Attravrsiamo

Hi Mom,
We went to the movie "Eat Pray Love" lastnight. It was soooo good! It's about a girl who decides to travel the world for one year - finding herself. First she goes to Italy to indulge in food and wine and learn Italian. Then she goes to India to pray. And lastly, she goes to Indonesia (Balli) to find the balance of the two.

It was awesome! I read the book a few years ago and the movie was almost as good as the book!

One part of the movie that I really liked was an Italian word, "attraversiamo" which means "to cross over". It made me think of all the times in my life where there was a bridge to cross or a leap (of faith) to make...and how, every day, we have to take that leap of faith to move in the direction we want to go...

There are so many great quotes from the movie - many of which I can see you saying.
I think you would like the movie. We'll have to get it when it comes out on video.

Love you,
Crystal
PS Just in case you're getting any ideas, I'm not planning on travelling the world, Mom. But I am excited and getting ready for your visit to come here!!!

EAT PRAY LOVE - quotes

You want to get to the castle, you gotta swim the moat.

God dwells within you, as you.

To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life.

I once recognised myself as a friend

You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.

Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark.

It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection.

As smoking is to the lungs, so it resentment to the soul...even one puff is bad for you.

My Guru says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.

That's just your ego, trying to make sure it stays in charge. This is what your ego does. It keeps you feeling separate, keeps you with a sense of duality, tries to convince you that you're flowed and broken and alone instead of whole."
"But how does that serve me?"
"It doesn't serve you. Your ego's job isn't to serve you. Its only job is to keep itself in power. And right now, your ego's scared to death cuz it's about to get downsized. You keep up this spiritual path, baby, and that bad boy's days are numbered. Pretty soon your ego will be out of work, and your heart'll be making all the decisions. So your ego's fighting for its life, playing with your mind, trying to assert its authority, trying to keep you concerned off in a holding pen away from the rest of the universe. Don't listen to it."

You were given life; it's your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight.

Clear out the spaces in your mind.

"There are only 2 things that people really fight about in life:
1. How much do you love me?, and
2. Who is in charge?"

The hub of calmness- that's your heart. That's were God lives within you. So stop looking for answers in the world. Just keep coming back to that center and you will always find peace.

You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.

You have to learn to select your thoughts the same way you select your clothes every day..now that's a power you can cultivate.

Your treasure, your perfection is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the busy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into silence oft the heart.

To find the balance you want you must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that its like you have 4 legs instead of 2. That way you stay in the world but you must stop looking at the world through your head you must look through your heart instead.That way you will know god.

Send him some love and light every time you think about him, and then drop it.

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.

Ruin and failure is the road to transformation.