Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life

by Gisele Bündchen

Gisele Bündchen's journey began in southern Brazil, where she grew up sharing a bedroom with her five sisters and bullied by her classmates. At the age of 14, fate intervened suddenly in Sao Paolo in the form of a modeling scout. Four years later, Gisele's appearance in Alexander McQueen's runway show in London launched her spectacular career as a fashion model, while also putting an end to the "heroin chic" era in fashion. Since then, Gisele has appeared in 600 ad campaigns, over 2000 magazine covers and walked in more than 800 fashion shows for the most influential brands in the world.
But until now, few people have gotten to know the real Gisele, a woman whose private life stands in dramatic contrast to her public image. In Lessons, a work of deep vulnerability, courage and honesty, Gisele reveals for the first time what she's learned over the past 37 years that has helped her live a meaningful life--a journey that takes readers from a childhood spent barefoot in Brazil, to a internationally successful career, motherhood and marriage to quarterback Tom Brady.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Self Help, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2018

About the author

Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian model and actress.

Reviews

[Gina *loves sunshine* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I related to this book, I learned from this book and I think it's a great tool for women!!!! Especially.....young women and young moms that need some guidance on old school life! And there are soooooo many women who weren't taught the value of the simple things in life. That don't know how great it is to sit down and enjoy a meal every night with your kids....you don't realize the life lessons and personal benefits for every family member when we sit down, disconnect and have real life, how was your day conversations!

I really respected so much of what Gisele had to say, I appreciated her hard work, her devotion to family and quality of life. She focuses on nourishing herself through good food, exercise, meditation, etc, etc. She spent a lot of time talking about how she was raised, her early modeling career and her current marriage and children. Gisele mentioned quite a bit about anxiety and busyness and gave lots of tips for dealing and coping with it - that seems to be so rampant these days.

I highly recommend this book!! If you like Gisele and Tom and if you can put aside the attitude that she can afford trainers, cooks, nannies, etc etc so of course her life is fabulous - she actually has a very helpful and down to earth approach to teach!!!

[Alona Fil · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of the book I felt full of love and inspired.

I found this book quite honest and tricky at the same time; so open and somehow closed; so practical and hard to adapt if you don't have additional help.

Overall, it is just lessons that Gisele had throughout her life that helped, guided her to where and who she is now. This is her story. And she is not saying follow me, she says - build your own life the way you want it to be, step by step.
Respect the mother-Nature, respect your own nature, respect your partner's nature, protect and develop it.

I feel that this book is for people who sees Gisele as a beautiful human being both from the inside and outside (like I do). For people who wants to look in the backstage (kinda) of Gisele Bundchen's and Tom Brady everyday life and learn from it useful tricks. For people who is looking for inspiration, changes and good piece of advises.

P.S. if it is just for fun, if you just curious of lifestyle of the rich and famous, and if you have negative feelings about this couple, please don't waste your time and energy on this book. Go and do something more useful for yourself ;)

[Nsikan Akpan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gisele has been my favorite supermodel since I was fifteen (I’m twenty-three now). For eight whole years I compared myself to her, and I always fell short. God tried to remind me: “I made you to be your own person. I have a unique story just for you.”

I didn’t listen to Him.

To some, this book may just be a cool thing that a supermodel did, but for me, Gisele’s words were the key to freedom from wanting so bad to be her. I’m not white, I’m not blonde, Im not Brazilian, I’m not 5’11-though I am 5’10, pretty close, huh? Anyway, I’m not any of those things because I am not her.

God entrusted me with being a beautiful, black girl with a full Afro and brown eyes.

I’m grateful for Gisele’s honesty. I’m not sure if she’ll ever know how much her words have freed me from the chains of comparison and false perfection.

Although knowing what I know about the prevalent racism in Brazil, it would have been nice for her to use her influence to address some of that. Maybe in her next book?

[Jillian Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars:
Ho-hum! I was really excited to read her book, but found it came up short. It was written very conversationally, but a lot of it felt like bragging and boasting. She does not acknowledge her privilege - from being a fair-skinned Brazilian to having the time to pursue all of the personal development imaginable. I liked reading about her connection to family values and some of her day-to-day rituals. I had a huge problem with how she dismissed modern medicine and anti-depressants. It was a quick read, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars for Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life (audiobook) by Gisele Bündchen read by Soneela Nankani and the author.
This was fascinating getting to hear how Gisel Bündchen made it from a small town in Brazil to the the to top of the New York fashion world. This would be a great book for anyone who is interested in becoming a model. The author includes a lot of self help and how she avoided many of the pitfalls in the industry.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is simple, much better to follow than I expected. It does show the hurdles Gisele‘s had to become successful. In South Brazil, Gisele’s parents (college professor & bank clerk) were raising 6 daughters. She leaving home at 14 years old for Victoria Secrets. The beginning of a unbelievable career.

Youtube - The Tonight.Show with Gisele - the book is mentioned at the end



Pictures of Tom Brady & Gisele...

Their Brookline home is in one of the best towns in Massachusetts


10/4/2019 - Boston Globe
“Good news, home buyers: Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen just dropped the price of their Brookline mansion. The 12,000-square-foot home is now only $33.9 million, down from a whopping $39.5 million, according to a listing from Gibson Sotheby's International Realty.”

Their Brookline house up for sale for $39.5 million — take a look inside - click link

Tom Brady’s 6 Super Bowl Rings

[Tifani · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is written more like a conversation, and felt a bit disjointed and as if she was going off on tangents. And, most of it comes across as bragging and boastful. Other parts are just plain boring. I did enjoy her stories, and wish it had just been stories of her life rather than her waxing philosophical.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book probably a 3.7 or 3.8.

There was a lot of good stuff in here. From the ways Gisele's upbringing has shaped her and how she overcame some of her toughest struggles. I really appreciated all of that.

I will say something that bothered me though, and if you don't identify as Christian then you probably won't care... but she talks about her Catholic upbringing and how one day she asked one of her teachers, how could the bible say an eye for an eye when Jesus's message is love. How is that loving? And the teacher couldn't answer her. (which is kind of a problem if you ask me...but anyways). From that moment on she changed her thinking of faith and identifies more with a self-based faith. A lot of ideas in here are that she trusts her inner voice and promises it will never let you down *false, my inner voice has gotten me in lots of tricky places*. I wish I could just call her and answer her question- that Jesus came to fulfill the law that we never could. She was asking a old testament question and thinking it was at the same time as the new testament. Oh it hurts my heart that I can't tell her this. She does talk about God still in the book, but refers also to spiritual guardians that she and her children pray to. It's just really weird that she still has a faith life but that it's kind of shaped by her own ideas. I don't understand how a faith that is built solely on your feelings is more accurate than something that is considered the actual word of God but I know this is a very modern way of thinking for people. It's just not what I believe.

Other than that, I thought her stories were sweet and I never realized just how much Gisele and I had in common. Who would have thought?! I was surprised to hear of her struggles with anxiety & suicidal thoughts- but also happy that she was brave enough to share those vulnerable moments and hope others will hear this and relate. Her story of Vida, her puppy, gave me tears as I was driving to work.

Overall, I downloaded this book because I'm a Tom Brady fan and I'm always so curious to hear more about how they live. I find it fascinating and in line with the ways I try to strive to live my life and hope to grow into. She talks a ton about her family and how they've cultivated a culture of openness and learning in their home.

