Welcome to The Manifestation Q&A Series.
I am Jennifer Pastiloff and this series is designed to introduce the world to someone I find incredible. Someone who is manifesting their dreams on a daily basis.
I first met Frank Gjata when someone who took my classes gave me an envelope filled with his beautiful Manifestation tattoos. Naturally, I was intrigued as to who this guy was. I started wearing the tattoos all the time. When Frank and I finally met in person it was if we had known each other our whole lives and we pretty much have talked 5 times a day since that first meeting.
He truly has become my family.
He is one of the most gifted and prolific minds I have ever come across.
He founded a site called Blississippi and I want you to stop what you are doing right now and have your mind blown. Here it is: Blississippi.com.
Right?!?
He also happens to be one of the most generous and big-hearted people I am lucky enough to know. Last weekend he joined me at my 6th Manifestation to Ojai and we had a blast. His answers below are thoughtful, humble, honest, funny and provocative. If you don’t have a little Frank in your life, you don’t know what you are missing.
Jennifer Pastiloff: What are you most proud to have manifested in your life?
Frank Gjata: Man, you ask good questions Jennifer. Don’t waste anytime do you? Just go for the goods right off the bat. Love it.
Okay…I’m most grateful for manifesting…letting go of trying to manifest anything….other than being my true self in the moment and living my bliss. As I do that, I naturally manifest lots of fun stuff, like getting to hang out with you Jennifer ;-).
Jennifer Pastiloff: Love that answer!
What’s the greatest lesson that you have learned from being a coach?
Frank Gjata: I’ve learned that everyone has a deep desire to connect…that everyone is fully equipped to connect…and that it’s blissful and life-giving to connect. Did that connect with you? 😉
Frank giving a lecture at my May 2012 Ojai retreat. Photo by James Vincent Knowles.
Jennifer Pastiloff: Who has been your greatest teacher?
Frank Gjata: God/the universe in all “its” infinite forms, including human ones. Every human qualifies here….and I mean everyone. I have this website called humangels.com that illustrates in a fun way how even the most challenging people can be our most blessed teachers…as they invite us (okay, challenge us;-) to be more of our true essence. I really believe…Everyone on earth is an angel. Sometimes, you just have to squint really hard to see their wings;-)
Now, speaking in more “practical” terms, a couple of my favorite human teachers are Drs. Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks of The Hendricks Institute. I’ve learned so much from these lovely, genius people. Check them out: Hendricks.com.
Jennifer Pastiloff: Can you share with us a bit about your journey? Leaving the corporate world of advertising to follow your heart and your bliss?
Frank Gjata: I really think of it more like I brought the corporate world of advertising with me rather than leave it behind. I believe every step of our journey prepares us perfectly for our next step. I loved working as a writer in advertising and it has come in very handy. (I feel a tangent coming here, bear with me;-) To me, good advertising at its essence is simply effective communication. Effective communication is a good thing. The “problem” lies in what we choose to effectively communicate. I found it frustrating that some very good communicators were working for some very “bad” companies and some very bad communicators were working for some very “good” companies.
That’s why I created “Advertising For A Better World” (AdvertisingForABetterWorld.com). My group ONLY works with like-minded companies focusing on bettering the world. It brings together very good communicators with very good companies. Are you with me Jennifer? Do you like that? 🙂
(note from Jen: I do! I do!)
It’s still in its infancy stage and has been hired mostly by me to work on my various projects, causes, services and a variety of “websites on a mission” that you can see on my new website: BLISSISSIPPI.com.
Click photo to “like” Blississippi on Facebook.
Frank Gjata: But I digress…
I know what you really meant with your question about leaving advertising. I just knew I had to uncover more of who I really was at my core and be that. Quite honestly, I really didn’t have much choice in the matter. I was being “called” as we ALL are. And if we don’t answer that call…that incessant ringing will drive us mad…in more ways than one.
So, nowadays, I’ve gotten pretty good at not arguing with what comes up for me and simply listen and follow. It’s one of my most important lessons really. I even created a tattoo for that: Listen. Follow.
One of the things I say often is that the best leaders are simply the best followers. Think about truly great leaders. Gandhi. Martin Luther King. Mother Teresa. They we’re just following their hearts…following what was being called from inside of them…not outside of them. If you’re gonna follow someone, follow a follower!
