My Desire To Fulfill A Purpose – Michele, 63

Michele embodies it’s not what happens to you but what you do with it that matters. Having grown up, one of four, with single Mom; Michele learned early on how to be ‘grown-up’ and work hard.

Nearly losing her sister to breast cancer in 2012, Michele channeled her feelings and sister’s illness into the creation of her skincare line, Laurme´. Life’s curveballs are Michele’s home runs. And, yes she just happened to be a pretty good softball player growing up.

I am proud to give you a glimpse into BEAUTY Kuel Category Expert, Michele Fieldson in this Sunday’s Share Your Story.

KUELLIFE: What are you pursuing now, at this stage of your life, that surprises you or might appear to others as if it comes out of left field?

MICHELE: That I started my skin care business so late in life. It seems most people my age are talking about retirement, travel, and what they will do with their free time. This is the busiest, most hectic time of my life and also very rewarding.

KUELLIFE: What’s a typical day like for you?

MICHELE: I’m an early riser, usually between 4:30 and 5:00 in the morning. I love this time of day. The world is quiet and peaceful, I sip a cup of coffee, and try to get my head in a good place. Of course, our puppy is 10 months old, so that peaceful and quiet part of the morning went by the wayside for several months. She is just now allowing my husband and me our morning cup of coffee in peace. And, I wouldn’t change a thing about that. 😊

I walk/run the dogs after coffee, and then when I get back, I can start my day. I usually tackle the things that are the most difficult, or that I want to do the least first thing when my brain is at its best. I take the rest of the day as it comes. Too much comes up that has me darting from one thing to another.

KUELLIFE: With what do you struggle?

“I am really hard on myself and can also be really hard on other people”

MICHELE: I’m an introvert and pretty shy. So from a business perspective, much of what I do feels like nonstop out-of-my-comfort-zone challenges. I am most definitely not the most patient person in the world. And, I am really hard on myself and can also be really hard on other people – especially people who I don’t feel are giving their best effort or are always making excuses for their behavior.

KUELLIFE: How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?

MICHELE: From a business perspective, it can be tough. Some days I allow myself a pity party, put on my best Debbie Downer attitude, and wallow in how hard everything is, but in the end, the why behind my business, how proud I am of what I’ve created keeps me going.

Personally, I am consciously mindful about how much I have to be grateful for. I listen to Audiobooks and radio from people who are positive and push me to be my best self.

KUELLIFE: What advice would you give fellow women about aging?

MICHELE: There’s a lot of freedom that comes with aging. There’s a sort of newfound self-confidence and a lot less worry about what others are thinking. I also think there’s a strong desire to fulfill a purpose, to know we are making a difference on this planet.

KUELLIFE: What does vulnerability mean to you? What has the ability to make you vulnerable?

“I do not like being the center of attention. It makes me so uncomfortable.”

MICHELE: It’s where people get a glimpse into your soul, beyond the outer shell the world sees, where our feelings and thoughts of insecurity, uncertainty, or raw emotion are on view, that we really don’t have it all together or have all the answers like it may seem.

I do not like being the center of attention. It makes me so uncomfortable.

KUELLIFE: What are three events that helped to shape your life?

MICHELE: There’s so many pivotal things along the way. I am a child of divorce and very grateful for my mom’s strength in making that happen. My mom had four kids under seven years of age that she had to raise on her own. I would say that is the single most defining event in terms of the journey my life became.

Second, for me, was sports, softball in particular. It showed me what true passion for something looks like. It taught me discipline, determination, that you don’t always win, and the harder you work, the better you will become at something. At a time when I was painfully shy and so insecure, it was something that gave me confidence, proof that I was good at something.

Third, was my mom’s heart attack. She was only 55 years old. I was actually in the hospital, waiting in the hallway to visit her, when the Code Blue sounded and I saw two doctors running down the hall – just like on TV. The nurse came out and asked if I had any family, that I should call them. They didn’t expect my mom to pull through. But my mom is a fighter!! Life all of a sudden became so much more fragile – and scary to me.

(Okay. I have four) In 2012, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching her suffer was brutal and heart-wrenching. Yet again, here was another reminder of how fragile life is, how the future you dreamed of might never happen, and how life can literally change in the blink of an eye.

KUELLIFE: Who influenced you the most in life and why?

MICHELE: My mom. As I mentioned, my mom raised four kids all on her own at a time when literally no one I knew came from a divorced family. My mom taught me perseverance, an incredible work ethic, unconditional love, and that life is not about excuses. You show up, you do the best you can, and you get on with your day. I grew up believing there is nothing a woman can’t accomplish. I named my business after my mom. Laurmé is a derivative of my mom’s name, Laura.

KUELLIFE: What is the best advice you’ve been given from another woman?

MICHELE: I really can’t think of a single piece of advice given to me from another woman. It’s more a conglomeration of things I’ve learned over the years.

KUELLIFE: What woman inspires you and why?

MICHELE: Again, that would be my mom, but I just adore Betty White. She exudes such positivity and a joy for life. She is smart, strong, outspoken, so kind (I love her work with and on behalf of animals), incredibly funny, and the first thing you notice about her is the sparkle in her eyes. Young and old are drawn to her. She’s the everyday woman who redefines aging.

KUELLIFE: Are you grown-up?

MICHELE: Yes and no. I’ve somehow always felt like an old soul, even from the time I was a child. I felt a responsibility as a kid to do what I could to not make things harder for my mom, so I wasn’t as carefree as most kids I knew and felt “grown up” from an early age.

On the other hand, some days I feel I am the least mature person I know, and that’s usually when my joy shines through! I try to have more days where I’m not so grown up.

KUELLIFE: What do you do for self-care?

MICHELE: I am all about my alone time. The quiet, the solitude is what rejuvenates me and refuels my soul.

Early morning walks/runs with my dogs let me be a part of nature, the moon, the sunrise, the birds chirping, an awareness of something so much greater than me. It’s a great way to start the day. There isn’t anything about the day that my dogs can’t make better with a hug, tail wags, and big kisses. I can’t imagine my life without dogs.

KUELLIFE: And last but definitely NOT least: What are the top three things on your bucket list?

MICHELE: Actually don’t have a bucket list. Life is pretty fluid.