January/February 2012 issue of the Massage Message

Choices and Comfort

I do not usually read blogs but was taken with the practicality of the tips for personal comfort in the following:

“Top 5 Feng Shui tips for your living and working spaces
1. Arrange your furnishings so that you are in the power or command position. This means that you have the support of a solid wall behind you and full view of the room in front of you.
2. Eliminate clutter.
3. Bring in a plant or two to improve the air quality and remove toxins.
4. Increase the amount of light through the use of additional light fixtures and lamps or open the curtains! Light energizes and activates a space.
5. Have a view of something inspiring. This can be a picture, a beautiful piece of art, a plant, or the view out a window. What you see is less important than how it makes you feel…find something inspiring to motivate and energize you.
© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com”

All of these are based on the human need for security, order, light and inspiration. As we start a new year, I would like to take these simple principles under advisement. Not New Year’s Resolutions because those are too easily forgotten. This is more like spring cleaning where you will be happier when you are done.
I went to the AMTA Convention in Portland, Oregon in October. While there I met many friendly faces who also sponsor, exhibit and attend the FSMTA conventions. I was pleased to see the Florida Chapter Meritorious award given to George Schwind. There were also many special anniversaries for 25 through 50 year memberships. George and many of the other Floridians listed in the AMTA awards are also long-time members of FSMTA. Indeed, I have kept both memberships since 1999. I feel that both organizations are working on our behalf and the AMTA also keeps an eye on the happenings in other states. Sometimes that is the best way to feel the pulse of our profession. Dual membership was probably even more prevalent in the time before 2008 and subsequent downturns in the economy. While I was at the convention I was also thinking about what we needed to do to make our FSMTA convention better. There were several things that AMTA was doing that I think will resonate with our membership. They had a special luncheon venue for “First Timers”. This was for first time registered attendees, current National Officers and past National Presidents. This gives the new comers a chance to sit and talk with the present officers and past presidents who are attending the convention. They also made a special session to address the benefits of AMTA membership. This was an in-depth session with a segmental presentation that allowed questions during each portion.
One very disconcerting thing happened in Oregon. Did you know that Oregon and New Jersey both forbid the pumping of gas for anyone other than gas attendants? I was summarily issued a request to get back in my car when I pulled up to a pump and walked back to the credit card reader. Look it up on the web. Their reasoning is somewhat skewed but apparently the voters of the states of Oregon and New Jersey do not wish to change this law. I also found that the best way to get around Portland was by Tri-Met their transit system.
I looked at the questionnaire that Lynn Hupp sent out regarding what it would take to get people to attend convention. The primary barrier is cost and even though we have tried to cut every corner we know how, we still cannot claim to be the cheapest solution. Beware, however, those who claim to be the cheapest. They are hiding the true total costs and do not have a member rate that includes food, classes and entertainment. The old saying about location, location, location is still true. We tried to spread our conventions north to south and either had a very poor turnout or found ourselves in an even more expensive arena. Many of you also asked for more “in-depth” classes. Our experience with this was also not good. I agree that the introductory classes that we offer both at the chapter and state convention are sometimes too commercial. Of course you see the logic of the presenter. They want to offer a long seminar about the modality that has much more proprietary information and a commensurate cost. Unfortunately, we are gaining the reputation among the CE providers that they cannot fill the courses they offer around the state and they cannot afford the cost of travel, etc. Elisa DiFalco is our Educational Standards Chair and I am sure she will continue to solicit both CE providers and member suggestions for the 2013 convention. While I have explained our rationale for the current convention structure, I am sure we need to continue to revisit our concepts so that we do not become dinosaurs. We have already planned the basic structure for the 2012 convention and will be letting you know soon so you can plan for the June 27-July 1,2012 Convention at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
There is a little excerpt from Robert Burns’ To a Louse that sometimes pops in to my head when people are getting way too upset about small problems.

O would some Power the gift to give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!

I understand that we are all egocentric for the main part. But what we do often affects the lives of many. Try to step back and see the big picture of how all of the members of our profession both give and take. I started this article with the allusion to feng shui because I believe that is comfort and repetition that most calms our fears. We need to learn from our past, embrace our present and look forward to the future.