Elizabeth Gilbert's Blog, page 63
June 2, 2014
Dear Ones — I have a lot of trouble sometimes forgiving myself for my mistakes…
Dear Ones —
I have a lot of trouble sometimes forgiving myself for my mistakes and failures. I lie awake at night and review my errors, and wonder how I could have been so blind. I wish for thousands of second chances, third chances, hundredth chances, to go back and correct myself — to finally get it right. I want to un-say what I said, or speak out what I never dared to express. There are people I want to go back in time and eliminate from my destiny, and others who I want to retrieve because I lost them so foolishly. I long to take what is fixed and finished and done, and do it over — better, always better. I think, "You should have known, Liz, how could you not have known?"
I'm sure I'm the only person who does this to myself, right?
Then I remember this line from Rumi, about embracing everything (EVERY SINGLE THING) that has brought you to this place, to this divine moment:
“If God said, ‘Rumi, pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms,’ there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, not any act, I would not bow to.”
I remember that, and I bow down in gratitude to it all.
ALL of it.
Sending you love this fine morning,
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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June 1, 2014
Dear Ones — A friend of this page named Holly Goodman recently published this e…
Dear Ones —
A friend of this page named Holly Goodman recently published this essay, about poverty and hope. It is BEAUTIFUL. It is true. I pass it along with love. And Holly, we all send you our love and admiration. You are amazing.
Elizabeth Gilbert - The Official Website | ElizabethGilbert.com.
The lovely British edition of SOAT, in Spain, read by a French citizen. Oh, what…
The lovely British edition of SOAT, in Spain, read by a French citizen. Oh, what a worldly world it is!
Photos of Elizabeth Gilbert
The signature of all things in Spain (Palamos) read in english by a French girl! I reached the page where we find out where the title comes from :))
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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If not you, who? All love, LG
If not you, who?
All love,
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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May 31, 2014
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WOMEN TRAVELING ALONE? Dear Ones — A friend of thi…
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WOMEN TRAVELING ALONE?
Dear Ones —
A friend of this page asked me the other day if I would offer travel advice for women, and so I decided to re-post these thoughts, which I had put on Facebook last year (with a few updates and additions!) Hope it's helpful, and happy trails!
I myself have always had great experiences traveling alone. While there are certainly dangers, I have found that the same factors that make you vulnerable as a woman also make you powerful. What I mean to say is, a woman on her own does not telegraph a threat to anyone—which means that strangers all over the world will welcome you and trust you. They will let you into their houses. They will let you play with their babies. They will tell you their stories. They will give you a place to sleep. They will offer you assistance, food, directions, affection. I feel that, as a female traveler, I have had much more intimate experiences with new people than any man could ever have. Strangers know that I'm not going to hurt them, and so they open up to me. I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything.
That said, do be careful—or at least alert. There are places in the world that I would not travel alone. There are places in my own country I would not travel alone, for that matter. A rule of thumb: If you don't see any women walking around alone (or at all) on the streets at night, you probably shouldn't be there either.
Other tips:
DRESS MODESTLY. I always wear long sleeves and loose clothing. It's more comfortable, for one thing, and saves me from sunburn. It also tends to attract less male attention. But most of all, in places in the world where modesty still reigns, dressing carefully will win you the favor of local women—whose good graces you will always need if you are traveling alone. If you're walking around in what looks to a nice Indonesian woman like underwear (tank top and shorts) she will be too embarrassed to interact with you. This will be a shame, because she could be a good friend to you. Try not to make people of either gender feel either aroused or embarrassed.
PACK LIGHTLY. I never travel with checked luggage…not anywhere, not for any amount of time. Carry-on only! Never bring more than you can comfortably carry. Being over-burdened makes you vulnerable in a thousand different ways. Stay light on your feet and you'll be safer and less conspicuous. Also, you don't really need all that you think you need. Really, you don't! Carry-on bags instead of checked bags will also be safer from people putting things in your luggage (drugs) or taking things out of your luggage (cameras) when you aren't looking.
EYE-MASK, EAR PLUGS, PJ's. Bring good ones. Sleep is the most important thing!
STAY SOMEWHERE FOR A WHILE. I have as much urgency as anyone to see the whole world, but i've always gotten more depth of experience out of staying in one place for a spell, rather than sleeping in a different city every night. Settle in. Learn where the grocery store is, and hang out at the park where the local moms bring their kids to play. Experience what it is actually like to be OF a place, not just passing through it.