I always thought Gisele would be a distraction for Tom Brady and after listening to this book I realize just how perfect they are for each other. I feel a lot of his success as of late can be attributed to the ways they seek to grow as people and how they encourage each other. It also sounds like we can thank Gisele for Toms crazy eating regimen, that I also believe has helped him be in the best shape of his life when most football players would have retired years ago. I apologize for the things I said back then. I was wrong.

If you get the audio book, I will say, Gisele only does the foreword. So if you're a person that only wants to hear the story from the author in their voice, just a heads up since it's not specified on the audible page. I thought the narrator did a great job and at times I forgot it wasn't Gisele because she spoke so fluently the words that were written. An enjoyable quick easy listen.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Gisele and still love Gisele... but her book was a reminder how imperfect us mere mortals are compared to her supermodel, superhuman, celebrity status. It also came off to me as very preachy - as though where she is, IS exactly where we want to end up. I mean she DOES have the ideal life, so I get it, but it completely missed the mark in terms of us experiencing her grit and struggle, all which was necessary to achieve this enlightened state of mind she claims to be in. You just can't have one without the other. She really did figure it all out at such a young age, which is amazing, but I would have really liked to hear more about her struggle getting to that "elevated" or "perfect" state of being. She brushed over her panic attacks and the negative aspects of the fashion biz and didn't allow me to walk beside her in her experience and in my opinion, that didn't resonate at all, though I can sense her efforts to be genuine and authentic. She had such great family, what about those of us who didn't, how can we be inspired? I felt so inspired in the beginning when she talked of discipline, but after that it fell short. I read the rest as that this is the way I'm supposed to be - that you can't have happiness unless you achieve this and do this. That being said, she is a beautiful creature - clearly inside and out. I just didn't love her book. It didn't inspire me as much as I had hoped and she is in SUCH a grand position to inspire us all.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que mulher maravilhosa! Sem dúvida, é muito inspirador ler esse livro e conhecer um pouco mais do lado pessoal da Gisele. Mesmo depois de tantas vitórias e sucesso, ela continua sendo a mesma pessoa simples de sempre.

Adorei saber das histórias da infância dela, ver o carinho que tem pela família e pelo nosso país. As fotos que ela compartilha desses momentos são a coisa mais linda! Se alguém acha que vai encontrar imagens de catálogos e capas de revista, está enganado. A intenção dela era justamente nos mostrar a vida pessoal, os momentos descontraídos com os filhos e marido, os cães, as lembranças de Horizontina, contato com a natureza, dentre outros.

Eu não tinha a menor ideia de todas as dificuldades que ela enfrentou com depressão e ataques de pânico. Dá pra imaginar o quanto deve ter sido assustador passar por tudo isso enquanto sua carreira estava a todo vapor.

Me emocionei muito no capítulo dedicado à cachorrinha Vida! Realmente só quem já teve um animalzinho sabe o quanto nos apegamos a eles e o quanto se tornam nossos melhores amigos e anjos da guarda.

Embora as lições que ela compartilha sejam comuns em livros de auto-ajuda, eu gostei muito da forma que foram escritas. Pude mesmo sentir todo o carinho e dedicação que teve nesse projeto, realmente querendo levar uma mensagem positiva para os leitores.

Super recomendo!

[Yoric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simplicity is what comes to mind when reading this book.
We may be surprised how much importance a model gave to "discipline" in her life.

Her philosophy of life is nice to read, as it is more about being responsible, taking action, being positive, thankful...
Then we realize her "success" in modeling was not by chance. But by attitude, as other successful people usually state.

Her 4 steps to success: Clarity, focus, dedication, humility.

She did write this book as she would give advice to her children, or to her younger self.
I think we all should do.

[Badwill Ambassador · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I am unable to write a small review, I separated it in parts with titles so you can pick the parts that may interest you.

Overall comments on the book
The book is overall well written and quite conversational, which I found great because I am usually bored of (auto)biographies and this one was a page turner instead. Having seen Gisele's interviews, I do believe she wrote the book herself (with heavy editing), but I don’t think it’s the product of a ghost writer.

I love the fact that this book starts by Gisele separating her public self from her true self. There is a Taschen book with her public self pictures and this is the book which she's dedicated to her view of herself. But these two books, these two compartmentalizations of the gestalt that is Gisele don't seem enough to enclose her whole essence. I would have liked to hear more about her work to be honest. Her being -if not THE best- one of the best models of all time, it feels inadequate to read a book about her with almost all of her life in the backstage of a shoot or a runway being touched up ever so slightly. It's like reading about the life of, let's say Marie Skłodowska but not reading anything about her experiments. Doesn't that sound absolutely necessary? The same is for modeling here. For example, she says that the other models would sabotage her by changing her shoes but she doesn’t go deeper on how this happened, how those incidents affected her at the time in detail, just her process of overcoming negative feelings and events. She brushes off all that she had to sacrifice to work so much, to be so skinny, to travel and so on. Those things and their impact are mentioned but a lot more detail is needed for us to understand the actual length of her emotional journey and to view life from her eyes at all of her life’s stages, not just now, post “enlightenment”.


The TL;DR of her Lessons for me
If there is one thing I am going to take as a lesson from this book, I think it would be the acceptance of responsibility. Every choice we make, every goal we set, every dream we have, every path we take, comes with a certain level of responsibility we need to have to see it to its end. Gisele’s approach is consistency and dedication. It may be something else for someone else but this much is universal: We are responsible for our own choices, our own actions and our own willingness to understand and better ourselves. Especially the last part is most important, as most people seem to lack the willpower to face their true selves, which Gisele seems to have done and good for her.


Gisele’s character: Not only a Victoria Secret angel, but a real one
Gisele is a good person. From her facial features, her interviews and the subtext of her book, I can only guess that she truly is a balanced, well-intended, ethical and caring person with a lot of love to give. This alone is a huge accomplishment for a person who has gone through one of the most superficial and cruel occupations, has been living in extreme wealth for decades and has been attacked (as all famous people are) by the press or the public so many times in such a long career (let alone the personal “attacks” stated or implied in the book itself). Learning to not let all that affect you must have been a gargantuan task and she seems to have achieved staying balanced and kind, focused, in her own lane. Furthermore, her love for nature and her ecology work is to the least admirable and I do consider her a hero for this. Unfortunately, not all people with the capability to help the world actually do it and she does so yas queen.


I never believed I would write this sentence but here we are: Gisele’s shortcoming: Not fully realizing her privilege
Gisele has not fully realized or is not willing to admit her tremendous privilege and by that I don’t only mean her genetic lottery and being white in Brazil which are great headstarts to begin with. She -very briefly- touches on her current privilege to have house staff to help her (=do everything for her) with the day-to-day things so she can work on what is important to her: her family, her physical health, her mental health and her work. But again, this is not the privilege I meant. I am talking about the incredible benefit of growing up in a supporting family and having parents that believe in her and allowed her to stop stop school at the age of 14 and let her live alone at the other end of the world. It is an incredible thing to be given so much trust and inspiration at such a crucial age. To support and lift instead of restrict and pull down.

