I had a call one day from a very nice young gentleman who seemed almost hesitant to tell me what was on his mind. Only after much persuading did he explain that he had read an article about me in a local daily and was contemplating seeking my advice but was afraid that my charges would not be affordable for a wage earner like him. He was concerned over the Feng Shui of his cubicle at work. He couldn’t change any of his office’s Feng Shui but he was interested to know how he could maximise the Feng Shui of his cubicle.

He briefly explained his cubicle set up and his Feng Shui issues. He felt he lacked support at work, especially since his back was to a window. So, he had placed a tortoise figurine behind him. He was also thinking about sticking a mirror to his PC to ‘reflect’ some so-called Sha Qi that he felt was emanating from behind him. You see, as with most offices, the changes he could make to his work area were extremely limited. I have always believed ‘NEVER let what you cannot do interfere with what you CAN do’.

Coming back to the young man in the cubicle - it’s a common fallacy that sitting with a glass window behind one’s back indicates a less than ideal sitting position. Feng Shui is a study of Qi and how Qi flow affects the residents. If the Qi in your environment is good, you will definitely want it to come in any way it can, including the window.

The only exception to this rule would be when there is a sharp edge from the outside angled at your window behind you, a straight road coming straight at the window, having stagnant or dirty water just outside the window or nearby and if there are other negative Feng Shui structures in the vicinity of the window.

“But I was under the impression that the glass at the back will leave my back exposed and bad energies will affect me?” insisted the young man.

My point exactly. IF there are negative energies, yes they may affect you but if there are none and you instead have positive energies, why would you not want these to come in (from the window) and influence the Qi in your cubicle?

My next suggestion to him was to not bother about the mirror. Mirrors are not considered a primary Feng Shui cure. If there is negative Qi coming from the glass window, the mirror will have nothing more than a negligible effect on it. A better and often more effective idea is to simply keep the blinds of that window closed.

Many people often overlook one very simple point: Are you facing your favorable directions? Favorable directions help heighten your work performance. If you’re already tapping into one of your good directions, then the glass behind your back should be no great cause for concern.

Apply this quick system of points to gain some perspective on this matter. If you are facing your best direction (Sheng Qi), your Feng Shui point score is 100 points. Let’s say having a window behind you now causes you to lose (at most!) 20 points - you’re still ahead by a luxurious 80 points!

Not bad at all is it?

At times, fear can do more harm than anything else. It often places a mental restriction on a person and causes him to perform a lot less better than he really can. In 8 out of 10 cases that I have seen, it’s psychological hurdles that hold back many people and not their Feng Shui.

Here are a few useful guidelines that can be applied for Cubicle Office Feng Shui:

• If you are familiar with Xuan Kong (Flying Star) Feng Shui, and you have an opportunity, find a location in your office that supports your work. This need not necessarily mean hogging the area where the Facing or Sitting star #8 is located (although that is a good idea); you can just as well tap into the energies of the 4-1 combination if you are in marketing to keep you in peak performance. You can also tap combinations like #1-#6 for professions related to managing, engineering and administration. Each combination in Xuan Kong can serve a particular job function.

• Selecting a suitable, favorable facing direction while working is yet another important and effective method for cubicle Feng Shui. If you’re a little uncertain about this, use the Eight Mansions Calculator at masteryacademy.com to find out your Best Direction or Sheng Qi.

• Finally, take note of the annual and monthly influences of Qi and take the necessary precautions (or capitalize upon opportunities where possible). By far, this is the best advice I can give you – know what’s coming and be prepared for it. Much of Feng Shui does not always depend on a physical object or item as ‘cure’ but rather the person’s personal actions and deeds.

For example, assume the #3 star flies into your cubicle for the month. You then already know that arguments, misunderstandings and disagreements are bound to crop up. So what should you do? Moving out is an option, or you can always try some quick re-decorating using the color red to weaken the #3 star, but if neither of this is an option, then simply practice self control. Take note of your actions and attitudes and even if the Qi makes you a little cranky this month, a little restraint will go a long way towards ensuring harmony between your colleagues. Personal action is possibly the most effective and practical answer when it comes to Feng Shui ‘cures’.

There’s no substitute for hard, smart work and a positive attitude when it comes to climbing the career ladder. But combine all this with good Feng Shui and you’ll improve your chances for a meteoric rise to the top.