Jennifer Pastiloff: Conscious Ink. My obsession is your Manifestation Tattoos. Tell us about the story behind them and where can folks buy them?
Frank Gjata: You’re so sweet. You’ve been such a great supporter of Conscious Ink. Thank you.
At my retreat wearing our “Follow Your Bliss” Conscious Ink tats! Photo by James Vincent Knowles.
Well, as a coach and as a human, I’m always thinking of fun ways to help me and others stay on the path. I love these tattoo messages on a different levels. On a practical level, each tattoo empowers the wearer (and anyone who happens to see it) to stay true to their intentions.
But perhaps, on an even more fundamental level, these empowering words can seep deep within us and perhaps can organically shift us at a cellular level…well, at least, according to Dr. Emoto. He studied the impact of different types words on water finding that positive words like “love” turned frozen water crystals into beautiful patterns, where as negative words like “fear” turned the crystals into ugly irregular patterns. Well, if the energy of words can make such a profound impact on water, imagine the impact on our bodies, since we’re mostly made of water. This point was also illustrated in the powerful movie “What The Bleep Do We Know?”
Jennifer Pastiloff: Who/what inspires you the most?
Frank Gjata: I’m constantly humbled, inspired and often moved to tears…seeing (and feeling) that God is everywhere, in everything, in everyone, in every moment.
I’m also inspired by anyone being their true self…those who have overcome the fears and barriers that may have opposed that. In fact, I’ve devoted an entire website to these amazingly courageous and frank people called: LiveFrank.com. The site simply features a weekly video of a frank person making a bold contribution to our world. People can also sign up to receive the weekly video in the inbox for free. I’m sure I’ll soon be featuring you Jennifer. You’ve already impacted so many of us with your life, your work and, well, your frank sharing;-) It’s good to be frank, isn’t Jennifer? Thank you!
Jennifer Pastiloff: I teach many of my classes to the theme of gratitude. If you could say thank you right now to one person who would it be?
Frank Gjata: Hmm, one person, eh? The list is endless…okay, okay, let’s see, who comes up first is… the person reading this right now. Hi there. Thank you. Appreciate you hanging out here with Jennifer and I…who knows where our new connection will lead?!
Love these tats!
Jennifer Pastiloff: What are some words you live by?
Frank Gjata: As I mentioned earlier, I’m a big believer of simply listening and following…to our truth within. We all say we want answers. Many people search and search….sometimes for their entire lives.
Yet, we all have the answers within us all the time. It’s just that sometimes we don’t like those answers. We argue with those answers. We distract ourselves from hearing those answers. And so, we make up answers that perhaps don’t feel as “scary” to us as the truth.
Of course, it’s only within our truth does our freedom lie. The truth will truly set us free…another good set of words.
Jennifer Pastiloff: Acknowledge is Power. You just gave me that tattoo. Share with us a bit about that idea.
Frank Gjata: Yes! The simple act of acknowledging is so very powerful. This has become the foundation of my work as a coach/facilitator. It’s based on connecting to our truth in the moment…no matter what it is. When we fully connect with our truth and follow it, it always leads to peace, love and freedom. Yes, always. Guaranteed.
Problem is, most of us never reach that blissful destination because often scary feelings pop up along the way…so we give up that idea real quick and turn the #%@! around. Fast. That’s sad…because it typically only takes a few minutes of facing, breathing and allowing… the storm (of feelings) to move through before the sun starts shining again.
The journey to peace and freedom starts with what I call, asking the “One” question: What’s your truth right now?
Below are 5 key points why acknowledging our truth is so powerful:
1. ANY TRUTH taps into the source of ALL TRUTH.
2. There is universal desire for truth and wholeness.
3. Our body wants to be healed. Our soul wants to be free.
4. Waves of energy change as they are observed.
5. When we acknowledge our truth…NO MATTER WHAT IT IS…we are actually practicing unconditional love and acceptance.
You can read more about these 5 key points here: acknowledgeispower.com/how-this-works.php
Jennifer Pastiloff: Let’s get naked Frank. My Naked Guru. What is this? ( Love the this by the way!)
