I feel so much joy within my soul by looking down at a new nail color on my fingertips.
It may seem silly or trivial to some, but I take pride in having my nails well-manicured and looking their best. I appreciate having nail polish on my nails because it reminds me of the time I spent devoted to myself. Some may call it pampering. I call it devotion.
This time of devotion is not to be misunderstood as “me time” or time away from the family. It’s not the time spent at the gym to be healthy or time spent at a yoga workshop gaining inspiration and knowledge. This time of devotion to self stands on its own and only benefits me.
When my health coaching clients seem as though they are at the bottom of their well and grasping desperately for self-care because they give of themselves in every aspect of their lives, I tell them to make a list of what I call their Personal Nourishment Menu. List out items that are only for you and that you enjoy. After making the list, ask yourself, “Does anyone else benefit from this?” If the immediate answer in your mind is yes, then cross it off and start again. Go deeper. Find the thing that is for you.
If we imagine a still pond in our minds, and we pick up a rock, and you throw it into the pond, where the rock hits the water symbolizes you. Each ripple out symbolizes your family and friends, the ones closest to you and the ones further away emotionally and spiritually. Now, of course, for argument’s sake, someone will ultimately benefit from your Personal Nourishment Menu items. I’m not denying that. When I paint my nails, the company that makes the nail polish, the nail files, and the fingernail paint remover all benefit financially from my using their products. But they aren’t the people who I am giving of my time and energy. I’m not painting my nails for my family or my yoga students. It doesn’t make me a better mom or more capable of my job or enhance my abilities in any way. It’s an activity that is only for me and one from which I get great joy.
