Elizabeth Gilbert's Blog, page 13

Goodnight, friends. Be good to you.

Heart,
LG

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Word of the day…

Oops, I mean: WORD OF THE LIFETIME.

Dear Ones,

A sweet reader named Jackie painted this for me, gave it to me the other night at my event in Cleveland. I love it and I will keep it always.

Readers of EAT PRAY LOVE will remember this as the last word in the book. Italian for "let's cross over" — the most elegant way I can imagine to remind myself to let it go, to put it all behind you, to face the future rather than dwelling in the past, to stand up and try again.

Another way to say it, I just realized, could be: ONWARD — my other favorite word.

Today, let's share some stories of crossing over.

I will start with one from me. Lately I've been really showing up for my work on processing forgiveness. Much of this is inspired by having met Iyanla Vanzant, whose e-course on forgiveness I've been taking all month.

I had no idea how much work I had to do on this subject, y'all. I mean, I knew I had some garbage in my heart and mind, but I hadn't realized just how MUCH resentment I was carrying around still. As I've done my work on this, I've discovered that what lurks at the very deepest bottom of all my old resentments is usually nothing but a pile of my own shame. (Shame for my own failed relationships, shame for having been stupid or a sucker, shame for my own inadequacies and mediocrity, shame for not having handled things better, shame for still holding on to ancient anger, etc.)

And instead of trying to force all of those negative feelings out of me (I've never had any luck forcing negative feelings out of me…How 'bout you?)I've been making all kinds of interior space to allow those feelings to be revealed, to give them space to breathe, to accept them as human, and to forgive myself for all my own perceived faults and shortcomings.

In other words, all my work on forgiving others has unexpectedly turned into a giant exercise of self-empathy.

Which has, by accidental extension, turned into an exercise in feeling greater empathy for everybody else, as well…stuck as we all are in these crazy-town human minds.

Which has, ultimately, led to a great and sudden diminishing of old resentments.

Which does, in fact, feel like crossing over.

So that's been nice. (TO SAY THE LEAST.) And I'm grateful. Because, like you, all I ever want is to be more free.

So what about you?

How have you been crossing over lately? Let's share some stories of liberation and its rewards.

And, of course, ATTRAVERSIAMO!
LG

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Good night, lovelies!

Sleep tight, and may we all bounce a little higher tomorrow…

LG

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…and another great piece of work from Jeremy Collins. Brilliant.

Timeline Photos
Yesterday I received an email from an artist looking for career advice. I don't know what I can offer other than to advise they not be afraid to make mistakes. Standing on top of them continually extends your perspective.

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ONWARD!

LG

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Good night, lovelies.

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Dear Ones —

Somebody asked me the other day if writing was easy for me.

When I hesitated with my answer, they asked, "I mean…has it gotten easier over time, as you've gotten better at it?"

And still I hesitated with my answer. Because the truth, I've never asked my work to be "easy"; I just want it to be interesting.

(By which I mean — I want my writing to be interesting for ME. If, as a side effect, my work eventually becomes interesting to you, that's awesome. But mostly, I am just trying to interest and educate and occupy and challenge and delight myself.)

Often writing is indeed quite difficult for me. But I'm not sure that's the point, and I know it's definitely not a problem, because all the really interesting things in life are difficult — love, wisdom, growth, compassion, learning, travel, loyalty, courage, endurance, transformation…

But "interesting" doesn't mean "tormenting". When things get difficult, it doesn't mean you have to suffer and moan and pull out your hair and rend your clothes. It just means things have gotten…well…verrrrry interesting.

You do it anyway — the interesting thing — because you want to have a rich and varied life, not a flat and simple one.

One of the best living teachers of meditation around — — once said that the biggest problem she sees with people's meditation practice is that they quit just when things are starting to get interesting. Which is to say, they quit as soon as things aren't easy any more, as soon as it gets painful, or boring, or agitating. So they miss the good part, the wild part, the transformative part — the part when you push past the difficulty into some raw and new and unexplored universe within yourself.

And maybe it's like that with every single important aspect of our lives. Whatever it is you are pursuing, whatever it is you are seeking — be careful not quit too soon. Don't quit the moment it stops being easy, OK? Because that moment? If you stay in it and then stubbornly push past your fear and resistance? That's the moment where INTERESTING begins.

May you all have an interesting week!

ONWARD,
LG

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Good night, dear ones…

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DON'T WASTE THE TEACHINGS…

Dear Ones -

Well, it's FINISHED. The incredible ride of has come to an end.

8 cities, 8 arenas, 8 dresses (ah, the dresses!), and 8 chances for me to soak in the lessons of some of the wisest teachers alive.

I feel so changed by this experience, in ways I didn't even know needed changing. Somebody asked me yesterday what my next quest will be, and I can honestly say that all my questing is going to be internal for a while — working on OPENING even more. Opening to more grace, to more compassion, to more spirit, to more empathy, to more love, to more joy. I just feel like knocking down whatever walls and ceilings and doors I have built up in my soul over the years..knocking it down and letting all the light in — all the light there ever was.

It's good to have a goal, and mine is clear now: MAKE (EVEN) MORE ROOM FOR GRACE.

Last night I had the opportunity to thank Oprah in person. It was so important to me to get it right, to communicate not only my gratitude, but what I am taking away from this incredible encounter. I told her that when Nelson Mandela died, the most moving tribute I read to him was a simple line somebody put on Twitter:

"If you were lucky enough to live in the time of Mandela, do not waste the teachings he had to offer you."

Well. I consider myself very lucky to have lived in the time of Oprah Winfrey, and I consider myself insanely lucky to have witnessed her goodness in person. (As I was able to tell her last night: I've never seen a moment where she lets her greatness interfere with her goodness…which is a beautiful lesson in and of itself.) And the only gift I could think to give her for all that she has offered to me is my sincere promise that I will not waste her teachings.

Gonna carry it forward.

Gonna let in all the light I can reach for.

I'm talking about some next-level spiritual business here, my loves! (As one of the other teachers said on stage yesterday: "The ceiling you walked in here with is the floor you are walking out on." Cuz we are moving UP, UP, UP.)

May all our ceilings become floors.

May we never waste each others's greatest teachings.

Thank you all for coming on this unforgettable journey with me!

ONWARD!
LG

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Bless.

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