Well, the trailer is finally here. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t come out until August. I can see from the websites that have this video posted there are a myriad of reactions to the movie but more importantly to the story. Reading this book was life-changing for me but much to my surprise, there are a lot of women out there who hate this book.
It’s hard for me to fathom that a woman could have such a vehement reaction to another woman’s soul searching story. My psych 101 theory comes into play and tells me that whenever something that doesn’t directly involve or affect you causes a strong reaction, it’s not at all about the other person, it’s all about your stuff.
And what is the nature of this “stuff” you ask? The stuff is not envy about Elizabeth Gilbert having the resources to take off work and travel the world for a year–it’s about her listening to what she really needed in her life and then following that vision. It’s about her saying yes–to herself.
If you feel stuck; in your relationship, in your job, or in your life, then seeing another woman answer her own longing will be very threatening to you. You will see this book and her story as self-indulgent and obnoxious and you’ll go right back to your to-do list of things you should and must do, back to the grind that is your life, and back to feeling angry and resentful that you’re not living the life you want. There is so much that I can say at this point of this post. But suffice to say that there are so many small ways that we can start saying yes to ourselves and answering our longings–because if you don’t answer the small ones, chances are you won’t answer the big ones unless like Elizabeth Gilbert, you’re driven to do so through a near-nervous breakdown.
As for myself, I’m looking forward to the movie.
find me on Facebook
follow me on Twitter