I have read a very entertaining and enlightening book called EAT PRAY LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert about her travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia. Following her divorce, Elizabeth experienced a crushing depression. This is the story of her travels and explorations of three different cultures, in an effort to find balance in her life.
A year of travelling, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali.
It is a wonderful book of self-discovery that will nourish your soul.
I finished it with a feeling of admiration and introspection. Her journey was much more than a trip. She went searching for herself, and she succeed. Sure, I can’t spend a year living in three countries in a quest to “find myself”. However, when I really thought about it, I was actually a little jealous because I wish I could devote just a small amount of time in my life traveling and discovering who I really am.
It is a perfect book for someone who needs to start over. Written like a novel, this story of Gilbert flying up out of the ashes like a phoenix and finding her way in the world is funny, spiritual and full of romance as well as practical guidance for the person who finds himself or herself stuck.
The life skills I learned from the author are: do something you enjoy, entirely for yourself; meditate, daily if possible; if you believe in a divine power, talk to that Being or Concept; get whatever help you need, and make sure you accept it when it’s given.
The writing skills I learned from this book are: when you write a memoir, you are in effect writing your own hero's journey, because you are the hero of your own life. Use dialogue and scenes to animate your life story, and pace your memoir following the steps of the hero's journey.