The end-of-year holidays aren't even finished and my body already hates me. I have eaten candy, sugar, chips, junk food, soda pop, punch, fried food, and dairy at four parties so far this month, and this evening we are going to our friends' house where they'll try to unload more sweets on us. And finally, we'll have more junk food on Monday night for New Year's Eve.
And then there's my house...oh, my! We have been gone almost every day, and "Christmas" is still strewn all over the place. And, just to be perfectly transparent, here's proof:
I'm really not one for making big New Year's resolutions, or turning over a new leaf, or crash dieting to start the new year, but something has to be done! I think it's time for me to hit the "restart" button; to take away permission to self-destruct, and start feeding my body and soul healthful, nourishing things.
So, how, exactly, does one accomplish that kind of restart?
I have five pillars I resort to when life is out of control, and these pillars never fail to bring me back to center when I'm in a spiral. I usually adhere to these pillars for one week, until I finally start to feel solid ground under my feet again. I call this my "Week of Pillars." Here they are:
Pillar 1: Eat at home. Every day, every meal, every time for a week. Eating at home slows the busyness, improves the quality and nutritional value of what you eat, and helps the family talk to each other again.
Pillar 2: Daily devotions. It doesn't matter so much where you read in your Bible as it does that you just read somewhere every single day, and preferably at the same time each day. It doesn't have to be a huge passage, and it doesn't even have to be from the same book of the Bible every day. Reading your Bible daily for a week will pull your mind and heart back from the temporal to the eternal. It will reset your focus on what matters. And it will finally cause you to be quiet before God so you can hear His voice again.
Pillar 3: Establish a consistent bedtime and wake time. Just do it. It will bring routine back into your life and it will provide an anchor for your day. Chances are, if you have been eating like I have, your body is longing for rest, nutrition, and hydration. Give yourself the rest you need, establish a schedule, and re-learn the discipline of routine.
Pillar 4: Stay home. For a whole week, don't go anywhere you don't absolutely have to go. When you get home from work, stay home. Period. Don't run out for coffee. Save your Christmas returns until next week. Don't even go to the grocery if you can make do. Come home, stay home. Your mind will begin to rest, and finally, it will clear. You'll make yourself busy at home, and suddenly, the house will be picked up and home will be a place you want to be. Stay home for a week.
Pillar 5: Drink water. Every time you feel bloated or angry at yourself for what you've done to your body, drink water. Every morning when you get up, drink a glass of water. Every time you mess up and eat one of the dozens of candy bars lying around your house, drink a glass of water. And every time you drink water, remind yourself of its healing benefits, its cleansing power. Imagine every glass of water erasing something you wish you hadn't done or eaten over the holiday. Pretend each glass of water is a fresh start, purifying you from your past indiscretions. Drink water. Lots of water.
I have used this "Week of Pillars" for years, and not once has it failed to bring me back to center. I'm not dramatically skinnier or more spiritual or more organized at the end of the week, but I am more settled, more disciplined, and more ready to start my year when I finish my "Week of Pillars."
Give it a try and see if it helps make your heart and mind ready for 2019. Happy New Year!
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