Wild berry. That's the name of my favorite nail color. To me it says fun, bold, sexy, and just simply makes my fingers and hands look so good. It's a funny name for a nail polish, but then so many women's cosmetics have funny names. There's Mango Spice lipstick, Roaring Red blush, and Whispering Mist eye shadow.



Just saying these words makes me think of walking along the beach on a tropical island wearing a flowered sarong, matching top, and the perfect make-up to highlight my features against the setting sun... while George Clooney comes running towards me!

Oh, how the mind gets going! I so very much want to live like my nail color - full-up on passion and feeling alive! Take me away Wild Berry!

Now I know that painting my nails Wild Berry or any color, for that matter, won't magically create this alive sensation. To feel that way has to come from within. Only after I've connected with, nurtured, and allowed myself to release my passion for life, can I truly be Wild Berry. Starting on the inside is the starting point for living up to my nail color.

Who knew there was so much to learn from a nail color?! Who knew that when I started my young adult life as an $8-an-hour customer service rep at America Online, I would rise through the ranks, get married along the way, and discover in myself, the desire to be much more like my nail color than I ever expected?

My internal good girl was aghast! But my inner Bodacious Woman was starting to push her way to the forefront. Good thing, too, because personally and professionally, life would knock me around a bit and test just how much I wanted to be "wild" about taking care of myself as well as my future.

And, I'm not alone. Many women struggle to feel good about themselves and their lives. Perhaps you're one of them. You've wanted to feel like your nail color but you've had fears or guilt or pressure in your life to stay put and not cause waves. Been there, done that, and it's not a fun time!

In my own struggle, there were times when I wanted to feel like Wild Berry but I felt more like Wet Leaves. But, in time, I found another way, a way that affirmed my existing internal strength and enabled me to get stronger, wiser, healthier, and be a whole lot more fun! I call it the Bodacious Way.