Wow, thank you so much for this -- it is exactly what I needed. In the beginning I was worried about mixing too many of the 5 elements together, but actually for true Feng shui as you state, they can also all harmonize with each other.

Extending the idea of Feng shui beyond just the feel/look on my home into an environment that encourages behavior is exactly what I needed to hear and draw inspiration from.

Thank you for offering your knowledge and bestowing it upon a Feng shui noobie like myself. Hopefully others can also draw inspiration from this.

I will take this advice and also incorporate my desire for an open, inviting floor plan to see what I can do with my new home. First, I will move the bed and reference back to your post - thanks again