Being a woman did not look enviable to me, even when it looked admirable. It looked like nonstop sacrifice and service. Because it was. Being a woman seemed vulnerable and sad. Even the strong women I knew - and they were all strong - had earned their strength through enduring huge disappointments and tremendous struggles.
Elizabeth GilbertYou know, itโs the same thing as the question of free will and destiny, the question of creativity - you, the artist, youโre not the puppet of the piano, youโre not the puppet of the muse, but youโre not its master, either. Itโs a relationship, itโs a conversation, and all it wants is to be treated with respect and dignity - and it will return ten thousand times over.
Elizabeth GilbertTis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly.
Elizabeth GilbertI do forget sometimes how much it means for certain menโfor certain peopleโto be able to provide their loved ones with material comforts and protection at all times. I forget how dangerously reduced some men can feel when that basic ability has been stripped from them. I forget how much that matters to men, what it represents.
Elizabeth Gilbert