Authenticity, Beauty and Juicy Joy
The Universe is sending me messages about the ways we decorate ourselves. Since authenticity is the main focus of my new book, Juicy Joy – 7 Simple Steps to Your Glorious, Gutsy Self, I’m especially sensitive to the moments in my life when I’m being truly authentic, as opposed to the lazier moments when I slip back into my default setting of the people-pleasing, inauthentic patterns I developed in my childhood. One aspect of authenticity is presenting an exterior that matches our interior.
Yesterday my priority was to spend some focused quality time with each of my kids, since it was the one full day I had with them between two out-of-town commitments. When I asked my daughter what she wanted us to do together, she told me she’d like us to go for mani/pedi’s. I was surprised by this announcement, as I didn’t even know that phrase was in her vocabulary, and it would have been much more in keeping with her personality for her to have suggested a bike ride or some time shooting hoops in the driveway. I, personally, have not had a “mani-pedi,” nor the slightest interest in having one, in over a decade. But I honored her request, and off we went.
Curious about her choice, I started a conversation about why she liked having colorful toes and fingers. I hoped we might get into some meaty philosophical sharing about women, beauty, and creatively expressing who we are through decorating our exterior shells. But she’s eight. She had recently been initiated into mani-pedi culture by my very good friend and her daughters, and she just thought it was a fun thing for girls to do together. She was right. It was fun . . . partly because the salon had Dr. Oz on TV, and he was discussing shocking truths about sex in America – providing a gigglefest opportunity for Katy, and a new springboard for me to launch into that meaty conversation I was wanting to have with her.
So now, for the first time in a very long time, my toenails and fingernails are respectably coiffed, just in time for the ICDI conference. And just that little tweak has affected my packing. I normally attend this conference (and most of life) in colorful, long, flowing skirts and t-shirts, funky jewelry, and scarves. But having these properly-painted appendages has brought out another side of my authentic self and led me to pull out a few jackets and remnants of my more professional days. Which brings me back to my original pondering about authenticity and the ways we decorate ourselves.
As I was about to meditate on that issue, I received another message from the Universe in the form of a short video sent by my friend, Cyd Moore. In it, I found my truth. Since my truth may be different from yours, I invite you to watch this absolutely mesmerizing, gorgeous video, and see what it evokes in you. Watch here.
Categories: answers from Universe, Authenticity, Children, creativity, Juicy Joy
