Elizabeth Gilbert's Blog, page 92
February 10, 2014
Your life begins the day you drop the knife you’ve been holding at your own thro…
Your life begins the day you drop the knife you've been holding at your own throat.
Peace, my dears,
LG
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THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS in Dutch…shared by a reader named, appropriately e…
THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS in Dutch…shared by a reader named, appropriately enough: Alma!
Photos of Elizabeth Gilbert
Dear Elizabeth, When I saw your book in the bookstore I knew I had to have this book !! In Dutch it is called "het hart van alle dingen" (The heart of everything) and because I have a pacemaker I know how important the heart is. What a coincidence to find out that the character is called Alma which is my name also. Thank you very much for the book, it was a pleasure reading it. Can't wait for your next one…:-)
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February 9, 2014
STUBBORN. Good morning, my dears. A friend of this page sent me this photo the…
STUBBORN.
Good morning, my dears.
A friend of this page sent me this photo the other day, of a favorite passage she'd marked in THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS.
(Don't worry, those of you who haven't read the novel yet! No spoilers here!)
I was so happy to see that this paragraph had caught her eye, because I feel it's one of the most important moments in the novel. This is Alma's response when, at the age of 83, she is asked to define her beliefs about life.
I had to put the word "stubborn" in there, because I think it's the key. Or at least it was for Alma. And has been for me.
Here's what stubbornness means to me, you guys:
There are days when I wake up at 5am, and for some reason the madness is right there waiting for me, like it's been sitting by the side of my bed all night. The disappointments, the anxiety, the regrets, the insecurity, the anger, the second-guessing — all of, waiting for me, with a greasy smile. Like: "Wake up, sucker! We can't wait to mess with your mind and give you a horrible day!"
Mornings like that happen to me more than you might ever guess.
Then there are the weeks and months when I feel like I can't love any of the people I'm supposed to love — including myself.
I fall into spells of living where I can't seem to take a correct step or a wise action. I've been depressed, anxious, confused and deeply ashamed of myself — often enduringly, often all the same time. More recently than you might imagine.
Follow any of that stuff to its natural destination, and one will find life to be bleak and sorrowful, indeed.
But you know what? I'm fucking STUBBORN, people. I will fight that shit. I insist on pursuing enjoyment and meaning in the life that I have been given — even when some of the times I feel half crazy and totally uncertain. I fight for the light. You give me a crack of light the width of my pinkie, I'm going to try to squeeze myself through it, if it kills me. I will find something good around me, I swear to God, and I will hunt it down eat it — sometimes literally (pizza). I will make myself go out in the world and look at something beautiful. I will demand that I find a way that day to commit an act of kindness on someone. I will insist on trying to create. I will not be ashamed to call up my old therapist and be like, "Listen, I need a tune-up here," and ask her to try to help me put my head on straight, rather than spinning in a vacuum of uncertainty. I will spend hours trying to find a goddamn inspirational quote that actually does its work on me. I will grab myself by my own hand and say, "Listen, kid — screw up as much as you want: I AM HERE TO LOVE YOU." And I won't let go.
You think those Happiness Jars that I talk about all the time are all about light and gladness and easy rays of sunshine? No — my Happiness Jar is a ninja weapon of stubborn defiance against the creep of despair. So is my relentless commitment to living a healthy creative life — a creative life that doesn't worship darkness. So is this Facebook page. So is my stuttering, semi-effective meditation practice. So is my tithing. So is my traveling. So is my care and feeding of my own curiosity. So is my hunt for divinity. So is my daily attempt to wring some forgiveness out of my soul — for myself, for others. (And then to try again the next day, if it doesn't work today.)
STUBBORN.
It's a word that saves my life every day, and has given my life whatever worth it's got.
So when it came time for Alma to review her own life, and to put her own dignity and worth in context…well. Ultimately, it all had to be about stubbornness.
Because without it? Nothing good will come.
Thanks for noticing, dear reader.
Go fight the fight today, you gorgeous warriors. Put your head up, put your fists up, push in hard…GO.
Heart,
LG
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So lovely!
So lovely!
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Reading your book near Paris !!
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February 8, 2014
One of the greatest quotes on creativity ever… I am a big advocate for the purs…
One of the greatest quotes on creativity ever…
I am a big advocate for the pursuit of curiosity. You've maybe heard me talk about this before? We are constantly being told to pursue our passions in life, but there are times when passion is a TALL ORDER, and really hard to reach. In seasons of confusion, of loss, of boredom, of insecurity, of distraction, the idea of "passion" can feel completely inaccessible and impossible. In such times, you are lucky to be able to get your laundry done (that sometimes feels as high as you can aim) and when someone tells you to follow your passion, you want to give them the middle finger. (Go ahead and do it, by the way. But wait till their back is turned, out of civility.)
But curiosity, I have found, is always within reach.
Passion is a tower of flame, but curiosity is a tiny tap on the shoulder — a little whisper in the ear that says, "Hey, that's kind of interesting…"
Passion is rare; curiosity is everyday.
Curiosity is therefore a lot easier to reach at at times than full-on passion — and the stakes are lower, easier to manage.
The trick is to just follow your small moments of curiosity. It doesn't take a massive effort. Just turn your head an inch. Pause for a instant. Respond to what has caught your attention. Look into it a bit. Is there something there for you? A piece of information?
For me, a lifetime devoted to creativity is nothing but a scavenger hunt — where each successive clue is another tiny little hit of curiosity. Pick each one up, unfold it, see where it leads you next.
Small steps.
Keep doing that, and I promise you: The curiosity will eventually lead you to the passion.
And that'll be the end of boredom.
ONWARD,
LG
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A sweet four year old girl’s first HAPPINESS JAR…so lovely!
A sweet four year old girl's first HAPPINESS JAR…so lovely!
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I work at a head start and made happiness jars with my families! I wanted to show this 4 year olds off!
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So pretty!
So pretty!
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My photo of SOAT, rendered into watercolour, using an app…thank you Liz, for your beautiful gift. 
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February 7, 2014
Such a weary reader!
Such a weary reader!
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My Roger…Kiri, rescued Spanish Podenco, snuggled down in England. What a wonderfu lwonderful read, thank you so much, Liz x
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A PASSIONATE RECOMMENDATION… Dear Ones, Watch this video: http://bit.ly/1nZ…
A PASSIONATE RECOMMENDATION…
Dear Ones,
Watch this video:
This is the author Kelly Corrigan, whom some of you may know from her terrific memoir, THE MIDDLE PLACE about her own experience with cancer and family. (You may also know her from a great TED talk, and from an interview she did with me last year in California wherein she presented me with the most slamming pair of shoes I've ever owned.)
Kelly has a new memoir out, just this week, called GLITTER AND GLUE, which I read in manuscript and loved with all my heart. Please read it. It's about motherhood and adventure, and the boots-on-the-ground adventure of motherhood. I read it, I cried, I gave it my own mother, she read it, she cried, she passed it along. Buy it, read it, pass it along.
Here's a link about the book:
http://ift.tt/1fCr3aB Facebook: http://ift.tt/1fCr3aE Bestselling author of The Mi…
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February 6, 2014
What books have made your head explode lately? For me it was THE GOLDFINCH, by D…
What books have made your head explode lately? For me it was THE GOLDFINCH, by Donna Tartt…
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