I’ve realized over the last year that you’re much more than my mama.

That’s what he said to me while I was bent down hugging and kissing him goodnight in July.

I had just gotten back from nine days in the wild where four of those were fasted days, just water, and three days and three nights sans anyone around or much to do, but love up on the sights around me (I moved/walked a total of 10-20 feet max per day as I was light-headed, with little energy, only compounded, of course, by being 7,000+ feet up).

It was only me (time and time again, doing my own thing, I realize that you and I, are not “only me” but A LOT — we have a lot, and enough, within ourselves), a sleeping bag, a blow up pillow, two tea lights, matches, a toothbrush, un-scented toothpaste (because~>) a journal, pen, salt for my water (if I needed it), two jackets, other clothing items and a head lamp.

I’ve told close friends what Nolan said to me that night many times, and, more times than this actual recalling or recounting to others, I’ve let his words sink into the deepest crevasses of my awareness.

…this awareness of him, of his own awareness of the world and of WHO Josh and I truly ARE outside of “his parents”, connected to that, an awareness of what he needs from me/society/the world…also — an awareness, of course, of who I am at my core, separate from titles, responsibilities, trials, joys even — that pure unfiltered essence or truth.

He — the experience inside our relationship — has allowed and bled beautifully into truth.

It’s opened what high truth, individuality and relationship means in my life, especially as we each grow in height or heart or awareness even more.

This relationship with him (and the one with self which you can’t separate from a relationship with another) has helped to create all of
T H A T.

I wrote to him in a text recently: I love you, Nolan Luc Mandel. I appreciate the space you hold for me to share and be who I am, all of me, thank you.

All of me, THANK YOU.

#allofHIM
#beallofyou
#nohiding ()
#mywishletlooseontheworld

Make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…enjoy your business, enjoy your life!

Life is good,

Michelle Ghilotti
Success Designer, Brand Activator & Social Entrepreneur 

This photo popped up on my memory feed today. It’s a photo I posted a few years ago to commemorate a work anni that had passed (I celebrated 19 years in business with Michelle Ghilotti Int’l in September).

I smiled because this is me (I love dressing up and thinking of just the shot for me or a client), but this is also me ~> the woman who loves sweating during a tough workout, being in nature without creature comforts or at home without having to change from morning to night. 

I’m so proud of all that’s been done in these 19 years (and during my 45 years, too): continuing my business in two different countries after leaving the US (I loved watching Nolan play as a few month old directly in front of my desk at our place in Amsterdam) and continuing, too, to grow the whole operation (the company/practice and new family) as I also journeyed through grief with my brother and Mom tragically leaving us in a short period, etc.

It’s been a blessed and regal ride! #painandjoycoexist

Connected to that, I’m celebrating two or so years in the business of genuinely (more deeply/consciously) focusing on my relationships outside my immediate family, especially those friendships that with work, motherhood and grief, I had not watered in awhile.  

In helping women come up with the words to express themselves and their higher callings, supporting them to get clear on what that calling is, to create true experiences (not just events) for their clients to further transform, helping them to decide how to water their own most important relationships (both internally & externally) and generally create a brand expression that is true to their essence or soul, I’ve witnessed something over and over…

We cut ourselves off from the FULL experience (the JOY) of life when we don’t express one part or the many parts of ourselves.  

As far as dimensions and passion, we are of many, not of one. We are not solely one thing or one expression.

As women (and men) we don’t need to split ourselves up into two or seven different people to be successful. In fact, the opposite is true (I appreciate sharing this with Nolan, especially as the knee jerk for a person at his stage and age is to feel that they do).

If you feel you need to be one way in business and another in real life (or one way in this friend or professional group but another way in another group), know today and this coming Monday and all Mondays that come that it’s all real life. 

Your clients, colleagues, new and old friends all have that same “real life” and a very alive and real multi-dimensionality — you can absolutely live and express the full range of yours.

A fairly wild-sized joy, healing and mystical understanding is intimately connected to it. 

Make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…enjoy your business, enjoy your life!

Life is good,

Michelle Ghilotti
Success Designer, Brand Activator & Social Entrepreneur 

We were talking for the approx. 20 minute trip. What a sweetheart. Likely my late baby brother, Dino’s, age. He said he was devoting more time to his relationships, “no matter what”.

I understood.