Imagine being 14 years old and being allowed by your roman catholic parents to leave your small Brazillian town to go live alone in New York and Tokyo. ALL BY YOURSELF. And being told you are trusted. I know for sure that I can’t even picture that. Even if I was born 5’ 11” with incredibly tall and slender legs and curves to die for, I still would be stuck in my small town in Greece because my parents (and the parents of literally all the people I know for that matter) would absolutely NEVER.

There is another type of privilege Gisele has not understood she’s had, which is something scientifically proven to happen among successful (and/or rich) people and that is luck. There is a certain amount of boasting in the book, which to anyone’s surprise is not about looks -for which the exact opposite happens*- but for personal strength, mental growth and mainly career progress. Now, saying that you ‘ve made all the right career choices, while knowing exactly why you made them and that you were consistent and worked hard… Do people really think no person who has failed in their lives and became unhappy did not follow the exact same path? Because I know a shit ton of people who did everything right and still ended up nowhere near having an international career and a net worth of 400 million.

Gisele happened to have a mother who took her to a modeling class. She happened to be seen by a scout who liked her while eating a burger. She happened to have parents who let her take an opportunity very few parents would, considering the circumstances. Overall, she happened to be born at the exact right place at the right time (supermodels are not even a thing anymore!). I don’t doubt for a second that she has worked herself almost to death to get to where she is but there was a huge number of uncontrollable variables in there too. She says it herself that comparing yourself to someone who hasn’t had the same circumstances as you, is futile but I don’t think she has compared herself enough to people who had the exact same determination (even privilege) as her but not her incredible luck. Just imagine how many gorgeous girls started modeling at the same time as her, worked hard, but got absolutely nowhere near her success.

It’s very easy to bless your own beard if you are the priest. It’s very easy to say you ‘ve taken the correct steps in life when you are successful, and everything ended up like a fairy tale. It’s very hard to do the same when you did your best and ended up in a dead-end job, poor, or alone. It’s hard to believe in yourself when you don’t have 150 natural talents and were born stunning, having literally the whole population of the Earth telling you that (with a few exceptions at times). You can stop listening to the bullies at your school who call you Popeye’s olive when you are scouted by an agent from Elite.


Nobody is perfect (if you are generally spiritual don’t read this paragraph)
Gisele did not get a full education and it shows. Don’t get me wrong, I think because of the above, her accomplishments and the fact that she fluently speaks four languages (and some others not so fluently) it is clear she is highly intelligent. I do believe though that on an education standpoint she lacks logical/scientific thinking. In the book she describes being given and refusing a prescription of Xanax so as not to be depended upon it, at a time when her safety from anxiety was compromised. She is also not just spiritual but believes in energies, crystals, astrology and so on, which I personally correlate with people who lack a basic understanding of how the world works. The belief that food is carrying energy instead of it being pure chemistry… her choice to give birth at home despite her doctor telling her she was at risk (glad that ended well!). On this note, I do recognize my own privilege in this. While Gisele was walking down runways making her millions, I was sitting my ass inside a university theater, learning physics and molecular biology, making my net worth negative. What my point is with this, is absolutely not to bring her down but the exact opposite. A person with very little education and a very very early start in their professional career managed to become street smart and highly emotionally intelligent which takes a LOT of work. At the same time, to everyone out there who is jealous of an overall seemingly perfect person, this is a reminder that no one is perfect in every single aspect of their being.



Gisele’s nutritional habits: An extensive review by a dietitian
As a registered dietitian it is very difficult for me to not comment on the nutrition chapter. Some parts of the chapter are very good. Others are questionable.

To start with the good ones, Gisele does not praise any kind of unhealthy habits, extreme restriction of portions or specific foods. Instead, she explains that keeping a balance that works for her and includes unprocessed foods in a plant-based diet has made her feel healthier. She also highlights that her dietary habits may not work for other people which is the most important thing someone in her position could and should say. Her position being a supermodel whose body would be the ideal goal of probably 10 out of 10 women in the past decades and maybe 8 out of 10 in the current decade that beauty standards have somewhat diversified. Gisele actually describes the healthiest approach to food (and intuitive eating) I have ever heard:

“I don’t call my nutritional regimen a diet, but rather healthy eating habits, so I can maintain a high level of vitality and the mental clarity to have a productive and enjoyable life. These same attitudes motivate my morning exercise. I don’t work out only for the sake of losing or maintaining weight, but for a clear mind and an energized body. When I exercise daily I feel less stressed, plus my energy level increases, so I can accomplish all the things I want to do.”

And I’m going to repeat that I’m a big believer in smaller portions. It’s really hard on your digestion to take in a lot of food all at once. Think about how you feel the day after Thanksgiving. My philosophy is that if you are still really hungry, you can always have more. I think when we slow down and eat a little more mindfully, it’s easier to figure out when the tank is full.

On the bad side, Gisele describes her home as the typical almond household and calls dark chocolate (which is healthy AF) her guilty pleasure. Without any intention (or even authority or capability) to diagnose her with anything, the way she describes foods as good and bad (not directly so but that’s the general feeling) is somewhat disordered and she does give off orthorexia vibes at times. When in a diet of a person I see the accumulation of too many foods dubbed “healthy” or “detoxing”, such as turmeric, kale, celery, ginger, herbal teas being called medicine, snacks being raw or saltless roasted nuts… it kind of signs an alarm to me. Don’t get me wrong, honestly, Gisele mostly describes the perfect diet and if everyone ate like she describes she eats, we most likely would not have a global heart disease pandemic, but on the mental side of things, as -apparently- Tom Brady says, too much of a good thing ends up being bad. There is a certain amount of guilt associated with some foods which is not ideal. The vilification of sugar (but not honey, as if it’s not entirely sugar!) goes to the extreme throughout the book. E.g. this excerpt:

“My panic attacks completely transformed the way I ate. The first change I made was to cut sugar out of my diet for three months. That wasn’t easy. My ninety-day no-sugar fast ended in July, right around my birthday. (I was born under the sign of Cancer, and we crabs like our food.) I remember showing up at a studio to discover that some nice person had brought me a small chocolate birthday cake (my favorite). I wasn’t planning to reintroduce sugar into my life, but the gesture was so thoughtful that I didn’t want to be rude. When I ate a small slice—the first sugar of any kind I’d eaten in three months—I felt sick and disoriented. I could hardly focus for the rest of the day. My doctor had reminded me that sugar was in bread, pasta, juice, crackers, cereal, granola bars, sodas, energy drinks—most processed foods contain a lot of added sugar. No wonder kids bounce off the walls when they eat a high-sugar diet. After my sugar cleanse one little slice of cake made me so hyper! The episode really showed me how bad this kind of sugar is for me.”

