Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life by Gisele Bundchen (2018)

"...I believe genuine, positive change in the world can only take place when we combine power with love. We need them both. Power is energy. Power creates. Power is the spark, the surge. Love, by contrast, is a container. It nourishes. It helps a seed grow and thrive." - Gisele

I have always been aware of Gisele, the model. How could you not? Being the face of Victoria's Secret for numerous years and appearing in countless designer ads...and then she marries THEE Greatest American Quarterback of all-time, Tom Brady. (Its the true All-American Dream Team right there.)

So, of course, I was curious about her and what Lessons she may be toting. (Clearly, she is doing something right.)  I went into this book with an open-mind and was pleasantly charmed.

The is a light biography of her life growing up in Brazil with 5 sisters (wow!), how she got her start as a model, the modeling life, some insight of her spirituality, her goals and achievements in environmental issues (she has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program for almost ten years), and then goes into her marriage and parenting with Tom Brady. I found myself highlighting what she eats, her morning routine, and just some of her personal words of wisdom. For example, Gisele's personal quote above, on the balance of Power and Love, I found to be very true and a wonderful perspective.

I learned about oil pulling, an ancient Ayurvedic technique of swishing oil in your mouth to clean out the guck that she does every morning and I have been trying to add to my morning ritual as well. (Google it to see more about its benefits.)

I cheated on myself, and checked out some of the reviews on Amazon; especially the ones that gave her 1 Star. Most of them wanted more 'dirt' on her personal life, feeling they didn't get enough insight into her marriage or other personal 'tell all' of certain experiences in her life.
With a book called 'Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life',  and some chapters titled, 'It All Starts with Discipline', 'Our Thoughts and Words Are Powerful- Use Them Wisely', 'Where Your Attention Goes Is What Grows', and 'Know Thyself',  should tip you off that it is NOT that type of book and would have been very hypocritical.
Gisele is promoting her environmental goals and achievements, her healthy approach to parenting, and she does graze on how her and Tom handle things together in a marriage without overexposing it.

The part of the book that got me teary eyed was Gisele talking about her dog, Vida. Anyone who has pets and have/had a pet that was a special soul mate would relate and be deeply touched.

Overall, Gisele keeps it true to her soul and close to her heart the more intimate details, and as she should.
This book is a look inside someone else's life journey. And that 'someone' just happens to be famous.
She could easily be a friend of yours or your wife, sister, etc.

"Sometimes it's important to give others the opportunity to help you. If you're always the one who's doing the giving, well, it's actually kind of selfish." - Gisele
giselebundchen.com