THE CORE VALUES I RETURN TO

Stela Nicol
4 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 59 minutes ago

There are things we don’t come to in a linear way.

They don’t appear as frameworks or systems. They unfold quietly through encounters, through presence, through something in a person or a philosophy that feels like remembering, even when we cannot explain what is being remembered.

Over time, I’ve come to see that inspiration is not only admiration. It is recognition. A shaping of our core values and identity that begins long before language has the shape to hold it. Language does not create meaning, it follows it, gently, like light after dawn has already begun.

It is less about learning who to become, and more about noticing what already feels true.

Presence, Connection, and the Art of Truly Seeing

Some values are not loud. They "arrive quietly" in the way someone makes another person feel seen.

The Zulu greeting Sawubona, meaning “I | We see you,” was something I came across outside of my own cultural background. I am Eastern European, though I did grow up with children from African backgrounds, I never had much exposure to it at the time. And yet, the moment I encountered it, something in it stayed.

Not as information, but as recognition.

It pointed to something I had valued but never had language for: presence that does not rush, assume, or reduce another person to surface understanding. A presence that actually sees.

This idea echoes the work of Clarissa Pinkola Estés, whose writing in Women Who Run With the Wolves speaks to instinct, intuition, and the deeper inner life that modern environments often encourage us to silence. Her work feels like an invitation back to inner listening, to what we already know beneath noise and expectation.

Together, Sawubona and her writing reflect a shared value: presence as respect. Not only toward others, but toward ourselves.

Healing, Wholeness, and What Remains

Years ago, while living in Bulgaria, I took Ikebana classes. I loved the discipline of it, the Japanese practice of flower arrangement shaped by space, asymmetry, and balance rather than excess. At the time, I didn’t fully understand why it stayed with me, but it did.

Later, I came across Kintsugi, the Japanese art and philosophy of repairing broken pottery with gold. It is often described, in a simplified way, as a practice of highlighting cracks rather than hiding them, though its roots in Japanese craftsmanship and aesthetics carry a much deeper sense of reverence for imperfection and time.

And again, something in me recognized it.

This idea that healing is not about returning to what we were before, but becoming someone who can hold their history without shame.

This philosophy is also deeply woven into Everglow Vitality itself, reflected in its identity and symbolism, part of my logo. It is not about perfection or correction, but about integration becoming whole in a way that includes everything we have lived through.

This same thread appears in different women who embody resilience in distinct ways.

Frida Kahlo transformed pain into expression without separating identity from experience. Her work holds truth without filtering it into something more acceptable.

Sophia Loren reflects another form of wholeness, self-ownership. She was told she did not fit conventional beauty standards, yet she did not reshape herself to meet them. She remained rooted in her own presence.

These expressions reflect a shared understanding: wholeness is not absence of fracture. It is integration.

Freedom, Clarity, and Living with Intention

Some values shape how we choose to move through life.

Coco Chanel redefined femininity through simplicity and intentionality. Her idea that elegance often comes from removing rather than adding extends beyond fashion. It becomes a philosophy of clarity, knowing what belongs and what does not.

That idea often returns to me in a broader sense. Growth is not always accumulation. Sometimes it is discernment. Space created through release. It is something I explored more deeply in Make Space to Thrive, where I reflect on the quiet ways simplification can create room for clarity, wellbeing, and presence.

That same movement outward appears in Amelia Earhart, whose life reflects freedom as lived choice rather than abstract idea. Her courage was not only in exploration, but in choosing possibility over limitation.

Together, they reflect freedom as conscious direction.

Quiet Strength and Inner Discipline

There is a form of strength that does not depend on visibility.

Rosalind Franklin worked with precision, curiosity, and deep scientific integrity, contributing to discoveries that shaped modern biology without full recognition in her lifetime.

In a different expression, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone represents excellence held with calmness and humility. Her strength feels grounded, focused, and internal rather than performative.

These expressions reflect strength as discipline, focus, and inner consistency.

Feminine Presence and Embodied Authenticity

Some values are expressed simply through presence.

Monica Bellucci reflects a femininity that feels unforced. There is no urgency in her presence, no need to perform or prove. It is grounded, calm, and self-contained.

She reflects something essential: authenticity does not need to announce itself. It simply exists.

What These Values Return Me To

When I look at all of this together, it does not feel like separate influences.

It feels like a rhythm.

Presence.

Healing.

Freedom.

Strength.

Authenticity.

These are not ideals I try to reach. They are values I keep recognizing in different forms, across different lives, in different languages.

Sawubona: seeing and being seen.

Kintsugi: what is broken becoming part of what is beautiful.

Chanel: clarity through simplicity.

Kahlo: truth through expression.

Sophia Loren: self-ownership through authenticity.

Franklin: integrity through discipline.

Different lives. Different worlds. Same underlying language.

And slowly, over time, I’ve learned that this language is not something I need to define perfectly.

It is something I already live my way into.

And, I don’t think these values arrived all at once.

They gathered quietly through encounters, through curiosity, through moments that didn’t seem significant at the time but stayed anyway.

And perhaps they are still doing that.

Not telling me who to become.

But reminding me what I already recognize when I slow down enough to notice it.

Wellness "Wisdom", Continued ...

The information provided in this post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice or a substitute for professional consultation. Please consult a healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your diet, exercise, or wellness routine to ensure they align with your individual needs and circumstances.