A few years ago, the physical foundation of my home was compromised. Work that was done incorrectly by a contractor led to the eventual sagging of the entire back of the house. The walls, deck boards, siding, and doors had to be ripped out so that it could be rebuilt from the ground up. It was upsetting, expensive, and it turned the house upside down.

 

Working through that situation made me think about the foundations in our homes that aren’t structural. If the non-physical foundations of our homes aren’t stable, just like a building, they could fall too. For your home’s foundation to be stable, you need a place where you:

• feel safe
• aren’t afraid to express your feelings
• know you’re respected
• experience beauty—whether it’s flowers you picked outside or the perfect martini glass
• have breathing room—literally and figuratively
• can celebrate your life—every day, not just on special occasionsand
• can relax, recharge and be yourself

 

Does it seem like you’re “walking on eggshells” in your own home, afraid you’ll say the wrong thing?”

Do you ever think, “if just one more thing tips the scale, I’ll fall apart?”

Does your home feel chaotic because you have so many possessions that just thinking about them exhausts you?

Do you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?

 

Like a homeowner’s policy that doesn’t cover damage outside “certain parameters,” we don’t have insurance on the non-physical foundation of our homes. We need to create ways to ensure that we feel safe and secure. We begin that by knocking down the walls erected by pain and replacing them with spaces of understanding and love. We can’t control everything, but we can change what is in our sphere of influence. In my home, we knew there was a problem because the wall in the dining room buckled, the cabinet in the kitchen shifted, and the countertop cracked because what was supposed to be holding everything up fell apart. In your home, if you don’t acknowledge problems, you can’t start the process to fix them.

How is your home being held up? If you live alone, have you created a place that lifts you up or depresses you? If you live with others, are you the strong foundation or you one of the crumbling blocks?

 

How is your physical foundation? Do you eat well, take care of yourself, and get outside for some fresh air? Do you honor the body you’re walking through this life with?

How is your emotional foundation?

Do you feel loved and cared for, spending time with people you like or love, and spending time alone to “recharge”? Do you love yourself?

How is your mental foundation? Do you view and read things that lift you up, or is your only “entertainment” filled with violence and sadness? Do you challenge yourself and continually grow?

How is your spiritual foundation? Do you have a belief in a Higher Power? Do you honor your spirit, taking time to be still and listen to your inner voice?

 

If we don’t take care of our personal foundations—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, we can’t take care of our houses. And, if we can’t take care of our houses, it’s really tough to create a home. The most beautiful home is the one built on a foundation of love, trust, and joy, and that leads to a Home Full of Peace.

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