Eat, Pray, Love

So I just recently finished reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and, in my opinion, it's just one of those books that everyone should read like "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Well, I suppose it is more of a girl book than The Alchemist, but still I'm sure men can appreciate it as well. The book is split into three parts: Italy, India, and Indonesia. The subjects she touches on while in India are by far my favorite. I was going through a very hard time with one of my friends at the time and I sent him this quote from the book because it is just so perfect for how I felt about him and I:

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake."

I found that I could identify quite a bit with Elizabeth Gilbert. I love her style of writing and her great sense of humor. And I loved that it didn't matter what I was going through at the time, whenever I picked it up to read it, it was almost like that specific part in the book was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. I do wish I had her eliquence with words. But sometimes it's easier to let someone else do the talking for you. Like, for instance, about men and how my relationships with them have been so far in my life:

"I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his higest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and then I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness. Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism."

This is totally me when it comes to men and now that I know and recognize what I've been doing, I can STOP!! It's one thing to see good in people, but a whole other thing to think that's who the person is as a whole. It never is. I'm not all good. Everyone has their faults. And there's nothing wrong with that. We have to fall in love with those parts of a person as well in order to love someone unconditionally. And that goes for loving yourself as well. So much easier said than done!

Anyway, I totally recommend this book, especially for anyone who is searching for a little guidance or just a little pick-me-up on life and love.