Today's ❤ Message
Eat. Pray. Love.
Life is full of ups and downs, with surprises at every corner keeping things interesting. Though we like to think that certain things are set in stone, nothing really is. Curve balls could pop up at any second, ultimately forcing us to adapt to changes or be consumed by them instead.
Elizabeth Gilbert learned some pretty rough life lessons in her autobiographical hit Eat, Pray, Love. Her first marriage seemed to be blissful end-game material. However, her path was quickly altered forever when the pair divorced, sending her on a whirlwind journey of growth and acceptance.
The Universe is asking you to do your own version of Eat, Pray, Love–even if it hurts at first. If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, prepare for some spoilers ahead!
The book Eat, Pray, Love is separated into three major sections of the same name. First, the audience gets to “Eat” with Gilbert.
After her initial divorce, she is faced with a challenge: mourn or thrive. She easily could have ruminated in her grief forever, never giving herself the opportunity to find another Mr. Right despite knowing he was out there. Instead, she took the challenge by the horns.
Her journey truly began in Italy, where she gained a taste of adventure. Sure, the food was great, but the sense of freedom she found for herself was even greater. These four months in Italy showed her the world of possibilities that awaited her after separating from the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.
In your own life, you can give yourself a similar challenge. Do things you wouldn’t normally do to reignite your lust for life.
Try new foods, travel to exciting bucket list destinations–whatever floats your boat. The world is your oyster, and you’ll learn so much about yourself through explorative travel.
The Universe then called to Gilbert to have a profound spiritual awakening. She wouldn’t have achieved this had she stayed home post-divorce. Adhering to the Universe’s call allowed her to reach new spiritual heights, though that was never her intention.
Her priorities shifted to meditation and prayer; these things always spoke to her, but gained a newfound prominence in her daily routines.
Similarly, after exploring what the world has to offer, you may feel called to explore your spirituality. Doing so opens up your heart chakra, making way for love to find you instead of you looking for it.
During her journey, Gilbert’s last priority was finding another husband. She knew she wanted one eventually, but there were other things she had to learn first, so she gave herself permission to explore these avenues in a way that resonated with her spirit.
Finally, after adhering to her divine call from the Universe, she was ready! The Universe brought her a handsome Brazilian businessman to fall in love with while she was in Bali.
Though she had experienced a grand loss in her first divorce, she learned that you’re never “too old” to find love. In fact, she was rather young during her first divorce, separating from her then-husband at just 34 years old. While her second marriage was also not permanent, it taught her to accept what the Universe offers with open arms.
Though you may have loved and lost before, it’s better to try again when you’ve gone through your own healing journey. Holding yourself back from something that could really enhance your life is such a disservice.
The Universe will always find ways to send you on your own Eat, Pray, Love adventure, too. Therefore, it’s better to embrace the possibilities than be too stubborn to try!
