Eat, Pray, Love

Today -- I have three quotations from Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. I just saw the film version this afternoon (with Jim and some friends) and I wanted to focus on three things she says in the book (and the film):

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life."

Are those not the wisest words ever?!

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."

Yeah -- I need to work on this.

"I am a better person when I have less on my plate."

I like all three of these excerpts. I think it's even a good idea to read them over a few times everyday. The last one I don't see in terms of food but instead what we do in our lives that makes us so darn busy. I am not about to jump on the breast cancer bandwagon and say "Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me" but I do think it's possible that this diagnosis has slowed me down, at least a little. I need to seriously think about what is on my plate 24/7 -- do I need everything? Is there anything weighing me down? Making me feel guilty? Making me happy?

And one side note about this book/ film: it must be pretty cool for Gilbert to say that Julia Roberts played her in the film version. Can you imagine? A film of your life being made and freaking gorgeous Julia Roberts plays you?! I think if a film were made about my life it would probably have to be someone like Winona Ryder ... maybe?