Outside the healthy spectrum, she mentions doing juice fasts to “detox”, which can actually be very dangerous and have zero benefit to health. Detoxing is a myth. Getting diarrhoea is not the detox you think it is, or any for that matter. You detox every time you sweat and pee guys, that’s the magic of our bodies. Detoxing=scam. Juice cleanses=scam. On the same subject, a doctor keeps being mentioned advising her on what to eat. This doctor sounds like a charlatan. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a “naturopath” or some other fake doctor. Giving vitamin C shots to a woman whose diet is 90% organic, locally sourced, fresh vegetables and fruits is not only excessive, it’s a huge scam. I bet she pays her body weight in gold too for it. No wonder she says that experts are confused. We are not confused, we follow evidence. Evidence change as we go. That does not mean that once a dietary recommendation changes, you should drop science altogether and eat the nastiest thing out there as this quote suggests:

“I know that there is a lot of confusion about what people should and shouldn’t eat. The internet, in particular, is a mishmash of information, a lot of it contradictory and confusing. Remember when eggs were great for you, but then they were terrible, and now they are great again? Who knows what to believe? In the face of Eat this, drink that—no, wait. Don’t! Wait! Do!, it’s no wonder a lot of people throw up their hands. If all the experts seem to disagree about what’s healthy and what isn’t, we all just might as well eat pizza, hamburgers, ribs, bacon, chicken nuggets, ice cream, carbonated sodas, chocolate bars, and macaroni and cheese. Life is short, why not spend it eating whatever we want?”


P.S. Tom Brady, you finally got what you deserved
I am so glad she divorced Brady, having seen both their interviews from their “happy” years, and now this book, it seems that Gisele was pulling the weight of the family almost singlehandedly without even realizing it, while Tom went on to his career, stating publicly that things at home are crazy and he likes it more when he’s at the stadium instead of home because the men in his team listen to him as opposed to his children. WHO SAYS THAT?! On the other hand Gisele in the whole book tries to convince herself that stopping work, or at least not working as much as she used to was entirely her own decision, a good decision and that she wanted to be more at home but at the same time she seems to hate Boston and describes doing everything her children required while her husband was more of a guest with instructions on when to say what. And she describes all that like it was the most natural thing, like he was a great father instead of mostly absent. Girl, no.



*Since even Gisele Bündchen is insecure about her looks, none of us stands a chance I guess.

[bellah7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use the term “book review” relatively lightly, because, if you have read my reviews before, you will know they are essentially a discussion of the plot points / bits of information which struck me the most. This one is no different - so massive spoilers ahead!

I already really liked Gisele Bündchen, but after having read her book, I now LOVE her. It was a pleasure to spend the last week or so reading her words every day, and I looked forward to spending my mornings that way. So I thank you Gisele, for reviving my passion for reading - especially considering I don’t typically reach for non-fiction books! It has long been a goal of mine to return to reading daily or at least weekly, and I feel this book has set me nicely on my way.

Something I appreciated first of all is that the book wasn’t preachy. Very early on she emphasises that in her youth, she would always question people who claimed to have one, definitive answer for something, and thus makes it clear that what she’s writing is not an instruction manual, but merely sharing ideas.

Above all, Gisele’s words left me feeling incredibly educated and most certainly inspired. I could literally feel myself feeling light and elated during certain passages, and full of a new thirst for life. Now prepare yourself for a lotttttt of of listing and rambling about the many valuable lessons the book proposed and details which inspired me :
Quote I love - “we are the ones we have been waiting for.”
Another quote I like - “the universe is infinite”. So go out and make the most of it!
Lesson - idealism and dreaming big is great, but it has to be combined with discipline, hard work and focus in order to make things happen. You must marry the romantic and disciplined parts of yourself in order to have the life of your dreams
Lesson - when you start seeing yourself as a victim, you lose your power.
Inspired to - practice appreciating the little things in life, like your bed. Wake up every morning and, before you tackle the day, take a moment to reflect on how lucky you are to have certain things.
Lesson - forgive, but don’t forget.
Lesson - use the gifts life has given you to their fullest potential
Lesson - yoga is about being rather than doing. This can therefore make it a very healthy and valuable part of a go-getter lifestyle, for it reminds us that while it’s so worthwhile to strive to reach goals, we are also everything we need to be in any given moment <3
Lesson - if you become angry or upset with someone, it is not their job to alleviate your feelings. Those emotions arose in your body - no one else is responsible. By blaming someone else for your emotions, once again you surrender your power and ability to be in control of your own wellbeing.
Lesson - change comes from inspiration, not insulting yourself.
Inspired to - go on a meditation retreat where you have to sit in silence for weekends at a time
Lesson - the biggest gift we can give anyone is our time.
Lesson - Gisele’s vibrant and joyful personality was as important a factor in her modelling success as her body. As Mario Testino said, people aren’t rushing to book uninteresting girls, no matter how physically stunning they may be.
Lesson - nature is its own kind of presence. When you are in it’s company, you are never alone
Lesson - Yin (the feminine) and Yang (the masculine) come from Taoism. When both of them live in harmony and balance within us, we thrive. Gisele feels that the actualisation of the masculine is power, and the actualisation of the feminine is love. The most magical things happen when we act with both power and love.
Lesson - meditation is not a waste of time, in fact it can save time. It’s an exercise in focus and clarity which allows for better, more confident decision making
Inspired to - do more things outside under a full moon
Inspired to - start saying a blessing / expression of gratitude before I eat meals. After all, as Gisele pointed out, seeds that were nourished by the sun and soil make their way onto our plates and then nourish us. In addition, farmers work so incredibly hard, particularly in winter, to make sure that we have food to eat.
Lesson - all relationships reveal or teach us something about ourselves. In essence, to know others is to know thyself.
Inspired to - learn to fly a helicopter!
Inspired to - buy clothes from flea markets and charity shops
Inspired to - do as many home renovations independently as I can when I get my own place
Inspired to - mentally (or out loud) ask the ocean for permission before going in, thus creating a kind of contract between us. This demonstrates respect and reverence for something more powerful than myself.
Inspiring point - Gisele’s husband (now her ex) was one of the last people to be picked in the 2000 NFL draft. Now he is widely considered to be the best quarterback around, which his phenomenal results and statistics can support. This just goes to show that with hard work, discipline and determination, you can go from being good at something you’re passionate about to PHENOMENAL at it.
Lesson - don’t wait for something grave to happen before you feel gratitude for what you have (ie your health, family, home). Practice daily gratitude for all things, big and small.
Lesson - the best successes in life are born when you go outside your comfort zone
Cool quote from Joseph Campbell - “You become more mature when you become the authority of your own life”
Inspired to - start marveling at sunrises, waves, rain, and all facets of nature
Lesson - believing something is true makes it closer to becoming true.
Lesson - the various relationships we have with all the people in our lives form a kind of mosaic, with everyone adding a different shade and colour to our world. However, this mosaic is never complete because there are always people we haven’t met yet who can bring something new into our lives.
Inspired to - go sun gazing! (Reading that Gisele does this is so beautiful and just so her.)
Lesson - don’t rush your food - appreciate every bite.
Lesson - yoga isn’t just about physical movement. It focuses on helping you to know yourself better. Apparently the purpose behind asanas is to prepare the body for meditation! I didn’t know that.
Inspired to - get more confident on how to navigate public transport, particularly trains and tubes!
Lesson - eating food that is from local farms will taste fresher and better, because they don’t have to add preservatives (or at least not as many).
Lesson - your words can become part of how people define themselves, so be careful with them.
Lesson - “family members typically reserve their most hurtful words for one another. As I said, with family members, your walls are down.”
Lesson - take full advantage of the time you have. Are you using your days in ways that feel satisfying and fulfilling to you?
Lesson - drinking fluids while eating a meal is apparently hard on the digestive system. After a bit of further research, I have discovered that it can apparently slow down digestion?
Lesson - we all have a form of inner voice. For some people, this may be in the form of their God.
Lesson - furthermore, your inner voice is not composed of what your parents would want you to do, or society, or even your inner critic. It is something innate, instinctive, that exists within you.
Lesson - following this inner voice will rarely lead you astray. Ignoring it will.
Lesson - growing what you eat will increase your appreciation for your food
Lesson - nature supports us through every step of our lives. The first home many of us have is a wooden crib, and our last is a wooden coffin. In between we live in wooden framed houses.
Lesson - a friend once told Gisele that “you need to give people the opportunity to do what they can and must do for themselves”. If it is you who is doing all the teaching and giving in a relationship, it’s sort of selfish, for you aren’t giving them any space to learn and develop by themselves. You can’t just give and give and give to someone. In life we need to have a balance between learning from others and learning independently.
Lesson - the various processes our body constantly carries out are absolutely magical and miraculous.
Inspiring - Irving Penn told Gisele that everyone has their own unique beauty, and all of their sides and angles are beautiful.
Lesson - love lives all around us - in nature. It is the embodiment of compassion and care, for it is so giving.
Lesson - we never know where our relationships (platonic and romantic) will lead us - the butterfly effect is real and can be magical.
Inspired to - maintain strong relationship with my family, even when I move out, because they are our harbours
Inspired to - learn about composting
Lesson - appreciate every single moment of life - every single second. Being alive is a miracle in itself
Inspired to - continually learn new skills, polish up old talents, and try things that scare me. As Gisele said, if something frightens her, she feels the need to conquer that fear by trying it (obviously within reason).
Inspired to - experiment with different types of yogas (ashtanga, kundalini etc)
Lesson - turn challenges into an opportunity to see what life wants you to learn about yourself and what you might need to change
Lesson - do exercise you ENJOY (aka dancing hehe)
Lesson - the relationships we build and interactions we have with other people are what truly matters in life.
Lesson - sometimes leaving the room and having some time apart is the most sensible way to deal with tension between you and someone in your life. Confronting everything head on when you are both feeling hostile is likely to lead to unproductive and hurtful discussions. If you have a clear head, you are more likely to make progress and express your feelings clearly.
Inspired to - research what foods are both healthy and release lots of energy, leaving me invigorated and ready to achieve all the things I want each day
Lesson - comparing yourself to other people is an exercise in futility, for no one has shared the exact same life experiences as you. They haven’t lived in the same homes, they don’t have the same friends, interests, or genetics.
Lesson - sometimes it’s interactions with other people that will stay with you longer than experiences. Perhaps it’s having people to share experiences with that makes them magical, not the experiences themselves
Inspired to - try to build a closer relationship with my brother. After reading about the beautiful trust and generosity that Gisele and her sisters have for one another, I regret the fact that me and my brother don’t spend more time together.
Lesson - pets can be guardian angels, bringing you unexpected amounts of happiness and comfort.
Inspired to - master a discipline by doing work on it every day
Inspired to - look into natural medicines
Lesson - taking every single opportunity that comes your way isn’t always the smartest idea because it can deprive you of rest and thus lead to physical illness
Lesson - a way to recover from emotional distress can be to reconnect with your inner child. Gisele went back to Horizontina, Brazil when she had been experiencing her panic attacks and drank her mum’s special tea, helped out with the clothes washing and made empanadas in the kitchen - just as she did when she was a child. She claims this trip is part of what helped her to regain her strength, and I suspect she is right, because it is a far cry from the hectic, urban New York lifestyle she had been living.
Lesson - success comes from the many small actions you take to propel yourself forward just as much as the big, bold steps.
Inspired to - try out different sports - Gisele has tried yoga, skiing, biking, surfing, horseback riding and kickboxing, to name a few!
Inspired to - research eating seasonally
Lesson - Working hard isn’t enough - you have to work hard consistently.
Lesson - Achieving excellence or fame does not mean you deserve special treatment or can think you are better than others.
Inspired to - give martial arts a go, as it seems to teach a beautiful body awareness and strength
Lesson - becoming a vegan or vegetarian isn’t compatible with everyone’s health
Inspired to try - homemade fruit breakfast smoothies
Inspired to - join a community supported agriculture farm that delivers me seasonal fruit and veg
Ultimate lesson - live fully, live your truth, and love life.

