcast because every week you'll hear more stories from people just like you who took imperfect action towards their goals, created more joy and are living the life that they always dreamt of living.

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