This month, "A Wife's Charmed Life" is celebrating its 6th birthday in the blogosphere. I sometimes look back at the journeys this blog has taken and I always wonder in awe at how much it has grown and how much I've grown too as person. So as a gift to my beloved readers, let me share a special moment that happened on my birthday six months ago: attending Elizabeth Gilbert's talk at the Sydney Opera House where I also got to meet her.
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Elizabeth "Liz" Gilbert is intelligent, funny and endearing. Her aura illuminates with such positive energy. Listening to her talk about her life and advices when it comes to following one’s passion was a very inspiring experience.
I love Liz Gilbert. Her book Eat Pray Love brought a lot of sense to me and thru it I learned the missing link in my life then which was the value of balance. It was a dream come true to see her and learn a lot from her stories.
The best part was I got to meet her too! She did this talk three days before my birthday in January this year and it was one of best gifts the Universe has ever given to me. When we met, she complimented me that I have a beautiful name (she referred to Ivy) and then greeted me a “Happy birthday!” when I mentioned that she is fate's birthday gift to me. It was so surreal!
Here she is signing my old Eat Pray Love book. :)
I'm sharing a video of her talk at the Sydney Opera House below. It's lengthy but it's worth your time. However, if you have no time to watch just yet, here are some things I learned from Liz Gilbert’s talk:
On her life:
Writing is her only talent, she does it good and had always been her path.
She’s experienced life in Wyoming as a ranch girl.
She’s gullible…she easily believes in everything.
She enjoys the company of men as men are more interesting.
She describes herself as an introvert trapped in an extrovert body.
On writing
When writing, one should have a particular person/audience directed to .
On writing Eat Pray Love
It was a letter to her friend Darcy.
It’s her most intimate book as it is her story but she had no regrets writing it, it is a great blessing to her life.
The best thing that has happened during her journey was the 4 months she spent in India as she finds a peace resolution to herself.
On overcoming that judgemental voice
Be more stubborn to that voice; quiet that voice so your own voice will come out.
Be kind to yourself and forgive yourself.
Push hard, be relentless because it has to be done.
On making your dreams come true
Anything challenging is worth doing.
It is your passion, it is your responsibility.
Stop complaining.
On empowering women
We as women need to constantly be realistic perspective on how far we've come in such a short time.
Relax and don’t be hard on yourself.
It doesn’t help when society dictates what women should do etc. but there are new freedoms.
Last year, the universe gifted me with Roger Federer. This year, it was Liz Gilbert. Words cannot express how much I'm truly grateful for these inspiring encounters. Moments like these will always warm my heart.
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