THE POWER OF 1

"The Power of 1 --
The First Numeral's Ability to Change Your Life"

by Kathryn Weber


Feng shui is often called the Chinese “art of placement.” But it is deceptively deep.

There is so much depth to feng shui that at first blush it’s easy to just chalk it up as a decorating method or fun esoteric technique.

Feng shui is related to time, space, elements, colors, shapes, numbers, people, and parts of the body. It’s a way for understanding and categorizing energy that is difficult to understand.

We discover the “qualities” of energy by learning and knowing feng shui. It’s those qualities that makes important distinctions for us.

A man once wrote and asked me what possible difference could there be between a candle and a light bulb because I recommended light in a location, but not fire (candles). I explained that it is the quality of light that is the distinguishing factor.

Think about it: a light bulb will light up a room, but even the tiniest candle could burn down a whole house. Understanding these fine philosophical and physics-related differences isn’t what’s important – it’s the implications they have on your life that is.

The number one relates to the north and to water. It is associated with the wave shape. That’s because even one small change can create big waves!

The number one is a special number in feng shui because it relates to transformation.

When you want to make a change in your life, usually it's just one thing you want to do, like diet, or exercise, or meet someone, find a job or stop biting your nails.

So, let’s talk about what the Power of One means to you and how you can harness its power to bring about more results, more success and more focus in your life.

1. One small change creates many outcomes.

Dietitians often recommend patients make one small change to their diet rather than a sweeping one that is impossible to keep up. In cutting out just one thing from their diet, such as soft drinks, patients can see a remarkable change in many areas, such as looks, weight, the way his or her clothes fit and the way others see them.

There are many ways you can apply this “one small change” tactic.

Each day do one small change and over time, you will see how this can impact your life.

What’s one small change you can make – a 10 minute walk at lunch, giving up morning lattes, organizing one drawer a day?

2. Singular focus brings big results.

We have been taught to believe that, like the cat in the poster on a unicycle balancing plates in one hand, and bouncing a ball in the other, that in order to be effective, you must multitask.

This could not be further from the effectiveness truth.

According to the journal NeuroImage, doing two things at once cuts down your effectiveness to do either thing well. The problem is that we all fall prey to the trap of the “law of excluded alternatives,” that in doing one thing, we are not doing fifteen other things.

Try this instead:

a. Do one task at a time and don’t get distracted until it’s complete.

b. Pick one single goal for the day, week, or year to focus on and work at.

c. Stop distractions like email audible and visual alerts – these break your concentration.

3. Problem solve.

Typically there is only one single problem that stands in the way of our happiness and effectiveness. See if you can answer the following questions:

a. If I handled_________________my life would be instantly happier.

b. If I removed ___________________from my life, everything would be better.

c. __________is the one thing that stands in the way of feeling good about myself.

Working to resolve the one major thing in your life that frustrates you is very powerful and freeing. What’s the one thing standing in your way?

4. Concentrated feng shui.

If you have something big you need to accomplish, you need Single Minded Determination. This concentration follows the principle of compounding feng shui. If you have an east-facing house that’s painted brown, your kua success direction is east, and you face east at work, you are compounding, or concentrating, your feng shui.

Use single-minded determination to remain focused on one thing and refuse to be distracted. Make all your efforts at completing that task, whether that’s running a marathon, cutting out credit card debt, working on your business or gaining better health.

Being single-minded can take you far.

5. Skill and accomplishment.

When we learn a new skill and have an accomplishment, there is a tremendous shift in our inner selves. We perceive ourselves as better and more competent. What’s something that you would like to learn or accomplish? Maybe learning a foreign language, a computer software skill (both of these help advance careers and business, both!) or travel to a new and completely foreign-to-you location – maybe Japan, Iceland or Peru.

Pick one thing and then get good at it or get going to it!