Are things falling apart around you?

Or, does it seem like your foundation could use some shoring up?

The times we are in require a firm foundation because many things seem to be shifting below and around us. In fact, some of us may feel that our whole life has been shaken (and even broken) up.

While having your life torn apart (by the economy, relationships, or hardship) is never easy, it presents an opportunity. We have the chance to choose what we will do next!

• If you stay at the site of brokenness, you will remain stuck in the past. Grief and paralysis may set in.
• If you stuff down the sorrow or frustration (or even lessons) you’ll invite poison into your life.
• If you wait until things improve, you will be living for the future and miss the greatness of “now”!

So, what can you do when destruction comes against you? Rebuild! Rebuilding is the process of building again.

Rebuilding says to the forces coming against you: “I will not be kept down. I will not yield. I am an asset to this world, and the world needs me to start again!” Something changes when we stand up and declare that we will not be overcome.

Your process may require starting over completely, or just fixing that which is broken and making improvements.

If you’re starting over in your life, you’ll need to begin with a firm foundation and new materials. What foundation have you been building your life upon and how did that work for you? A “secure” job? Choosing the “right” neighborhood or schools? Getting married to the “perfect” person? Raising “good” kids? Many of these foundations upon which we’ve built our security have failed us and we need a new foundation. New materials may include a new support system, new ways of managing your life, and new commitments to yourself.

If you’re remodeling your life, you’ll want to replace damaged parts, improve systems, and prevent against future damage. No one fixes a broken deck by putting a rug on it. We must replace the poles and beams that provide support to the deck. It’s easy to shortcut our life remodels by covering up the decaying and cracked pillars in our life, but don’t miss this chance to “trade up” to new supports!

Which do you need to do to rebuild your life: start over or remodel? An ordered life is one that can respond to change proactively with grace and strength.

About the Author: Vicki Norris is an expert organizer, business owner, speaker, television personality, and author who inspires people to live out their priorities. Norris is a regular on HGTV’s nationally syndicated Mission: Organization, and is a recurrent source and contributor to national lifestyle publications including Quick & Simple magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, and Real Simple magazine. Norris is also author of Restoring Order™ to Your Home, a room-by-room household organizing guide.

Renew means to begin or take up again, to bring something back to a former state, or to revive. To renew is to make new again.

If you’re living with anything less than you know you’re destined for…then it’s time to renew!

Plant to renew
I’ve shared with you often about the importance of declogging and weeding your life, so that you can have a clear canvas in your life landscape. Presuming your soil is in fact relatively free from those weeds, it’s time to DO something with that soil!

It’s time to plant.

My mentor recently shared with my husband and I that we must plant the seed in our hand to get into the next season.

To me, this was profound. Because who of us has not felt “stuck” at times? As I looked back over the last decade of my life, I could see why I had stayed in certain seasons too long. I had not planted. I had not done the very thing I was given the seeds for! And I was ready for renewal.

Planting revives
My husband and I decided that our theme for the beginning of the year would be “planting”. We wrote down everything we have in our hand that we feel led to plant. Some of our seeds include leadership, sowing into our children, and agreement.

This “planting” conversation was perhaps the deepest and most reviving conversation we’ve had in a long time….it caused us to think about what we already have been given that we must act upon. It renewed our commitment to live from a place of purpose.

Planting offers new life
As you plant into your own life, you are investing in something new. You’re renewing your commitment to tend the soil, water, and fertilize.

Planting does not look back; it looks ahead to a promising future of budding seedlings, strengthening stalks, and perhaps leaves, blooms, or fruit. Planting is the first step to bearing life.

So if you’re facing 2012 disorganized, overwhelmed, or just longing for renewal, instead of making resolutions or beating yourself up for what you’ll change or deprive yourself of…try planting instead!

You already have great things within you, around you, and available to you. Too often, we look to what we don’t have. Planting honors what you have been given and offers a chance to begin or begin again.

