One of the epiphanies we eventually come to on our trip around the Wheel is the realization that whatever happens at any given moment is totally a function of the energies at work at that moment and where the interaction of these energies takes us is into the next moment. In other words, what is being brought into existence on the planet at any given time is a function of the energies at work at that time and directly connected to what is needed for evolution to proceed which brings us to the book Eat Pray Love. After writing it, the author wondered if it would be of any interest to anyone other than herself and was surprised when it became a best seller and generated so much favorable response from so many women around the world. But this story of a woman choosing to allow what she felt to be her true nature to determine what needs to happen in her life despite the consequences was exactly what these women needed to hear as validation of what they were also experiencing in their lives. This idea of ‘being true to oneself’ in light of enormous pressures from the world in which we find ourselves to keep this from happening is currently playing itself out in the efforts of the LGBT community to get other people to accept their sexual preferences as not a choice given the physiology they inherited. Stories of how damaged people are who have tried to bury these parts of themselves are now well known as are the stories of how they flourish when the choice is made to come out of hiding and be themselves.
The tendency is to label these people as brave but you do not have to be brave to do what you have to do. You just have to have to be done with living a life that does not allow you to experience the potential with which you were born. Elizabeth Gilbert knew that this potential would never be realized if she remained stuck in the situation she found herself in and the pain associated with this scenario would far surpass any she might experience by taking the road less traveled. As we move out of the South and into the West on the Wheel, we are confronted with a similar predicament in that our lives become about the search for something those around us do not even know exists. Our journey becomes inner directed while those around us continue to search for happiness in what is outside of themselves and see us as foolish and deluded. And we will choose to listen to these voices or not depending on how strong the pull is within us to embark on this other journey.
This story of a woman successfully embarking on her own journey despite all the forces aligned against this happening was what we needed to hear so that we can continue to evolve as a species. And she continues to realize her potential by creating other books that challenge the way we perceive the world and the forces at work all around us. Her book Committed is an in depth look at the institution of marriage and its history as a device created by the Church as a means of controlling peoples behavior. Once again we are confronted with something we thought we knew but, when confronted with its historical origins, find we hardly knew at all. Her book Big Magic is a wonderful discussion of the creative process as it plays out in her life and perhaps in our own if we allow it to and work at being prepared for when it may show up. These books are available from audible and are highly recommended because they are read by the author who is not only an extraordinary reader but has a way of making you feel as though you are actually in a conversation with her that matters to both of you.
