EAT, PRAY, & LOVE

I have been emerging myself these past 3 weeks in catching up with books I wanted to read. One book is my favorite of them all Eat, Pray, & Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. If you are a person looking for a book that is engaging, funny, entertaining, self help type of memoir well this book is it. There are several points in this book that I would like to highlight, that we sometimes lose focus on as we get caught up with all life has to offer.

1. "This world is so challenging is exactly why you sometimes must reach out of its jurisdiction for help, appealing to a higher authority in order to find your comfort." This is so true...to me that higher authority is God. Sometimes life can throw a wicked curve ball that causes delirium, depression, anger, sadness, havoc, etc. Now do not go running to the nearest mental health clinic, instead try dropping to your knees and pray. Prayer is the KEY to keeping your Sanity.

2. "Americans don't really know how to do nothing. This is the cause of that great sad American stereotype-the overstressed executive who goes on vacation, but cannot relax." Life can be very demanding at times where we lose ourselves in it forgetting about ourselves. Stress is often the illness that lead to other illnesses and death. When the opportunity presents itself, let your hair down, kick your shoes off, laugh, have fun, and pamper yourself. You will feel like a new person.

3. "One must always be prepared for riotous and endless waves of transformation." No change is easy and surely no change comes quietly over night. Change is hard to where there may be a battle with self or with another person. In reality, some change is for the better. No one likes change, but learning to graciously accept it is sometimes what we all need. Nothing and no one stays the same for forever. Embrace the unexpected.

4. "Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side of that sword, there lies convention and tradition and order, where all is correct. But on the other side of that sword, if you're crazy enough to cross it and choose life that does not follow convention, all is confusion. Nothing follows a regular course." Often we get caught up in what's expected of us via societal standards. But who really knows what is the correct age and/or time to get married, have kids, etc. What works for some does not work for all. So why are we so focused on upholding societal traditions versus to marching to a different drum beat? All things come in due time...some just get theirs earlier than others. Patience and individuality is what matters, it makes us unique and interesting versus robotic and boring. Do YOU and Do what is Best for YOU!

5. "It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection."

6."Prayer is the act of talking to God, while meditation is the act of listening." Sometimes we do talk to God so much that he may just come down from heaven and yell "Shut Up...I heard you the first time" but we are often not satisfied because we do not see a miracle before our eyes. Sometimes, we must get really still, quiet, and listen to what God is trying to tell us. The message is always right there in front of our eyes or within our heart, we just have to pay attention and take it from there. Meditation is taking the time to listen to what your heart is trying to tell your brain.

We all have good, bad, and rough days...but remember seasons bring about a change, so don't ask God to order your steps if you're not ready to shuffle your feet. In life, there are detours, delays, and unexpected accidents...but as long as you have GOD as your GPS, you will always end at your respectful destination.