This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What is the famous soulmate quote from Eat Pray Love? What does the quote say about soulmates?
The soulmate quote from Eat Pray Love talks about how we view soulmates, and how that may not be correct. Gilbert argues that we view a soulmate as someone who is perfect for us, but they may actually be the people who challenge us the most.
Read the soulmate quote from Eat Pray Love and how she came to find her voice and fall in love.
The Soulmate Quote From Eat Pray Love
“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.
A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave.
A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master…”
What Does The Quote mean?
The soulmate quote from Eat Pray Love is about a lot of things, just like Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey.
New Awakenings
Gilbert didn’t leave Felipe’s for almost a month after her trip. She’d never experienced love and affection like that before. She’d never felt so free during the act of lovemaking. Their bodies fit perfectly together, like magnets. He whispered intimate statements in her ears, which helped her pick up a little Portuguese.
Gilbert enjoyed this new sense of timeless drifting, which was so different from her usual organized mind. Still, she made time to meditate every morning. She was in such a state of calm and contentment, she was able to slip into meditation within seconds. She no longer could remember why she thought life was such a struggle.
Finding Her Voice
Gilbert took Felipe to Gili Meno, a small island off the coast of Bali. The island was so small, you could walk the perimeter within an hour. Gilbert chose this island for their vacation because she’d been there before. When she visited Bali two years ago, she took a 10-day trip by herself to the island for a silent retreat.
Bringing Felipe to that island now was her way of acknowledging the origin of the person he loved. She had not been saved by a man. She had saved herself through self-love and spiritual devotion. She was happy and balanced because she fought for it. And she was ready to share her new life with someone else.
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Eat Pray Love summary :
- Why Elizabeth Gilbert needed to divorce her husband
- How she was able to find joy again in Italy
- How Gilbert was able to find balance with Felipe