What’s more, as I mentioned before, I now feel even more confident in Gisele Bündchen being one of my role models. Many of the insights she provided into her habits and beliefs were incredibly endearing - her friends and family are incredibly lucky! As per usual, you can now expect a long list of things which I found really sweet :
When she works out she often listens to an audiobook or YouTube video on a subject that fascinates her, such as Ancient Egypt or Greece
She would memorise Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men lyrics under the covers in the model’s apartment as a way to learn English
So that she could last in the modelling business, she had the initiative to try and master not just modelling, but every element in the creative process. Thus she would pay close attention to the work of the makeup artists, hair stylists and photographers. She would analyse what lighting made photos poor, and learned how she could slightly move her body to change the angle and light, hence creating a whole different effect in the photo
While she is widely regarded as the best fashion model of all time, what is arguably even more impressive is her commitment to protecting the environment. When she made a line of sandals, part of the profits went to protecting the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon river. Then, she created the Agua Limpa project, which worked to regenerate water quality in both Horizontina and the wider state (the Jacui river). Her environmental efforts resulted in the United Nations asking her to be a Goodwill Ambassador. Furthermore, Gisele helped to found an organisation called Believe Earth, which helps to spotlight those who preserve the environment in order to inspire others to do the same
When she started to gain traction as a model, clients would pay for her to have first-class plane tickets while travelling. Gisele however would trade these tickets for economy so that she could add to her savings. This helped her to be able to put a downpayment on an apartment at age 19.
On free weekends, Gisele would drive up to a cabin in Woodstock, New York and spend most of her time outside, listening to birds, pond gazing or walking in the sun.
When she first saw what would become her dog Vida in a pet shop window, she played with her for hours in the shop
After buying Vida, Gisele could no longer stay in the model’s apartment in New York because they didn’t allow pets. She already loved Vida so much and couldn’t bear to let her go, so she found a room in an SRO - a small dark room with only a bed and sink - where she lived for a week. She did this all for her dog <3
On this note, she wasn’t always living the glamorous and privileged lifestyle that we associate with models. For a while she sublet a NY apartment where the shower was a mere hose coming out from the ceiling, her bed was a mattress on the floor, and she once saw a rat three times the size of Vida crawling on the floor. Also, she once had a job as a fitting model, where her job was to try out potential looks for a show that other people would then wear. She would have to stand in her underwear for ages at a time waiting for people to bring her the clothes, with no one asking if she was feeling cold or uncomfortable
When her money was stolen while riding the subway in São Paulo, she remained resilient and phoned the model’s apartment to ask for walking directions. She then dragged a suitcase in the sweltering Brazil January heat for almost an hour to complete the journey, at age 14
After settling in, she bought a map and memorised all the bus and subway routes so she knew how to get to her castings
I really appreciated her honesty about getting breast surgery after having had children, which caused her breasts to get smaller and for people in the industry to make comments about how her body had changed. It’s refreshing to see celebrities open up about things they regret and mistakes they made
She wasn’t part of the “cool” group at school, and was rarely asked to slow dance by boys at parties
She proved so many people in the fashion industry wrong, such as the magazine editors who would say right in front of her that her nose was too big and her eyes too small to be on the cover of their magazine. Similarly, she did 43 castings before she finally got cast in Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 1998 show
She likes to listen to astrology reports while on car drives
If she would go to a nightclub with friends, she would drink soda and then go home and read a book
She loves to sing and sang in the school chorus
At school she was a strong student, and the captain of the volleyball team
It became her signature thing to give out snacks to the other models backstage at shows, because food normally wouldn’t be provided
She would always bring home stray cats and dogs she found in the street, leading her to have a large number of pets in Horizontina

