“To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living”

The first time I heard of Elizabeth Gilbert, an American novelist, was when I saw her video on creativity and she specifically mentioned her new memoir which went out and became a mega-bestseller – Eat, Pray Love.

I have to admit, the title itself was intriguing. There was something spiritual as well as physical about it which is delicately bound together. When she set off for her journey, it was as if I was with her on the same train. It was a journey toward peace and the whole new discovery of one’s purpose of living.

Every single one of us has our own crisis in life but the question is how do we deal with it? Gilbert sets an extraordinary example to start out in the middle of her devastating divorce apart of being uncertain about her place in this world. Her courage and honesty are admirable and made me wonder if I was strong enough do the same?  Do I have the same degree of clarity about what I really need to do in this life?

I think most of us can relate to the message that the author is trying to deliver that all of us deserve to find our place in this world. We all deserve a happy and meaningful life.

As the title indicates, there are three sections to this book. The ‘Eat’ portion is shot entirely in Italy while the ‘Pray’ portion is mainly set in India and ‘Love’ in Indonesia.

The first part is just a pursuit of pleasure where she mostly finds in Italian food. Each bite takes her to a new world where she hasn’t been before. The ice creams, the pastas and pizzas and most of all the friends that she enjoys all the food with make her understand that she should enjoy each and every moment in her life. The best thing she learns there is that you just have to let go of all the traditions in your life and live.

The first scenery in India shows a very crowded city with lots of people and noise. But later when she enters an ashram she finds that silence is a key ingredient. Here, she works on her spirituality. She meets Richard, who used to be an alcoholic who has lost everything in his life and is trying to find some peace within him. The important thing she learns from him is that at some point in your life we have to let go of our past and to forgive ourselves, a starting point to start over and love ourselves.

This is the place where she is finally able to let go of her unsuccessful marriage and her angry ex-husband. From that point on, the ashram becomes a divine for her. Each and every moment of meditations and the mantras takes her one step closer to love. She also starts to notice all the details in her life and learns that nothing is accidental in life.

In Indonesia, she learns about true love with the help of her guru Ketut, an old man whom she meets every day. He teaches her how to strike a balance in life. Elizabeth finally meets the love of her life, Felipe but is afraid that accepting him will alter the balance she had painstakingly achieved. At this point Ketut says, “To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life”.

This book made me realize how little I have figured out about my life. Inspirational enough for me to make my own version of this journey.