Elizabeth Gilbert is an acclaimed writer, public speaker, and novelist. Her most renowned work is the memoir “Eat Pray Love,” where she recounts her transformative expedition of self-exploration across Italy, India, and Indonesia following a challenging divorce. Gilbert’s literary approach is characterized by its close and personal nature, and she is celebrated for her candidness and openness. Alongside her memoirs, she has also authored numerous novels and essays.As part of our series titled “100 Motivational Writers and their Great Works,” All Good Quotes is showcasing “Elizabeth Gilbert and her top 35 quotes.”
About Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on July 18, 1969. Growing up on a small family farm in Litchfield County, Connecticut, she developed a deep affection for nature and animals. Both of her parents were writers and they encouraged her to pursue her passion for writing. Gilbert enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she focused on studying writing and literature.
Initially, Gilbert embarked on her writing career as a journalist, contributing to various publications such as Spin and GQ. She also wrote for esteemed publications like the New York Times Magazine and the Paris Review. In 1997, she made her debut as an author with the publication of “Pilgrims,” a collection of short stories. The book was well-received, and Gilbert was commended for her ability to capture the essence of the human experience.
In 2000, Gilbert ventured into the realm of novels with the release of her first novel, “Stern Men.” Set on a small island off the coast of Maine, the novel delves into the lives of the island’s inhabitants. While the book received mixed reviews, Gilbert’s writing was lauded for its profound depth and intricate complexity.
The Famous Book of Elizabeth Gilbert
Gilbert rose to fame in 2006 with the release of her bestselling memoir “Eat Pray Love,” which took readers on a transformative journey across Italy, India, and Indonesia. This deeply personal and vulnerable account resonated with readers, making it a cultural phenomenon. The success of the book led to its adaptation into a movie featuring Julia Roberts.
Aside from her memoirs, Gilbert has also penned several novels, such as “The Signature of All Things” and “City of Girls.” Additionally, she has authored books on creativity, including “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear,” which encourages readers to embrace their creative side and pursue their passions.
In addition to her writing, Gilbert is highly sought-after as a speaker, captivating audiences with her wit, humor, and honesty. Her talks cover topics such as creativity, spirituality, and self-discovery, inspiring millions of individuals worldwide.
Here are 35 of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best quotes:
- “To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow – this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.”
- “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.”
- “I am a better person when I have less on my plate.”
- “It all goes away. Eventually, everything goes away.”
- “The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying; the only thing more impossible than staying was leaving.”
- “If you’re alive, you’re a creative person.”
- “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”
- “I think it’s better to be a unicorn than a lion.”
- “What’s your favorite flavor of shit sandwich?”
- “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.”
- “Embrace the glorious mess that you are.”
- “Let yourself be gutted. Let it open you. Start there.”
- “Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.”
- “We don’t realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme self who is eternally at peace.”
- “The word ‘yoga’ means ‘union’ – union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.”
- “The women I love and admire for their strength and grace did not get that way because shit worked out. They got that way because shit went wrong and they handled it. They handled it in a thousand different ways on a thousand different days, but they handled it. Those women are my superheroes.”
- “Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.”
- “The best people I know have had a lot of failure in their lives.”
- “What are you willing to give up to get what you really want?”
- “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 highest 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 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.”
- “It’s still two human beings trying to get along, so it’s going to be complicated. And love is always complicated. But humans must try to love each other, darling. We must get our hearts broken sometimes. This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.”
- “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 is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.”
- “Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest.”
- “Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark.”
- “Your ego is a monkey catapulting through the jungle: Totally fascinated by the bananas it swings from one tree to the next, never realizing that it’s headed for a trap. When it grabs for a new bunch of bananas, it overlooks the trapdoor leading to the pit. And so it goes, monkey after monkey, swinging blindly through the trees — or, in our case, swinging blindly through life — until it hits a snag it can’t untangle on its own. That’s where a good friend comes in–to help untangle the monkeys.”
- “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.”
- “To be a writer is to be an observer. And the most important thing about being an observer is that you need to pay attention.”
- “I’ve never seen any life transformation that didn’t begin with the person in question finally getting tired of their own bullshit.”
- “We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure, but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world.”
- “The interesting thing about grief, I think, is that it is its own size. It is not the size of you. It is its own size. And grief comes to you. You know what I mean? I’ve always liked that phrase He was visited by grief, because that’s really what it is. Grief is its own thing. It’s not like it’s in me, and I’m going to deal with it. It’s a thing, and you have to be okay with its presence. If you try to ignore it, it will be like a wolf at your door.”
- “You are not a terrible person for wanting to break up with someone you love. You don’t need a reason to leave. Wanting to leave is enough. Leaving doesn’t mean you’re incapable of real love or that you’ll never love anyone else again. It doesn’t mean you’re morally bankrupt or psychologically demented or a nymphomaniac. It means you wish to change the terms of one particular relationship. That’s all. Be brave enough to break your own heart.”
- “In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.”
- “The world is like a dropped pie most of the time. Don’t kill yourself trying to put it back together. Just grab a fork and eat some of it off the floor. Then carry on.”
- “I’m not an easygoing person; I’m easily annoyed. I’m not an easy person to love; I’m pretty prickly, actually. I’m not an easy person to work with, I’m pretty demanding. I understand these things about myself.”
- “Most things have no meaning. Why assign meaning to everything?”
- “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously.”
Conclusion
Elizabeth Gilbert is an exceptionally skilled writer, speaker, and novelist. Her personal, sincere, and open writing style has left a profound mark on the realm of literature. Through her books, she has motivated countless readers worldwide to embrace their creative instincts and pursue their dreams. The enduring impact of Gilbert’s work will undoubtedly serve as a wellspring of inspiration for aspiring writers and artists in the years to come.
