Do you keep in touch with your true, authentic self? Living a purpose-filled life means always knowing and growing in the understanding of who you are.
In the last column, I gave an overview of my four steps to doing your nails and living like your nail color.
Yes, your nail color - the fun color your wear on your finger or toes that always makes you smile. Be it Less Stuff More Life, Flip Flop Fantastic or Wine Not, living like your nail color means being full-up on passion and energized about life. With each step you are not only taking care of your nails, you're taking care of you.
The first step to doing your nails and living like your nail color is called "Preparation." It's a great way to stay in touch with your true, authentic self.
Step 1 is called "Preparation" because before you put on new finger or toe nail polish you have to prepare your nails. Take off old polish, trim, file, maybe clean up your cuticles. If you use a little scrub to exfoliate and then moisturize, your hands or feet will feel great.
Bottom line is that you're getting back to your naked nails. It's a great time to reflect on your true, authentic, "naked" self. According to Marci Shimoff, author of Happy For No Reason, self-esteem surveys reveal that two out of three adults in America have low self-esteem.
A survey of Oprah's O Magazine readers revealed that 78% of women don't feel good enough, not even for themselves. Ouch! That means a huge number of women reading this article will find it uncomfortable, even painful, to honestly think about their true selves.
It's no wonder why. Every woman I know, including myself, battles internally with the good girl syndrome, striving to be a perfect person who makes nice for everyone else and doesn't muss things up.
The subtle reminders to keep this standard are everywhere. It happened to me again just recently. I made a deliberate stop at the local CVS drugstore to hunt the nail care aisle. "Ah, there it is!" I said out loud when I found a nail polish corrector pen.
It's a white pen shaped device that has a tip filled with nail polish remover instead of ink. After giving myself a manicure, I needed it to remove the red polish that made it on my skin rather than my nail.
Then I noticed what was printed in big, capital letters at the top: NO MORE MISTAKES. What?! I was infuriated! There was the message once again imploring me to be perfect!
Not satisfied to stay agitated, I turned the phrase on its head. I mean, really, it should have said "MAKE MORE MISTAKES! Life's too short not to and besides, we have plenty of these pens to clean up around your nails." Now that's a pen I'd buy plenty of and give to all my girlfriends!
Truth is there's some really good stuff inside each of us, if we allow ourselves to remember.
To shift from criticizing yourself for not being perfect and to recognizing the good stuff, I recommend you ask yourself a simple question while you're preparing your nails for new polish:
Ask Yourself: What's 1 thing I've done recently I feel good about and why?
Maybe it's an act of kindness like calling a friend who had a tough day. Maybe it's saying "no thanks" to another volunteer activity that will put your sanity on "tilt." Or maybe it's having the courage to start a difficult conversation with your teenager or spouse.
Take a moment to answer this question. If you allow yourself to ponder, I'm sure you can identify a thing or two you've done recently to feel good about. And remember, it's not bragging (even to yourself); it's a fact!
You did these things so do yourself a favor and let the good feelings you have about them wash over you. Let them warm your spirit, energize your soul, even help you heal. Your actions may seem small, but they are powerful reflections of your true, authentic self.
To live a purpose-filled life you need to keep answering the questions "Who am I?" and "Where am I going?"
Step 1, "Preparation", in living like your nail color is a fun, easy exercise to remind you who you are.
In next issue's article, Step 2, "Base Coat", will gently help you to determine where you are going. Until next time, here's to your true, authentic self!
About Mary FoleyMary Foley, author of Bodacious! Woman: Outrageously In Charge of Your Life and Lovin' It!
, speaker and founder of the Live Like Your Nail Color Women's Club, aims to inspire more sanity, confidence, and fun in every woman's life.
You can be inspired, too! Grab a copy of her audio "Live Like Your Nail Color - Even If You Have Naked Nails" today at her fun site www.LiveLikeYourNailColor.com.
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