© Vicki Norris, Jan. 2011

Vicki Norris is an expert organizer, business owner, speaker, television personality, and author who inspires people to live out their priorities. Norris is a regular on HGTV’s nationally syndicated Mission: Organization, and is a recurrent source and contributor to national lifestyle publications including Quick & Simple magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, and Real Simple magazine. Norris is also author of Restoring Order™ to Your Home, a room-by-room household organizing guide.

I love to clean house. My internal house that is. Especially after a summer of less than fabulous self-care, there’s nothing better than a nice, deep, detox.

Let me rephrase: there’s nothing better than the END of a nice, deep, detox. The first part sucks, and yeah, detoxing hurts.

Headaches. Lightheadedness. Fatigue. Strange poops. Strange smells. Nausea. Hunger. I’ve felt them all, and if you’ve done a cleansing regime of any kind, you’ve probably felt them, too.

Today marks day 10 of a 12-day program I’m doing to recalibrate my system. I’m at that point where my body is purring in appreciation. But if you’d talked to me Saturday, well, that’s a whole different story. As I sweat and pooped out my summer sins, I begged my body forgiveness and its accumulated toxins speedy exit.

Here are my top six strategies for surviving a detoxification program.

1) Drink loads and loads of (filtered) water. When you think you can’t drink more, drink more. Now, don’t send yourself into hyponatremia (dangerously low levels of electrolytes due to excess body water), but do some serious rehydration. Most of us are walking around wildly dehydrated without even knowing it and when you’re cleansing, water has an important flushing role. Flush baby flush!

2) Sleep as much as possible. You’ve heard me say it before, but it’s worth repeating: your body only heals when you sleep. Detoxing is tiring on your body – it’s hard work to clean up! – and if you’re on a cleanse with limited food intake this is only more exaggerated. Take advantage of the built-in excuse for extra sleep. Plan for naps, don’t book morning appointments, head to bed an hour early. Your body will thank you. To help you with this:

3) Plan nothing. Most detox programs have a curve to them. A gentle entry (hey, this isn’t so bad after all), a phase of deep detoxification (OMG when will this be over?), and then a gradual shift back to a new, better-feeling better-looking you (yehaw!). During that middle phase, clear your calendar. Trust me. This is when the uglies show up – the headaches, nausea, lightheadedness, interesting odors – and I promise you’ll prefer to be snoozing on the couch with a big vat of lemon water by your side than out and about wondering if you’ll find a toilet in time.

4) Remove temptation. Okay, so you’ve committed to two weeks where no sugar passes your lips. Then why are you tormenting yourself with leftover cheesecake in the fridge? Toss that stuff or find it another home. Removing temptation is one of the most important strategies for success and for your sanity. If it’s not staring you in the face, you’re much less likely to reach for it.

5) Keep moving. This might feel counter-intuitive, but even on a liquid fast movement is beneficial. A nice evening walk. A gentle, short run. A bike ride. Some pilates or stretching. Take your pick, there are many options. But remember that one of your primary detoxification systems – your lymphatic system – requires your physical movement for its circulation. It doesn’t have the benefit of a heart to pump its fluids around. When you’re eliminating toxins, it’s all the more important to make sure that lymph is flowing nicely.

6) Get a buddy. Cleansing is much more fun if others are doing it with you. Who wants to go through a healing crisis alone? It’s much easier on the soul if you can compare notes and cheer someone else along. You keep each other accountable, and you have someone to share your victories and miseries along the way. If your buddy is your partner or roommate, all the better. Turn your abode into a sacred cleansing zone.

Got a detox coming up? Try these strategies to ease your way through it. Looking for a program that’s customized to your needs? Write me and let’s see what would make the most sense for you.

Margaret Floyd, NTP, HHC, CHFS works with clients worldwide to help them reclaim their health and vitality through food. She blogs at http://www.eatnakednow.com/ and authored the upcoming book Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted, and Undressed Eating for a Healthier, Sexier You available in bookstores everywhere June 2011.