"Eat, Pray, Love" - A Night with Elizabeth Gilbert

Last night, I had the opportunity to go hear Elizabeth Gilbert speak. It was part of the "Arts and Letters Live" series hosted by the Dallas Museum of Art. The talk was at the Eisemann Center in Richardson, so it was easy to get to.

I read this book almost two years ago and it really had an impact on my life. Maybe it's because Gilbert is my age, or she was doing the same kinds of things to "find" herself as I find me doing for myself.

She had three major themes in her talk - all of which I found important. The first was "To Thine Own Self Be Kind." We get so caught up in the minutia of our life and we forget to find that balance that we need to be happy and healthy. We often times get chided for making decisions that are self-centered - when in fact we should be doing more of that. Putting ourself first and taking care of ourself isn't selfish, though we are often made to believe that. We should listen to ourself and trust ourself - if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Don't ignore our inner voice as we move through the days of our life.

Second, take care of our body. It's the only one we have. Think about how resilient our bodies are. We break a bone and in a month or two, we are healed. We become sick, take medication, and then become well. Our physical body rebounds and moves on. Our psyche isn't so resilient. I can barely remember breaking my thumb in 1986 (my body healed and my thumb is fine), but I can remember hurtful comments being said to me and they still make me wince when I think about them.

Finally, it's okay to be a childless woman in your 40's. People look down on your choices, but historically, there has always been a segment of childless women (called sparents) who are there to help nuture and take care of children. Is that why I went into education as a profession? Studies have been done to see who is happier when they are older - women who have had children or woman who didn't. No study has been able to pinpoint that one group is happier than the other. The two issues that worry elderly women are poverty and poor health. So when I worry that when I'm older that I regret my decision (not really a decision, more of a circumstance), it's good to know that I might not.

If you haven't read this book, I truly recommend it for you. It's a fabulous read! I feel blessed to have heard Elizabeth Gilbert speak - what an amazing woman!!