Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Eat Pray Love Phenomenon

According to USA Today article by  Kitty Bean Yancey Bali's tourism is up thanks to the book and movie "Eat, Pray, Love". Having jumped on the band wagon, some of these themed tours are promising a similar experience, such as Italian pizza and a Brazilian waiter while in Bali, of course for a price. Believe me, I am all for supporting tourism and global economy and being able to experience other cultures, I believe these to be invaluable. But why do we want to have someone else's experiences? Are our lives that bad or simply uninteresting just going through the motions with our habitual ways? It seems to me that the author Elizabeth Gilbert was able to take a good honest look at herself and that begins her quest.

It is much easier to watch a reality show on your couch with a bag a chips and judge what's going on in other people's lives. I too enjoy the occasional mind numbing program. It's a bit of a break from myself and all in a good dose of moderation. But how often do we look to escape our current feelings, thoughts, or life situations? It is apparent to me that lots of us are through addictions, preoccupations and other various avenues that keep us entertained for the time being.

I truly believe one of the hardest things to do as a human being is to get real with yourself, except oneself and ultimately friend yourself. If we are able to change our perceptions about ourselves everything else in life will follow suit. Deciding to take an honest look inside and embracing it all is a very brave thing to do.

Your Life and Experiences will be the Best teacher. Why run from it or pay for someone else's?

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

2 comments:

  1. I believe in both the Law of Attraction and the Law of Perversity (paradox). At some level, we remember what it was like to be the All - to be aware of and be able to have the experience of everything or anything at any "time." So we seek that here in body form, through varied and numerous experiences - some actual and some vicarious. This very act of expansion actually keeps us stuck on "experiencing", which then keeps us stuck going round and round the wheel of life/death. And keeps us here - instead of where we wish to be.

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  2. I needed to read this today...and now I ask myself, "What am I now trying to escape from?"

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