One of the most impactful books I've read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It paints an interesting picture of how women perceive the world as well as well as the simple pleasures of life. This travelogue cum memoir revolves around the idea of finding balance and happiness in life.At 32 years old, the author’s life has been smooth running, with a successful career thus far. However, disillusioned by her marriage, she spends her nights crying on the bathroom floor, lamenting about her miserable life. She finally takes her first step towards happiness, divorcing her husband. Seeking to forget her unhappy memories, she embarks upon a journey across three countries in search of spirituality and the meaning of life after finalizing her divorce. She spends four months in Italy, food paradise. Elizabeth Gilbert indulges her carnal appetite in mountains of heavenly Italian food, at the same time, appreciating the simplicity of life. Another four months in India, she finds spiritual balance by scrubbing temple floors and perseverance in the daily recitals of Sanskrit scripts. Lastly, she finds balance between spirituality and food in Indonesia, meeting a Brazilian stranger whom she found the true meaning of life, love.
How does it impact my life then, you might ask? Perhaps it was the amusing monologues Elizabeth Gilbert which she carries out from time to time to think about life. However, I would say how she demonstrates her humour, wit and insight which she displays wherever she goes. It is the simplicity of her monologues which made me think about how we too can revel in the pleasures of everyday life. Also, her endless pursuit for happiness and answers made me understand that you can never be too content with all that you have in life. Seize the moment and work for your desires.
To end this post, let me quote Elizabeth Gilbert -- "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. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."
I think that how the book describes happiness, as something that you must fight for, shows that happiness is not something that is easily obtained. Your description of the book also makes me want to read it as her quest for happiness has given you many insights. I hope it can do the same for me.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Choong 2A1 09