Week 1: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Not the original cover, but the
one that I prefer.

I mentioned in my introduction that seeing the movie that was based on this book inspired this journey. It's the reason I am examining my life under a microscope, and the book is the reason that I'm using books as my guide. I saw the movie before reading the book because that was how I chose to do it. I've done it the other way around and find myself comparing the movie to the book the entire time I'm in the theater, instead of enjoying the movie for what it is: entertainment. Sometimes it's fun to dissect movies and compare them to the original work of art, but more often, for me anyway, it's more fun to watch the movie first and fill in the gaps with the book after. I know many of you won't share that view, and that's okay. It works for me.

So back to the book… I am now over half way through the book and I can't seem to put it down. Having seen the movie, I know (or at least I think I know) how it ends, and yet, I'm still drawn to the story like I don't know what's going to happen. That's the beauty of books, I think. You can know the overall story line, but it's how the author takes you through the story that makes it interesting. I have found that this book in particular, is kind of all over the place. There is a predetermined organization to the book that I understand, and expected after reading the introduction, but I still get a little lost trying to follow the author's thoughts sometimes. In spite of that, I have already dog-eared several pages that contain passages that I want to revisit, to either discuss here, or share with people in my life. This book is full of insight, inspiration and wisdom.

While I don't share the author's despair and history of depression, I do share her longing for a bigger purpose in life. I have what I have always wanted, yet I still feel like something is missing. In the book, Liz was missing the ability to truly experience pleasure. She was missing a connection to God and needed to find the right balance between the two. If I am honest with myself, I have to say that, like Liz, I am often guilty of not letting go and experiencing the full pleasure of a given situation...Hence, this journey. I am also searching for the right balance, but not between God and pleasure. For me, I seek a balance between living in the here and now, enjoying the ride along the way, and challenging myself to find fulfillment through learning, working, playing and loving. If I can find that balance, I hope to find the sense of calmness in my inner self that I crave.