There were particular sections in the book which I found to be written in a way that was really engaging, totally absorbing me in her story. These included :
The section where she described the development and defeating of her panic attacks. In her depiction of events, Gisele successfully created a hectic, whirlwind, caving-in atmosphere, so although what she was describing was tragic, you couldn’t stop reading (kind of like watching a car crash - you can’t look away).
The part which explores the Alexander McQueen 1998 show and its impacts on her life is probably my favourite in the book. Once again, she told her story in a way where I could really picture the scene.

While I enjoyed reading the book overall, I do have a few minor qualms.
Gisele talks about how she feels it is her responsibility as a wife and mother to set the emotional tone for her family. Why wasn’t Tom, her husband at the time, equally responsible? Why is it all down to Gisele? Why was Gisele the one who slowed down her hugely-successful career for her children, not Tom? I understand her saying her career had more flexibility, but… I don’t know.
Her incredible discipline contributed to her immense success in the fashion industry. However, sometimes it comes off as just a little intense, particularly when it comes to food. For example, she talks about only having a “small” piece of cake on “special occasions”.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so good. I would recommend this to anyone. It's one of my favorite books of all time.

[Brankica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Njezin savršen život, savršena djeca i savršen muž.
Život u mudrosti. Ima sve savršene odnose s cijelom obitelji.
Stavi fotku sebe s 20 ljudi. To joj je samo najuži krug prijatelja, kaže.

Nisam nikada pročitala knjigu koja ima toliko klišeja i rečenica kojih sam već prije čula.
Doslovno se poglavlja u knjizi zovu Izazovi su prerušene prilike, ili raste ono čemu pridajete pozornost.

S obzirom da je nakon modelinga razvila poslovno carstvo Ipanema sandala, očekivala sam mnogo više.

Ovo je toliko predvidiva i dosadna knjiga o njenom savršenom danu punom malih, "korisnih" rituala. Podučava nas kako trebamo imati vremena za što želimo , a ona ima kućno osoblje koje joj održava domaćinstvo. Ide s dadiljama na odmor da joj paze na djecu.

Toliko sam puta preokrenula očima da sam mislila da će mi ostati gore.

[Učitaj se! | Martina Štivičić · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gisele Bündchen svjetski je poznata manekenka, žena koja se pojavila na stotinama naslovnica modnih časopisa i nastupila na stotinama modnih revija. Sedam je godina bila jedna od Victoria's Secret anđelica. Također, Gisele je žena koja je preokrenula trendove u modnoj industriji, postavši model koji je prekinuo razdoblje 'heroin-chic' mršavosti i vratio obline na modne piste.

Ako pratite modnu industriju, sve ovo o Gisele vjerojatno već znate, kao što vam je vjerojatno poznato i da je udana za napadača New England Patriotsa Toma Bradya, s kojim ima dvoje djece. No znate li puno više od toga?

Gisele je jedna od rijetkih celebritya koja svoj privatni život čuva daleko od očiju javnosti. Njeni modni uspjesi i kampanje koje je odradila poznati su svima, ali malo toga se zna o pravoj Gisele. U ovoj knjizi, sama Gisele upoznaje nas s osobom koja stoji iza slike Gisele Bündchen poznate javnosti.

Pričajući o odrastanju u malenom mjestu Horizontina u Brazilu, Gisele s ljubavlju spominje dom, svoje roditelje i svojih pet sestara, te kako joj je obitelj uvijek bila najveća podrška u životu. Vrlo je rano taj dom napustila, već s 14 godina, kako bi se okušala kao model, što je bio posao koji je od nje tražio da se preseli u tisuće kilometara udaljeni Sao Paulo i osamostali puno prije većine njenih vršnjaka.

Ulazeći u modnu industriju, Gisele priča kako se otpočetka dosta razlikovala od drugih djevojaka koje su također kretale na put u modne vode. Zbog urođene joj samodiscipline, organiziranosti i predanosti, uspjela se nositi s bilo čime što joj je stalo na put i prijeći sve izazove koje je modna industrija pred nju postavljala, bez da pred njima poklekne ili pronađe utjehu u drogi, piću i zabavama, na koje su mnoge njezine kolegice redovito odlazile.

Gisele otvoreno govori o svim poteškoćama na koje je naišla probijajući svoj put u svijetu mode, otkrivajući nam usto i nimalo glamurozne činjenice o tom svijetu - poput one da su, iza kulisa, modeli tek vješalice za odjeću koju trebaju prikazati masama koje čekaju da se te kulise rastvore i dođe vrijeme da modeli iskorače na pistu. No, Gisele niti u jednom trenutku ne pokušava zanijekati da joj je modna industrija dala i sjajnu priliku, i bez ustručavanja govori kako je zahvalna na svakoj prilici koja joj je pružena.

Giseline 'Lekcije' nisu samo knjiga memoara, već i knjiga doslovnih lekcija koje je, tijekom svog puta k smislenom životu u i nakon svijeta mode, naučila. Pričajući o gradnji svoje karijere i napredovanju kroz ono što je izgradila, Gisele otvoreno dijeli sve ono što je naučila, što ju je na tom putu usmjeravalo i što ju je držalo prizemljenom i usredotočenom, čak i u teškim trenucima. A prenoseći nam te lekcije, Gisele govori i o nadi da će iste te lekcije uspjeti prenijeti i na svoju djecu, kako bi i ona naučila živjeti svoj život smisleno i u svoj njegovoj punini.

Iskreno, voljela bih da je ova knjiga više autobiografska no što je filozofska, jer ona puno više naginje na ovu drugu stranu, ali svejedno sam se iznenadila koliko me zainteresirala. Ne mogu reći da sam puno toga znala o Gisele, izuzev činjenice da je ona poznata manekenka, prije no što sam krenula čitati njenu knjigu. Modna industrija i njene ikone ne zanimaju me baš previše, ali Gisele mi se zbilja svidjela. Možda zato što je doista jednostavna, što je riječ koju bi i ona sama, kako kaže, upotrijebila da samu sebe opiše. Sviđa mi se i njen altruizam i briga za svijet u kojem živi: Gisele je, naime, odlučila svoj utjecaj upotrijebiti kako bi podigla svjesnost o problemima zaštite okoliša i ostalih gorućih problema vezanih uz klimatske promjene. S tim ciljem, Gisele sudjeluje i pokreće brojne projekte koji brinu o zaštiti okoliša, očuvanju prirode i njenih raznolikosti, kako u Brazilu, tako i u ostatku svijeta. Spremno će izaći i podići svoj glas kako bi govorila o ovom problemu, čak i kada to znači da mora prevladati strah od govorenja pred milijunima ljudi, što je nešto što nam je svima blisko i poznato.

