Saturday, August 09, 2008

Il bel far niente...but reading

I just finished reading this book. EAT.PRAY.LOVE. I've been hearing about it for a long time from a lot of people in passing conversations. It's a book that I actually consciously paced myself while reading it so that it wouldn't be done too quickly.

It goes to the top of my list.

Definitely wouldn't be for everyone and I guess you have to be open to it - but I loved what it made me feel. It made me want to grow. To be a better person. To love more unconditionally. To learn more about depth. To be the best me i can be. To really find & embrace the things that MOVE me.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9B9zFo4RFw

"Il bel far niente" : The beauty of doing nothing
"l'arte d'arrangiarsi" : The art of making something out of nothing


"So I've started being vigilant about watching my thoughts all day, and monitoring them. I repeat this vow 700 times a day: 'I will not harbor unhealthy thoughts anymore.' Every time a diminishing thought arises, I repeat the vow. 'I will not harbor unhealthy thoughts anymore.' The first time I heard myself say this, my inner ear perked up at the word 'harbor', which is a noun as well as a verb. A harbor, of course, is a place of refuge, a port of entry. I pictured the harbor of my mind - a little beat-up, perhaps, a little storm-worn, but well situated and with a nice depth. The harbor of my mind is an open bay, the only access to the island of my Self. This island has been through some wars, it is true, but it is now committed to peace, under a new leader who has instituted new policies to protect the place. And now - let the word go out across the seven seas - there are much, much stricter laws on the books about who may enter this harbor. You may not come here anymore with your hard thoughts, with your plague ships of thoughts, with your slave ships of thoughts, with your warships of thoughs - all these will be turned away....This is a peaceful harbor, the entryway to a fine and proud island that is only now beginning to cultivate tranquillity. If you can abide by those laws, my dear thoughts, then you are welcome in my mind - otherwise, I shall turn you all back toward the sea from whence you came. That is my mission, and it will never end."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

tami - that's so cool - i am currently turning the pages of that book right now. so cool to read your thoughts.......... i am pacing myself too - but sometimes i don't think i have say in that one ;)

amanda

Ariad said...

I'd love to get a hold of that book it sounds inspirational.