We pulled over because I was at my destination. I bent down to grab my things, and as I came back up, I looked back into the rear view mirror and saw the tears in his eyes.

I see the tears in your eyes, can I hold your hand? 

And we did. 

We travel long distances through life at times looking for or attempting to create these cherishable moments with others who don’t have/make the time or don’t want what we want the way we want it, but that doesn’t mean they (the moments or the people) are not there.

Make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…enjoy your business, enjoy your life!

Life is good,

Michelle Ghilotti
Success Designer, Brand Activator & Social Entrepreneur 

All this love, world, just for me? ⁣
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I genuinely believe most of us are tender hearts. ⁣
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There’s something built into our DNA that wants and begs of us to return to love as a set point, to help, to be moved by the pain and joy of others (even, maybe, when our very efficient brains or on-the-go nervous systems tell us we aren’t or don’t want to).⁣
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For those of you who have become tender hearts or become even more tender-hearted (maybe even oddly & deliciously hopelessly romantic) during or post grief, loss, divorce, disease etc., any type of experience that has broken your heart into big or little pieces, I am you and you are me.⁣
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As I just said in an audio to one of my best friends (🥰), love can truly take your breath away even more after you’ve experienced loss. ⁣
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It may not feel like it’s open for business some days, especially early on (but even then, pain and joy can co-exist) but the heart is ~ it’s open. Though, yes, open can feel raw, shattered and vulnerable, but that’s what it actually is or means to be open. The heart lives inside its full range always.⁣
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And the heart IS and was capable, (ready, even) during your biggest challenges to come back bigger, more able to take in the sweetness of this life.⁣
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The bearing witness to love, being an active part of it ~ any act of it (to help some ONE or some thing, to speak the words, to being more fully yourself (taking self less seriously), to being more inclusive and on it goes like that) is the medicine, or medicines, for helping it come back together. ⁣
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It can be a choice, as some say, *and* many of us have also experienced it without choosing it, persay. ⁣
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We all know those moments in life where we are so moved by the expression of love (or a human’s expression of needing it) in front of us that, without thought, we get chills, tear up, cry or are physically moved to get closer to IT, to that love, or to the person so worthy of it…⁣
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I say that’s the medicine ~ you ARE choosing love or tenderness by the very fact that you are affected by what’s happening. You are stopping to watch or get closer to what or who needs it, you’re rushing to help even when you’re late for a meeting or your meter’s going to expire. ⁣
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Anytime you are allowing your body to have an experience other than pain or sadness is, in fact, choosing it.⁣
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We don’t wish for the “losses” or the grief we’ve experienced, of course, but they can assist in falling madly in love with love all over again and to be moved by life and all expressions of it that exist in the world, from a drop of rain to a dying tree and the gorgeous shape it makes crumpled on the ground.⁣
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Renewal is stunning and it comes from that breaking down. The ”breaking down” of anything always breeds new life (also, without trying).⁣
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So, too, it is with our hearts and how lit up our experience can (still) be here by knowing the depths of who we are; how capable we are of love as evidenced by how it hurts so much to feel like we’ve lost it.⁣
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Because when we experience love…say, when people give it to us, when when we see it in nature, when we see it in elephants (~> bit.ly/2Fr0g6w), or in all the many other ways we see love/LIFE expressed in the world, it does, it takes our breath away. ⁣
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All this love, world, just for me? ⁣
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All this world, love, just for me? ⁣
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If you’re not there, know that love wants you and it comes in stopping to witness it present in the world, anytime, wherever you are. ⁣
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It comes, too, inside helping another, or when you think a positive thought about someone, telling them, writing the text or card, making the video or the phone call. ⁣
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Letting someone in, asking for help and *letting* them help YOU, getting out in nature, helping nature be more natural, being awed but it, even though you’ve seen it before or the grass is “dead”, being yourself, playing with animals, even when babies are crying on the plane in the seat next to you, seeing the beauty in who they are and knowing that all they represent (discomfort all the way to major opportunity with a whole life ahead of them) is you, too.⁣
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Take it, or be taken by all of it. Either way will work. Because, yes, all this is here just for you.⁣
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#creativeheroine⁣
#brandofwoman⁣
#visionquester

Make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…enjoy your business, enjoy your life!

Life is good,

Michelle Ghilotti
Success Designer, Brand Activator & Social Entrepreneur