Amidst all the stress I was feeling, I was continuing to do yoga and continuing to try to learn how to manage my stress. It was helping, but it wasn’t the long-term solution I needed.
A friend of mine read Eat, Pray, Love and really enjoyed it. I usually avoid such mass-market books. But I was drawn into the story of someone leaving the “normal life” and traveling to three very different places to explore life, spirituality, and balance. The author wanted to explore herself, spirituality, and all the things she felt she was missing in her normal life.
I actually didn’t read it right away. I bought it as a gift for a friend in the summer of 2010, but then I decided to buy it and read it on the plane on my way home for Christmas in December 2010.
Wow.
Sure, it’s a self-absorbed story of the author finding herself. But in many ways, the things she was looking for are also the same things I am looking for. I wasn’t having a midlife crisis like she was, but we shared many of the same problems and concerns.
I really enjoyed her view and analysis of spirituality. It really changed how I think of spirituality and how I see myself (and human beings) as part of a larger system on this beautiful planet.
The most interesting thing for me, however, was her decision to undertake this yearlong project. She was successful in her career and had a lot going for her, but she felt the need to invest a year in herself and take a different path. Along the way there are many funny and inspirational stories.
The key takeaway for me: Taking the path less traveled can get you where you want to go even faster sometimes. It can also take you to a destination you didn’t know existed, yet is far superior to the one you wanted to reach.
Next up.. coming back from Christmas dismayed, inspiration from a friend doing amazing things, a trip to Prague, and the birth of my new life…
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