DON'T ACT ENTITLED. I won't give any examples here. Just ask yourself constantly, "Am I acting entitled?" Then stop. Actually, this is kind of good advice for even when you aren't traveling.
BE READY TO HAVE YOUR LIFE CHANGED.
Enjoy!
Love,
Liz (pictured here with a friendly water buffalo in Vietnam)
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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May 30, 2014
And since we’re being potty mouths today, I will also share THIS, which Tina sen…
And since we're being potty mouths today, I will also share THIS, which Tina sent…thanks, Tina!
Again: a perfect message. There are certain doors in our lives which simply must never be opened again. Wrap some police tape around it, and WALK AWAY.
Onward!
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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A friend of this page named Judy sent this to me…you KNOW I love it! (I do wis…
A friend of this page named Judy sent this to me…you KNOW I love it! (I do wish there were just a few more curses, of course, but otherwise: a perfect message!)
Onward, bad-asses!
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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May 29, 2014
TEMPORARY TATTOOS, TEMPORARY LIFE… Dear Ones — I know a woman who gets tatto…
TEMPORARY TATTOOS, TEMPORARY LIFE…
Dear Ones —
I know a woman who gets tattoos all the time. She acquires new tattoos the way I might buy a new pair of earrings. She wakes up in the morning and announces, "I think I'll go get a new tattoo today." If you ask her what kind of tattoo she's planning on getting, she'll say casually, "I dunno….I'll figure it out when I get to the tattoo shop. Or I'll just let the artist surprise me."
Now, this woman is not a teenager. She's a grown woman with adult children, and she runs a successful business. She's also really cool, uniquely beautiful, and one of the freest spirits I've ever met.
When I asked her how she could mark up her body so casually and so permanently, she said, "Oh, but you misunderstand: It's not permanent! It's temporary."
Confused, I asked, "You mean, all your tattoos are temporary?"
She smiled like a sexy rock 'n roll Buddha and said, "No, honey. My tattoos are permanent — it's my BODY that's temporary. And so is yours. We're here on earth for a very short while. I just want to decorate my temporary self as playfully and beautifully as I can, while I still have time."
I love this so much, I can't even tell you.
I myself am not covered with tattoos. (Although I do have two of them. Before I went traveling for Eat, Pray, Love, I had two words written into my forearms in white ink: COURAGE and COMPASSION.) But I do want to live the most vividly decorated temporary life I can. I don't just mean physically. I mean emotionally, spiritual, intellectually. I don't want to be afraid of bright colors, or big love, or major decisions, or new experiences, or risky creative endeavors, or sudden changes, or even great failure.
BECAUSE IT'S ALL JUST TEMPORARY.
So let's try to be a little more playful with ourselves, OK?
How do you want to decorate your beautiful, transient self? Your beautiful, transient world?
HEART,
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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May 28, 2014
Rest in Peace, Maya Angelou, Bringer of Light. 1928 – 2014 Today she rises to…
Rest in Peace, Maya Angelou, Bringer of Light.
1928 – 2014
Today she rises to her final home:
Safe passage, Dr. Angelou. We bow our heads in gratitude for your gifts, your courage, your words, your power.
In addition to her well-known autobiographies, Maya Angelou has steadily written poetry over the years. In this video Professor Angelou recites her poem, "An…
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY (June 1) between 12 – 1:30pm! Anybody wanna buy my hous…
OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY (June 1) between 12 – 1:30pm!
Anybody wanna buy my house?
It's niiiiiiiice….
If you're interested, contact my friend Rayya Elias to schedule a viewing. Here's her email address:
propertymanager3R@gmail.com
Otherwise, just enjoy this dorky video tour I made of my home!!
Onward to the next chapter I go! I've loved living in this place so much. But my favorite house is always the next one!
HEART,
LG
Eat, Pray, Crib | Buy author Elizabeth Gilbert's beautiful home. | eatpraycrib.com
www.eatpraycrib.com
Dear Ones — I’m selling my beautiful perfect house. Why? Because I’m a restless person and I need to move all the time. It’s time to move, then! Otherwise, there is no sane reason to sell this exquisite and lovingly renovated “four-over-four” Italianate Victorian house that was built in 1869 by the…
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
The post OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY (June 1) between 12 – 1:30pm! Anybody wanna buy my hous… appeared first on Elizabeth Gilbert - The Official Website | ElizabethGilbert.com.
