Pinky and the Brain

Yesterday, I did something wild. I mean, absolutely crazy…

I had my fingernails painted bright pink. Opi’s You’re a Pisa Work (above) to be exact. It’s fabulous. Not the adventure you were expecting? Well, for me it was a bold step—and not because it’s pink. Truth be told, I have more pink in my closet than black and neutrals.

It was bold because I tend to chip my nails within minutes of getting a manicure. No exaggeration here. With this in mind, I typically choose a pale color (like Ballet Slippers) so those nicks will be less noticeable.

But not yesterday.

Even as I type this, I can’t help but smile, glimpsing down at my fuchsia-colored fingertips dancing across the keyboard. I’ve been eyeing brighter hues for a while and finally decided to take the plunge.

I did it more as a challenge for myself than simply for the joy of color. The reason I chip my manicures so quickly is because I am always in a rush. I fly from one item on my agenda to the next—in a hurry to cross another task off my list—always sensing the pulse of urgency behind everything I do. Freshly lacquered nails be damned.

But recently, something has shifted and I’ve noticed that this frenzied pace isn’t exactly serving me anymore. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not about to give up the pleasures and pitfalls of modern life for a hemp wardrobe and Birkenstocks (actually, scratch that—I already have Birks—it happens when you live in Vermont for a year and a half). But I feel like something’s got to give. I need to pull the brakes where I can, just a little.

So yesterday, while eyeing the wall of nail polishes, I knew just the thing to get me to slow down: Pink. Not one to do things partway, not only would I have wait for my nails to dry completely (20 whole minutes under the fan!) I’d have to be more mindful of how I use my hands once they’re set and I’d have to do this while packing for vacation.

It boils down to this: Mindfulness. I started thinking about the importance of mindfulness last week while doing a yoga workshop with Anusara superstar Noah Maze. Between all of the fancy balance poses and handstands, he asked a question that awakened something in me. He asked, “What’s the difference between how you stand in line at Whole Foods and how you stand on your mat in Tadasana?” (Tadasana, also called Mountain Pose, is essentially standing up straight, but with a whole lot of good alignment going on.) The answer? Intention. In yoga, you’re thinking about where all the parts of your body should be each and every moment. In life, you’re wondering how long it’s going to take the idiot ahead of you to pay for his sushi so you can rush home to respond to e-mails, walk the dogs, and cook dinner. Hypothetically speaking. But whether standing at the top of your mat or at the top of the conveyor belt, you’re doing the same thing with your body. Why not approach them the same way with your mind?

It got me thinking: If I just did things in life a little more purposefully, with a little more intention, and a little more mindfulness so that my brain could be wherever my body is, maybe I wouldn’t chip my metaphorical and literal nails all the time.

And so far, the experiment is going well. I can’t say that I’ve been mindful 100 percent of the time, or even 25 percent if I’m being completely honest. But this will likely be a lifelong challenge for me. Still, there were several moments last night when I consciously slowed down just a beat to fold a shirt a little more carefully, or took the extra nanoseconds to gingerly place my laptop in my backpack instead of carelessly tossing it in.

Although it has only been 12 hours since the paint dried, my nails are still intact. And that’s already a record for me.