Eat. Pray. Love.

“People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you’re fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.
- Elizabeth Gilbert. Eat Pray Love

It took me a longer time than usual to finish this book. I paused for about 3 weeks during the "pray" section. When I started it again, I finished it in less than a week. 

What a perfectly fitting book to read at this point in my life. I was quite amazed at the similarities in my personal life, as well as the help and calmness it shone upon me. The stories and ways the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, reflects upon her new outlook on life, has without a doubt influenced the perspective I now have towards this adventure and on my life in general. 

For anyone who has seen the movie, which I believe is arguably the case to all books turned movies, I recommend the book 100% more. (Well, okay, I haven't actually seen the movie, so this advice is unsound and entirely biased.) But I found it to be one of those books, that even if you cannot relate whatsoever with the troubles the main character is facing, the advice and suggestions she provides are targeted in general to be applied to any situation. 

Few reasons why this was the perfect timing for E.P.L: Not only am I in Asia, a part of the world that up to last July it had never even occurred I would visit, let alone live in. In addition, I went through a non-dramatic, very mellow, beginning levels of an emotional breakdown sometime around last Fall. It was evidently not nearly as chaotic as the book's divorce story. But even so, I felt that I needed to escape. Well, magically, coincidentally, or by pure fate, I ended up across the world, with this book... and it has graciously changed something within me. 

Here are the 3 main lessons, I gathered. (Which I will now eternally live by)  

“There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under my jurisdiction….I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with. I can select what I eat and read and study. I can choose how I’m going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life, where I will see them as curses or opportunities”

“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control.”

“So much about self esteem building is choosing your outlook. How will you speak to yourself. Will you entertain negative thoughts or refute them. (p260)

 "You should never give yourself a chance to fall apart because, when you do, it becomes a tendency and it happens over and over again. You must practice staying strong, instead.” 

1) I have control over the negative aspects in my life. I, and only I, have the power to alter my happiness.

Maybe I can't control the fact that we broke up, that I didn't get the job/scholarship, that we are fighting, that I dislike my boss, that a certain person's actions really affected me, and I could name about 10 more facts that I had (have) no control over. I can't control what happened. BUT, is it necessary for my body, mind, and soul, to be consumed daily by these facts? The answer is written all throughout this book. AND If I can help it, I am determined to delete all aspects of my life that are causing me, or will cause me, to be unhappy. No he or she should have enough power to alter my inner-peace. I am currently in the process of learning to see all of my circumstances (even the unfortunate ones) as an opportunity. I fear being unhappy. To overcome that fear, I'm learning to escape any shadow of unhappiness that crosses my path. 

2) Selecting my thoughts as I would select my fashionable clothes everyday.

I love this one. Oh so much. Even so, that already I have been noticing this change within me. How easy it is to dwell on a negative experience. After reading this book, specifically this lesson about controlling your thoughts, I kept remembering a time when I constantly thought about "what mean thing I should have said in response" to that person. How energy draining and simply ugly! " YOU ARE AFTER ALL, WHAT YOU THINK." ..... I made it a personal goal to stop thinking negatively. Before, I felt that because no one on this planet would ever know my inner thoughts, I was free to think as I pleased. But man, was I wrong. As the book mentions: "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slaves to your emotions."  Therefore, even though nobody can disturb the privacy of your thoughts, any negative aura within you, will always find its way out of you. By words, actions, or however, you will always be controlled by your thoughts. SO the only thing in life you can and should control, are your thoughts. Peaceful thoughts= Peaceful mind=Peaceful life.

3) Being Strong, Fearless and Unstoppable. 

With this trip, I have grown an immense sense of self-empowerment, independence, and acceptance of myself. I can do this, better than I thought I could. Snaps fingers. Flips hair. In the book, through the author's faults and recollection of herself, she lifts an invisible mirror and allows you to see the beauty within yourself. ~  I feel a bit reserved to fully express myself on this third lesson learned, simply because I am also superstitious and have always believed that if you speak your wishes out loud, they may not come true. But let's just say, that I am more inspired than ever to continue my journey, and follow my dreams without leaning my heart on anyone; simply relying on the power of me. 

I doubt anyone but myself has followed along, but if there are readers up until this point: Open a new tab, & order this book immediately, express shipping ;)