Ashley Brooks
asked
Elizabeth Gilbert:
Your books serve as encouragement and inspiration to so many people. Where do you find your encouragement and motivation to move past fear or other blocks?
Elizabeth Gilbert
So many people, so many teachers! I lean heavily on the work of inspiration people like Brene Brown, Pema Chodron, Rob Bell, and Iyanla Vanzant, and a few of the monks that I met in India. I also have a few friends (not famous, by any means) whose lives I deeply respect, because they comport themselves with such decency and ethics through the world. I love them, and I want to be more like them. When I'm in trouble, I got sit at their feet, and I say, basically, "Walk me through your own wisdom on this situation. Show me how you do it. Teach me what you know." We all have holes in our wisdom, but the wonderful thing is that the world is surrounded by people who have already been through what you're struggling with, and if you can come to them with the humility of a student, you can keep growing and learning forever.
More Answered Questions
Heather Howes
asked
Elizabeth Gilbert:
First I have a comment: I enjoyed your book via audio CD while communing to and from work. I highly recommend that people "read" the book this way. Having you read it to me was a wonderful experience. I could feel the romantic affair you were having with food, and I fell in love with the word "Attraversiamo". Question: The book EPL was your most popular, but which book was your favorite to write and why?
Lin
asked
Elizabeth Gilbert:
The John Bartram family is so important in Philadelphia and in horticultural history. I wonder why you did not ever refer to it. Was it to focus on the tension/competition with Kew or to simplify the set of Philadelphia characters? Did you draw from the Bartram family story in creating your characters? As a fervent gardener located near Philadelphia, I loved your book and its wonderful hortictural detail.
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