25 Eat, Pray, Love Quotes from Elizabeth Gilbert's Journey to Self-Discovery
When Elizabeth Gilbert released her 2006 memoir, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything, the global success of the book extended the author’s journey from Italy, India, and Indonesia to the entire planet. The book held a top spot on the New York Times Bestseller list for close to 200 weeks, and was then turned into a visually striking movie starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem.
Eat, Pray, Love chronicles the author's trip around the world after her divorce in a candid and eloquent account of her pursuit of worldly pleasure, spiritual devotion, and the purpose. An intensely articulate and moving memoir of self-discovery, Eat, Pray, Love is about what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own contentment and stop trying to live in imitation of society’s ideals.
But reducing Gilbert’s chronicle of spiritual and personal exploration to such a brash description seems utterly unfair; so let’s let the book speak for itself with these notable Elizabeth Gilbert quotes.
And since I didn't want to pick my own favorites, I took it to Goodreads and looked at what book lovers around the world voted as the best Eat, Pray, Love quotes. Don't forget to share your favorite.
Here are 25 Eat, Pray, Love quotes from Elizabeth Gilbert's journey to self-discovery:
You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.
This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.
You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control.
To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balancedlife.
I'm choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I'm making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.
I met an old lady once, almost a hundred years old, and she told me, 'There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history. How much do you love me? And Who's in charge?
I want God to play in my bloodstream the way sunlight amuses itself on the water.
You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.
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.
The Bhagavad Gita--that ancient Indian Yogic text--says that it is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection.
Do not apologize for crying. Without this emotion, we are only robots.
We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy's fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, under him the whole time. Your treasure--your perfection--is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the buy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart.
I am a better person when I have less on my plate.
We don't realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme self who is eternally at peace.
Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.
When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It's safe. Let go.
Prayer is a relationship; half the job is mine. If I want transformation, but can't even be bothered to articulate what, exactly, I'm aiming for, how will it ever occur?
That’s the thing about a human life-there’s no control group, no way to ever know how any of us would have turned out if any variables had been changed.
But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilling yearnings.
God never slams a door in your face without opening a box of Girl Scout cookies.
Destiny, I feel, is also a relationship - a play between divine grace and willful self-effort.
If you haven't yet had the chance to read the book, you can get your copy of Eat, Pray, Love here.
Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Military Dad of 4 Daughters Defends His Girls When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters. These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarksSaying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.