Independent Reading Project

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert "Eat, Pray, Love" is an entertaining story of a young women's journey to self realization and to Italy, India, and Indonesia. While reading I have blogged my ideas and thoughts about certain passages in the book. I have written ten posts, where I have extracted deeper meanings, thoughts, and realizations. Each time I read and stumbled upon something interesting or plot developing I stopped to discuss it in my blog. I hope you enjoy my thoughts, and please feel free to express your own opinion by responding to my blogs.

From the author

In the words of Elizabeth Gilbert:

"Eat Pray Love" as a Ladder
"I wrote this book to kind of create a word ladder to pull myself out of a very deep hole," she says. "I don't need that ladder anymore, so it's just sitting there in book form. To think that other people are now using it to tip it up against their dreams and kind of climb on up there is just incredibly touching."

Have a "Stillness & Question" Practice
"I really feel the one non-negotiable thing you need is to find a tiny little corner of your life, of your day, of stillness where you can begin to ask yourself those burning essential questions of your life," she says. " Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What am I here for?"

Liz's Biggest Piece of Advice Is...
Learn to say no. "Be realistic about what you can and cannot do in one day and one life".

Liz's Definition of God
"The perfection that absorbs. It is the perfectness of the universe which can bring you into that state where you are absorbed in that perfection, then you will know it. … I was absorbed in that perfection for a brief, glorious moment, and I knew something in that."

For visual reference while reading

A picture of David, Elizabeth's soul mate



Place of worship in India



Elizabeth's Guru

15. Ilustration of symbol

chapter 57 page 175

"If faith were rational, it would be-by definition-faith. Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be...a prudent insurance policy."

Faith/life is like a series of doorways. You open it, take a step and walk in. If you are in the room and you do not know your place and feel lost you can find security in the idea that there is another door right ahead. It is not certain where that door will lead, but it is certain that the door will open once you turn the knob.

14. Key quote

Chaptet 47 page 150

"You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be."

Constantly the main character, Elizabeth, found herself dreaming of reality instead of living in reality. She dreamed of being with her incompatible soul mate David, getting out of a marriage that she no longer wanted to be in, traveling all around the world to free her mind and find herself again. All the while she could use her backbone and realize she is not supposed to be with David because they made each other terribly miserable despite their undeniable love, she could get a divorce and be true to her heart and wants, and that the world was hers for the exploring and it would be just the thing that would help her gain her strength back.

10. Connection I made

Chapter 48 page 149

"...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's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave..."

Everything happens for a reason, and I like to live my life as if everything is on purpose. Recently I have gone through a breakup that was the result of unfortunate circumstances and hidden truths that were there all along. I feel that I stumbled upon this passage because I was supposed to. Weeks of being upset and uncertainty dragged on without emotional relief, but with a simple turn of a page and comprehension of these words that in some other situation would be meaningless and inescapable I was FREED. All this time I thought I was trying to get over a boyfriend, when in actuality I was getting over a soul mate. He was my mirror, the person that smacked me awake and brought down my walls. In doing so he changed me for the better by first changing me for the worst. He came into my life on purpose just as I have come upon this book, to reveal the ME that I had masked over time and to show me that the answers are all around me.

9. Questions I developed while reading

1.Elizabeth mentions that Americans "have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessaily a pleasure-seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused with everything from porn to theme parks to wars, but that's not exactly the same thing as quiet enjoyment. Americans work hader and longer and more stressful hours than anyone in the world today" (pg61)
-Why is it that Americans rightfully own the stereotype of being overstressed executives who go on vacation but cannot relax?

2.She brings up the idea that our language often refers to a location. Like when someone says "I've been there," where is there? She explains it by saying, "When you are standing in that forest of sorrow, you cannot imagine that you could ever find your way to a better place. But if someone can assure you that they themselves have stood in the same place, and now have moved on, sometimes this will bring hope" (pg71).
-Time after time we refer to things as "coordinates on a map," can you consider other phrases or situations that we refer to in this way and how it brings meaning to the word?

3. When you're lost in those woods, it sometimes takes you a while to realize that you are lost. For the longest time, you can convince yourself that you've just wandered a few feet off the path, that you'll find your way back to the trailhead any moment now. Then night falls again and again, and you still have no idea where you are, and it's time to admit that you have bewildered yourself so far off the path that you don't even know from which direction the sun rised anymore"(pg48).
-At what point can we realize that we are lost? Are we actually lost or are we found? If we do become lost how do we find our way back?

4."If I love you, I will cary for you all your pain, I will assume for you all your debts, I will protect you from your own insecurity, I will project upon you all sorts of good qualities that you have never actually cultivated in yourself...until I get so exhausted and depleted..." (pg65).
-Why is it that we bend around backwards for someone when we love them? Shouldn't all the emotions and sacrifices be shared, instead of one person giving themselves up in order to please someone. If we MAKE love work how do we know if it really is love in the first place or just an altered projection of our efforts?

5. "Its(ego)only job is to keep itself in power. Your ego's scared to death cuz it's about to get downsized. You keep up this spiritual path, baby, and that bad boys days are numbered. Pretty soon your ego will be out of work, and your heart'll be making all the decisions"(pg140).
-Elizabeth was having trouble meditaing because her ego kept getting in the way of her heart(where medication comes from). This brings fourth some questions:
-It seems as if our ego gets in the way of our heart, how do we stop that from happening? How do we know which one is in control of our actions and thoughts? When and in what situatin do we use our heart, our ego, or should they work together?