Gisele u ovoj knjizi često govori i o svojoj obitelji, ne samo onoj iz koje je potekla, već i onoj koju je stvorila s Tomom, a kada priča o njima, iz svake njene rečenice možete vidjeti koliko im je predana i koliko joj znače. U ovoj se knjizi Gisele prvi puta otvorila prema javnosti, dopustila da čitatelji vide pravu Gisele, u svoj njenoj ranjivosti i iskrenosti. Možda je baš zato ovu knjigu tako lako pročitati, i s njom se povezati.

Ukoliko ste ikada željeli doznati više o osobi iza lica koje je krasilo tolike svjetske naslovnice, imate priliku. Mogli biste se iznenaditi koliko je ta osoba jednostavna i - možda - vrlo vam slična.

[Carolina Magalhaes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because I read an article about it and I thought it was very brave of Gisele to talk about having panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. Most people go through tough times and it is really important to take the “bad” (wrong) idea people have from mental diseases (that happen, like the physical ones; and if addressed properly can be healed, like the physical ones).
The whole book is a brave and loving statement of someone who believes in growth as a person and love as the answer. There are lots of good advice in it. Really lots.

This being said, I believe sometimes the author forgets to mention that she has a very privileged life that makes it so much easier to follow all the practices she does. This doesn’t erase the fact that a good advice is a good advice.

I

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always liked Gisele because she's pretty, she loves the environment, and she dated Leonardo diCaprio in his prime. She was a celebrity before social media made celebrity more accessible, and reading this book made me really think about the mystique of supermodels (which, in my opinion, don't really exist anymore.) I love reading and watching shows about the fashion industry. It fascinates me. Gisele doesn't really reveal anything about the industry that I didn't already know, but the way she described her "character" for modeling was extremely interesting, and made me realize why she's one of the greats. I also appreciated learning that Gisele is kind of a hippie and I think I would really love hanging out with her doing yoga in Costa Rica.

A lot of the advice in this book is basic, and a lot of it is kind of hippie dippy, but for some reason it didn't annoy me. I assume it would probably annoy a lot of people. I was actually impressed learning more about what drives and motivates one of the most successful women in the world. The chapter with the story about her dog, Vida, made me cry. Stories about people's favorite animals dying will basically always do that, but this one was truly special and touching.

This book definitely won't be for everyone, but I didn't delete it from my Kindle after finishing it, because I actually liked a lot of what Gisele had to say. I will probably revisit some of the chapters after I purchase a lot of sage and crystals and listen to my inner voice more after a meal of fresh local produce.

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like recharging my battery. I love the positive message and life affirming lessons that Gisele shares in an incredibly honest, straightforward way. This is not a book about modeling, but about an intelligent woman who has achieved great success, and the many important lessons she has learned along the way. There are many insights into her life that I think will change mine for the better. Most importantly, she shares how she practices meditation and breathing to handle the challenges of life, and that she openly discusses how she has had serious low points in hers. Not many people are brave enough to share these truths, and I think this book really gets into some serious topics that many people may not have known about Gisele before now. I could read this book again and I am sure I would gain more from a second time through, as it is full of wisdom and valuable advice.

This book would be a perfect gift for a recent graduate, a new mother, a person embarking on a new business, a new job, or anyone looking for support for a positive transformation in their life. Lessons is proof that Gisele has not become so successful by luck, but by incredible discipline, hard work, and mental toughness. She is truly an amazing woman. I would recommend this book 100%!

[Shahine Ardeshir · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. And while I sense that Gisel Bunchen is a wonderful human being, I don't think she's a great writer. The book was a bit of a dud, for me.

The primary reason I couldn't enjoy this read was that it was two thirds lecture and one part biography. Yes, Gisele tells us the story of her upbringing, her family, her life - but in non-linear order (which can be confusing) and constantly interspersed with ... well, lessons! And while I have no problem with someone telling their life story through the lessons they've learned (for a much better execution of the same concept, I'd recommend Jane Fonda's autobiography, 'My Life So Far'), in Bundchen's case, the tonality often becomes patronizing and annoyingly repetitive. I would much rather her tell her story and allow us as readers to draw our own conclusions about the lessons we could learn, rather than have her sermonize to you instead.

I came away with an image I had of Gisele Bunchen reinforced, as a simple, grounded, spiritual individual, in the midst of being one of the most famous supermodels in the world. But I couldn't recommend this read.

[Chloe Crew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading about her life was interesting for the first half of the book. I did enjoy reading about her modeling, family and was quite inspiring how she dealt with her anxiety. However, towards the second half of the book I wasn't so drawn and struggled to finish it. Some of her points were good but at times it seemed naive. She's had a great life with lots of experiences and is a hard working woman.

[Fátima Filipa (Mimodoslivros) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiquei surpreendida com muitas coisas que desconhecia da modelo, e este livro não se ficou pela história da carreira da modelo excelente que foi, fala também de momentos difíceis e da sua vida privada que muita gente não sabe , desde a sua infância quando teve de deixar os pais para ir viver sozinha com 13 anos .
Ao longo do livro a autora fala dos excessos da juventude e a maturidade que ao longo da vida foi adquirido com muitas lições de vida importantes .

[Erika Agnew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most eloquently written but follows what I've been reading on mindset and goal setting.
I liked reading about her back story and the behind the scenes at fashion shows.
Gisele's health insights were helpful but nothing on how to clone yourself to look like her, maybe in the next one!

[Megan Rich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t get past the fact that she cured her panic attacks in a matter of months. Could not relate.

[Katrina Sark · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 – It All Starts with Discipline

p.26 – Humility allows you to grow from your mistakes, to know that everyone and every experience can teach you something. In my experience, it opens the doors to a bigger, more meaningful life.

p.28 – I wake up every morning anywhere between five am and six am to the “ocean” sound on my phone, which sits on my bedside table in airplane mode. It’s a soothing way to begin my day. The sound of the water and the breaking waves fills me with a deep sense of peace. Also, I don’t leap out of bed unless the kids wake me up before the water sounds begin. Instead I like to relax into the process of waking up, as if I’m tiptoeing in warm water. I stretch a little; take a few long, deep breaths, followed by a few minutes of appreciation for my life and my cozy bed.
After letting the dogs back in, I meditate. I light a candle, get into lotus position, and close my eyes. It doesn’t really matter if you cross your legs. What matters is sitting with your spine straight so energy can flow.
Sometimes I meditate to figure out the answer to a question. Or because I’m confused about an experience and need insight.

p.29 – Other times my goal is just to find peace or inner calm.

p.30 – my preference is to do my workout soon after waking up, since my day gets busier as it goes. If I’m working out at home, I put on my Bluetooth earphones and go to the elliptical while listening to a book on tape, or sometimes I’ll listen to the audio of a YouTube video on a subject that fascinates me – say, a series about ancient Egypt or Greece.

