You know the old adage: Plant an expectation, reap a disappointment.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
I had a great teacher in India who said to me, 'If you think you're spiritual and evolved and enlightened, go home for Christmas.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
True spirituality is tested by our behavior in everyday life, especially with loved ones.
This quote highlights the idea that our sense of spiritual progress and enlightenment is often challenged by interactions with family and those close to us. It suggests that being spiritually evolved is not just about personal growth and enlightenment but also about how we navigate the complex emotional dynamics of familial relationships, especially during times like the holidays.
Themes
SpiritualityRelationshipsFamilyGrowthEnlightenment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a speech about personal growth and relationships.
More from Elizabeth Gilbert
All quotes βDo not apologize for crying. Without this emotion, we are only robots.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
I had always been taught that the pursuit of happiness was my natural (even national) birthright. It is the emotional trademark of my culture to seek happiness. Not just any kind of happiness, either, but profound happiness, even soaring happiness. And what could possibly bring a person more soaring happiness than romantic love.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
When I tried this morning, after an hour or so of unhappy thinking, to dip back into my meditation, I took a new idea with me: compassion. I asked my heart if it could please infuse my soul with a more generous perspective on my mind's workings. Instead of thinking that I was a failure, could I perhaps accept that I am only a human being--and a normal one, at that?
Elizabeth GilbertRead
And when you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times you must grab onto the ankles of that happiness and not let go until it drags you face-first out of the dirt - this is not selfishness, but obligation. You were given life; it is your duty to find something beautiful within life no matter how slight.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilling yearnings.
Elizabeth GilbertRead
Similar quotes
Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally. If you want to take responsibility for your life, you must choose one of those three options, and you must choose now. Then accept the consequences.
Eckhart TolleRead
A reputable lawyer will advise you to keep out of the law, make the best of a foolish bargain, and not get caught again.
Mark TwainRead
Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.
Baltasar GracianRead
Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.
Bertrand RussellRead
Indeed, your biggest challenge may be to fully harness your strengths. You may be so busy trying to appear like a zestful, reward-sensitive extrovert that you undervalue your own talents, or feel underestimated by those around you. But when youβre focused on a project that you care about, you probably find that your energy is boundless.
Susan CainRead
I'm encouraging you to know what you're worth. And know that no matter who has more money in class, who has more stuff, who has a country house - nobody is worth more than anybody else.
Lady GagaRead