Frank Gjata: Let’s do! Naked is good. All kind of naked. “My Naked Guru” is about uncovering our true selves. I (and my naked guests) send out a short personally-written text message at a random time to wake people up in the moment…at a time when they’ve perhaps lost touch with their true selves. I’m looking forward to having you on as a naked texter. It’s fun. It’s free to sign up: MyNakedGuru.com
Jennifer Pastiloff: You seem to be dabbling in so many exciting things and endeavors with your different companies and websites and coaching. What is the key to managing all you do and staying focused?
Frank Gjata: Lol.
Jennifer Pastiloff: Ha! me too.
What is one message you would pass on right now to someone looking to manifest their best selves?
Frank Gjata: Following our bliss IS the destination.
(Put your bliss FIRST and everything will flow from there.)
Jennifer Pastiloff: What brings you the most joy? Your joy list….
Frank Gjata: Oh man, great question. I talk a lot about this…about the power and the necessity (yes, necessity) of living our bliss….on a daily basis.
This was the inspiration for launching blississippi.com. I speak about why living our bliss is so vital for each of us and the world. You can find a brief article I wrote about that here: http://frankgjata.com/bliss-join
My personal bliss day:
–Quiet morning with a cup of coffee (I’m not so enlightened to
drink tea yet. Maybe someday;-) I meditate, write, contemplate.
–Connecting to myself, others, clients, spirit and my blissful friends
throughout the day. (My dear friend, Adele Swan, is a longtime
favorite. You, too, Jennifer, are starting to grow on me;-)
–“Working” on my various projects.
–Having fun/laughing with my awesome daughter.
–Yoga (or surfing when the water is warm;-).
–Making love
–Laughing
Jennifer Pastiloff: How did you come to be a life coach? Did you feel as if it was your dharma, all along?
Frank Gjata: I didn’t set out to be a “life coach” (and yet I did). This is just another great example of the “listening and following” thing I speak so much of.
A few years ago, I knew there was more of me to be revealed. So I just started exploring, reading a lot and attending conferences etc. I continued to listen and follow…and that landed me graciously at The Hendricks Institute: www.Hendricks.com. This is where I received much of my coaching training.
And yes, to answer your second question, I do feel it was my dharma all along.
Jennifer Pastiloff: Who are 5 people on your dream team to be wearing your Manifestation tattoos?
Frank Gjata: Hmm…I honestly get a kick out of seeing everybody wearing the tats. But, let’s see, my dream tat team…hmm…
Jim Carrey
Alanis Morissette
Bono
It would be pretty cool to see Obama sportin’ a couple tats.
How could I leave out Oprah?
And why not your favorite, Wayne Dyer? I love the space he’s in right now…and who he’s hangin’ with lately, Anita Moorjani. Love her. I know you love her, too. But for the other peeps out there that may not be aware of her yet, check her out at: www.AnitaMoorjani.com. Her experience will change yours.
Okay, that turned into 7 dream tatters.
Jennifer Pastiloff: When is the last time you’ve laughed at yourself?
Frank Gjata: A couple minutes ago to one of your questions above:-)
I have to say one of the coolest things that I experience now is that laughter has become my automatic default response to practically everything. Broken plate: Laugh. An argument: Laugh. Get humbled: Laugh. Admittedly, a passerby may think that’s nuts. But even that’s funny!
I know, you too, are a big fan of humor and laughter. I honestly believe that it will be humor and levity that will save the world. Humor is literally disarming. And couldn’t our world use a bit more disarming?
Jennifer Pastiloff: Connection. You and I have talked at length about this. What does connection mean to you?
Frank Gjata: Yes. Connection is where it’s at. When we connect to our true selves, we feel fully alive. We tap into source of one and all…and feel our connection to one and all.
Plus, connecting is a bargain. When we connect to ourselves, we automatically connect with spirit and others. And it works that way all the way around. I call it the best three-fer deal on the planet.
Jennifer Pastiloff: What’s up next for Frank Gjata?
Frank Gjata: I’m not sure…I’m excited to find out.
Thank you for having me Jennifer.
Connect with Frank on Facebook
Read about our adventure at my last Manifestation Retreat in May. It’s called: A Delicious Pack of Weirdos. That should give you a clue.
The tattoos are amazing!
Frank captivates us at my retreat.
