Eat Pray Love, the book, was an instant best seller. It had women all over the world examining their own lives and re-evaluating the importance of happiness. This Friday the movie version will arrive at your local theaters, and I for one, am eager to see this story come to life on the big screen. The hype started back in May, and of course, having Julia Roberts in the lead role, makes it that much more tantalizing.
What I liked most about this little book was Elizabeth Gilbert's' honesty and her courage. Here's a woman who turned her life inside out in order to explore the deepest recesses of her soul. Anyone who traveled with Ms. Gilbert on this heart felt journey connected to their own passions and longings through her superbly written stories.
Elizabeth's soul transformation began after enduring a nasty divorce. She made a conscious decision to take off for one year to see if she could rediscover who she really was. How many of us have longed to do exactly the same thing?
Ms. Gilbert documents her journey to Italy, India and Bali – countries she chose to fulfill a specific need. Italy to rediscover earthly delights, India to spark her spiritual connection and Bali to learn to combine the pleasures of the flesh with those of the soul.
Here in her own words is what Elizabeth believes is important for all of us. "I think one of the most important beginning steps is to find some tiny corner of space in your life, some 15-minute window of silence, some little area that you can put a circle around and call sacred, and say, "This is the time and this is the space, and this is the moment where I'm going to let all this stuff go for a minute and just sit here and petition the universe, ask for peace, or just watch my breathing." And then you begin to give yourself that tiny bit of leave to ask the really dangerous, scary question of life, which is "What do I really want, and what am I here for?" I think everyone has access to that question at any moment. I have to think that. That's what all the great saints have always taught us."
The book, and now the movie, is a gift that you need to unwrap for yourself. If it inspires you to start looking inside for answers then it's done it's job.