p.31 – After meditating and working out, I drink a glass of lukewarm water, about eight ounces, with half a slice of lemon squeezed into it. It helps flush out the digestive system. As I sit my lemon water, I’m busy making my children’s breakfasts and school lunches. I believe strongly in the old saying “let food be thy medicine” and I take nutrition seriously. For lunch I’ll pack Benny and Vivi hummus or lentil soup or leftover rice and beans. I’ll add diced cucumber, avocado or chickpeas to the rice to liven it up.
Breakfast is often hectic, with kids chattering, dogs roaming, and a tight schedule. I often make Benny and Vivi gluten-free toast with almond butter and honey, or eggs with sliced avocado, or a bowl of cut-up apples and berries with coconut yogurt. Before breakfast, Benny and Vivi do their chores benny feeds the dogs (I’m the one who puts the food in the bowls, otherwise Benny would feel sorry for them and give them too much), and then he and Vivi set the table. After breakfast the kids put their dishes in the sink.
I finish cleaning up the kitchen counter, since I like leaving rooms as tidy as I found them, plus, as I said before, I can’t think straight if I’m in a messy environment. Then I eat my own breakfast. Often I finish off my kids’ leftovers, or drink a glass of green juice with celery, cucumbers, half a red or green apple, turmeric, ginger, lemon juice, and sometimes kale or beets, or I have avocado toast.

p.32 – the truth is, I think looking good and having good skin has more to do with what you eat, how you live, and how you feel. (Having a good dermatologist can also help.) I do think that I look my best when I eat healthy, exercise every day, drink plenty of fluids, and get the rest that my brain and body need. Our insides reflect our outsides, and vice versa.

p.37 – It’s up to all of us to capture time, to give it meaning, and to be present and appreciative for every moment we’re alive. This is why making a big deal out of little moments matters a lot to me. Stretching my body the moment I wake up. Being conscious of my breath. Lighting a candle. Meditating. Singing with my kids on our way to school. More than anything, these moments are about appreciation. My goal is to be present. To feel and experience my life deeply, even if what I’m feeling overwhelms me or sometimes makes me burst into tears.

p.39 – Joseph Campbell once wrote, “you become mature when you become the authority of your own life.”

p.43 – As far as I’m concerned, any attack on nature is an attack on all of life.

2 – Challenges Are Opportunities in Disguise

p.68 – A wise friend of mine once told me something I’ve never forgotten. Gisele, he said, you have to give people the dignity of their own process.

3 – The Quality of Your Life Depends on the Quality of Your Relationships

p.80 – Comparing yourself with another person is pointless. Why? Because all of us have something special to offer since each one of us is unique. If you spend time comparing yourself with someone else, the only thing you’re doing is setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. You won’t ever feel good enough.

p.82 – Kabballah, which is a philosophy I studied for a while, has a concept known as “Bread of Shame.” It says that people need to do the work of transformation in order to earn the light. If we are over-giving or doing something for a person that they have not earned, we are giving them Bread of shame. If we take more than we give, then we are consuming Bread of Shame.

p.83 – In particular, I enjoy being around people who inspire me and bring out my best. People who are kind, intelligent, and compassionate. I also don’t like beating around the bush. Be direct – I can take it. I hope I give back these same qualities to my friends. Time is the biggest gift any of us is given, and we all have a limited amount of it. The biggest gift we can give anyone is just that – our time, our love.

p.88 – If anyone isn’t treating me right, whether it’s a friend of one of my sisters, my response is always the same: I am only going to be in relationships that are loving and respectful. When you are ready to resume a loving, respectful relationship, I am happy to talk to you. If you’re not ready yet, it’s okay, I will be here when you are.

4 – Our Thoughts and Words Are Powerful – Use them Wisely

p.108 – If your thoughts are positive, your words will tend to be positive, too. If your thoughts are negative, your words have a higher probability of doing harm, even if that was never your intention. Once we say something, we can’t take it back. Saying things that are negative and damaging can hurt beyond that particular moment.

p.118 – The next morning I sent Tom a brief email telling him I was only willing to be in a relationship that was based on love and respect, and that I looked forward to us talking whenever he was ready to speak to me in a loving and respectful way. A day later, we did just that.

7 – Take Care of Your Body So It Can Take Care of You

p.189 – For breakfast, I’ll drink a glass of green juice. If I’m having my period, I’ll often just do beets and lemon for extra iron and vitamin C. If I plan on doing a heavy workout, I make myself a smoothie using either fresh or frozen berries, a spoonful of cacao powder, hemp seed, flaxseed, chia seed, and a splash of coconut milk. Sometimes I add a banana or a spoonful of homemade almond butter or protein powder. I also take vitamins and carry a small pack of them with me whenever I travel.

p.190 – Twice a week, I make a point bot to eat anything until lunchtime, even if I am working out. I always feel incredibly energized from this mini fast. It takes a lot of energy for our bodies to digest the food we eat, and I think it’s a good idea to sometimes give our digestive system a rest. I especially find that a liquid fast helps me when I get sick, when my body wants just soup or tea. I occasionally devote a month a year to going completely sugar-free, which includes fruit sugar and the sugars from any grains or alcohol. I’m also a big believer in small portions, especially as I get older.
Food is meant to energize us, not make us fall asleep. That’s why my lunch typically consists of a salad, with seed crackers and avocado, or a bowl of soup containing chickpeas and many different vegetables. Another favourite lunch, especially in the summer, is homemade spring rolls, with tahini sauce for dipping. Spring rolls are easy to make. I combine one or two slices of apple and avocado, chopped cabbage, and some shaved carrots and cucumber, and roll them up in a sheet of rice paper. Two or three rolls are usually enough to satisfy me. They are light, perfect, and delicious, especially with the sauce. I can literally drink tahini sauce, it’s so delicious.

Acknowledgements

p.321 – My dad was right when he told me that if you ever feel unclear about anything, write it down and it will all start to make sense.

[Carolyn Scarcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I’m reading is called “Lessons: My path to a meaningful life” by Gisele Bundchen. She’s an incredible woman, not because she is a model we know and popular, like she said “most of the time people just don’t know themselves” which is true. She would have been an excellent teacher, a great mentor, a writer, a traveler that she explains the words of wisdom and making you think the life lessons she had taught that we went through the same thing. Gisele is a great example for everyone to follow her steps to be a better person to be a model. She’s emotionally, she’s spiritually strong, she’s intelligent and she’s very gorgeous. I take off my hats to her. I thoroughly enjoyed from the start and to the end. I come to understand that she never really wanted to become a model firsthand and what little I didn’t know she comes from a big family and is also a twin.

[alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was way better than I expected it to be. Gisele Bündchen seems like a really down-to-earth person who is reasonable and seems to have life figured out. I think I‘ll definitely find myself go back and re-read over passages about relationships and nutrition. What I especially enjoyed was how she valued the role of women in life: she uplifted every role a woman can take on, wife, mother, career-woman and just a person for oneself. It made me feel great about being a woman and appreciating the life I have and can create for myself and my family. It is a really „chatty“ book.
I found this to be really inspiring however also a little idealistic and unattainable for the average person and some parts felt a little long drawn-out (3.75 ⭐️)

[Mely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Súper good I loved it ! I think my fav memoirs are cancer women especially who are older cause they give a lot of wisdom and have really great things to say about how to go through life and she talks a bit about her own I liked it A lot.

[Sharon :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than a modeling icon. Highly recommend this memoir

[Brynn Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts about Tom Brady didn’t age well, but this book was very wholesome.