An Introduction to Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert was born in Connecticut, USA, in 1969. She is a renowned author and captivating spiritual teacher whose wisdom has resonated deeply with spiritual seekers around the world. Best known for her transformative memoir “Eat, Pray, Love,” Elizabeth’s personal journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening has inspired countless others to so the same.
As a young adult, Liz explored various writing avenues, including journalism and fiction. However, it was her soul-searching adventure across Italy, India, and Indonesia, chronicled in “Eat, Pray, Love,” that catapulted her into the realm of spiritual exploration and teaching.
Over the years, Liz has evolved into a spiritual guide, sharing insights and lessons learned from her own experiences. with her large community. Her teachings emphasize the importance of self-discovery, mindfulness, and embracing the sacred within everyday life. With a unique blend of vulnerability and authenticity, Elizabeth Gilbert has become a respected voice in the spiritual community.
Through her books, talks, and online presence, Liz continues to inspire individuals on their spiritual journeys, offering guidance and encouragement to those seeking a deeper connection with themselves and the world around them.
Image credit: elizabethgilbert.com
Favourite Elizabeth Gilbert Teachings
In her book “‘”Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear”‘” Elizabeth teaches her philosophy about the creative process. Her website describes it as ‘”a book that encapsulates the joyful spirit of adventure and permission that Elizabeth has always brought to her work and to her life.”‘” Here is a quote from the book that we love: “You have treasures hidden within you — extraordinary treasures — and so do I, and so does everyone around us. And bringing those treasures to light takes work and faith and focus and courage and hours of devotion, and the clock is ticking, and the world is spinning, and we simply do not have time anymore to think so small.” Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic. She believes that the universe is full of incredible ideas that are just waiting to be born, and that if we have an idea, that’s the universe’s way of allocating that idea to us to birth in this realm.
Elizabeth has started a new spiritual practice on her Substack called “Letters from Love”. She has been writing these letters from love (or from Source, or a God of one’s own understanding,) to herself for over 25 years and she has now created a community to share her practice with others and encourage them to write their own ‘letters from love’ to themselves, as well as sharing letters from around the world with her community.
Key Elizabeth Gilbert Takeaways
Elizabeth has encouraged us to be more creative. She has made us realise that you don’t have to have been labelled as “arty” or “creative” growing up to be a creative person. This was particularly true for Sophie who always thought of herself as less creative than Georgie (who was extremely artistic) – until Sophie realised that her career in Communications and Marketing was in fact endlessly creative. We can be creative in myriad ways – cooking, gardening, ice skating, teaching, performing, dancing, singing… the list is endless! We are all here to co-create with the universe and it is when we do so that we live the fullest and most joyful lives we can.
Elizabeth has also taught us to connect to a ‘God of our own understanding.’ This does not mean an old man with a grey beard sitting on a cloud somewhere in the sky, as we were taught to imagine when we were little. For us, God is an energy of love and creativity, the consciousness that is infinite and indivisible, inseparable from us and the rest of the universe, the animating presence within us and within all forms of life. Delving into Liz’s work is always a delight and a source of great positivity, inspiration and deepened understanding of self.
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Where to Begin with Elizabeth Gilbert
Anyone who hasn’t read Elizabeth Gilbert’s global bestselling memoir “Eat, Pray, Love” should buy themselves a copy to read. This is where we first fell in love with her! Another great introduction to Elizabeth is to watch her three Ted talks: https://www.ted.com/speakers/elizabeth_gilbert. Check out her Substack here to find out more about her Letters from Love: https://elizabethgilbert.substack.com/p/welcome-to-letters-from-love
Elizabeth Gilbert Resources
Website: www.elizabethgilbert.com
Elizabeth Gilbert Books:
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Podcast – Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert
We have also enjoyed some of her interviews on other Podcasts such as on ‘We Can Do Hard Things’ with Glennon Doyle, Amanda Doyle and Abby Wambach in the episodes ‘Liz Gilbert Shares the Whole Story for the First Time‘ and ‘Why Elizabeth Gilbert Disappeared & What She Came Back to Say‘- during which she explains her understanding of “God” and talks in depth about her experience of grief following the death of her partner Rayya. In the episode titled ‘Elizabeth Gilbert on her Most Important Daily Practice” she gives practical advice on how we can connect with God/ Source to guide us in daily life.
Ted talks: ‘Your Elusive Creative Genius’ ‘Success, Failure and the Drive to Keep Creating‘ ‘It’s OK to Feel Overwhelmed: Here’s What to Do Next‘
Substack: https://elizabethgilbert.substack.com/p/welcome-to-letters-from-love
Aura 