Are you in constant contact but are never really connected? Do you email, text message and play endless phone tag with no results or no satisfaction just more messages? Are you more intimately involved with American Idol, the cable guy and your iPod and iTunes than you are with your family and friends?
The high-tech world of isolationism and indifference continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Now don't get me wrong a great service is being provided by all of this wonderful technology. It certainly works great for those of us that like to order products, do research online and provide or receive information quickly. Technology gives us the ability to instant-message, send emails around the world in a heartbeat, watch the space shuttle land in real time anywhere on planet earth and download the latest music for your listening pleasure - but at what price?
Do Relationships Suffer
Is it possible this is just a generational thing - or is something going dramatically astray in both the personal and business communications and relationships arena? Are we, and have we been creating at least two generations of loners - adults, families, employees and children - who are so technologically oriented that they no longer know how to interact with family members, teachers, peers and bosses in a personal face-to-face manner?
Are relationships between children and parents suffering in this impersonal, pre-recorded faceless world because there no longer is any real connection with each other no time to talk, no hugs, and no direct interaction? Are client/business relationships suffering because there is no eye contact, no telephone conversation where you can hear the receptiveness of the voice on the other end, and no visual body language to observe? Are you, your children, your employees so electronically connected and/or isolated that you are have no meaningful connections? The result:
emotional isolation
loss of clients and business
loss of interpersonal communication skills
loss of connection between parents and children
a collapse in the ability to communicate with civility
an unbalanced life.
Some Feng Shui Solutions
All technology is very hard impersonal energy. The more time spent with electronic equipment, toys and tools, the higher the yang energy and the further one spirals into the world of isolation and indifference and total unbalance. Several suggestions based on Feng Shui principles follow to help build a bridge of balance from high-tech to emotional connection.
1. Offset the high-tech time by setting aside at least two hours per day where you are not wired or connected electronically. Reserve that time to connect through one-on-one conversations with family, children, friends, clients or co-workers.
2. Because communicating electronically is so very impersonal, surprise a loved one or client with an actual phone call instead of "texting" or emailing. If you receive a phone message from someone return it. You automatically receive some satisfaction or emotional connection through hearing the message but the person that called is still electronically impoverished, waiting for your return call.
3. Stop, look and see. Look at what is going on around you, in your surroundings, with your friends, with your children see what is happening in your environment. Actually observing firsthand creates an emotional connection. This provides much needed grounding energy the yin type tactile energy needed to balance the high yang energy.
4. If you know you will have a really high-tech day, wear clothing that will provide you balance. The clothing best suited to do this is loose fitting but not baggie and in varying shades of earth tone colors not too bright. They will provide you much needed peaceful grounding energy.
5. If your daily routine is filled with computers, television, iPods, cell phones and a countless number of other electronic devices, make sure the colors on the walls of your office or home and your furniture provides you balancing energy. Furniture should be upholstered in soft earth tone colors or should be natural wood. The walls can also be light earth tone colors or light green.
These same suggestions apply to children as well as adults. When a child is exposed 24/7 to high-tech games, toys, television and instant communication tools, they become hard-wired high energy and very disconnected from their surroundings, parents and any symbol of authority. While all of this technology provides a great babysitter it also limits the child's ability to communicate and connect with others.
Yes, our wonderful advances in technology have provided us much in the form of instant communication and being in touch. However, great care much be taken as we are learning to use it to compensate for its hard edged impersonal energy.
The place to begin is by being aware of its downsides - and then creating balance through using a few basic Feng Shui principles.
Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2008
Pat Heydlauff, President of Energy-by-Design ( www.energy-by-design.com ) and Feng Shui expert, is a consultant, inspirational speaker, columnist and award-winning artist. She has been consulting with individuals, families, and companies since the early 1990's, with clients ranging from California to Florida . In addition, she speaks at corporate and organizational functions, and gives seminars to enhance productivity. Pat Heydlauff can be reached at (561) 799-3443, or at balancingenergy@energy-by-design.com.
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