"The only way to learn is to live.'-Matt Haig

Author Quote 

Op<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52578297-the-midnight-library">The Midnight Library </a>tells the story of Nora, a depressed woman in her 30s, who, on the day she decides to die, finds herself in a library full of lives she could have lived, where she discovers there’s a lot more to life, even her current one, than she had ever imagined.

The Midnight Library - Book 

What if, instead of having to live your one life one day at a time, you could sample every life you could possibly have? Would you be happier? Would you find “the one?” The life in which everything fits? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Haig">Matt Haig </a>‘s million-copy bestseller, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52578297-the-midnight-library">The Midnight Library </a>, asks these big questions.

Book Overview 

The book follows Nora Seed, a British woman in her mid-30s, who is deeply depressed. One night, she decides to commit suicide, but the overdose of sleeping pills sends her into a library between life and death. As time stands still, Nora gets to sample countless lives she could have lived, and by the end of it, one thing is clear: Nora wants to live .

<ol><li>You could live a million lives and still not be satisfied. </li><li>Your “best” life may still not be the right one for you to go through. </li><li>Life won’t always give you an explanation, so just go on living. </li> </ol>

Top 3 Book Less

In <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10573626/">an episode </a>of The Sandman , Robert “Hob” Gadling strikes a deal with Dream and Death: In exchange for sharing his experience once a century, he won’t die. Some centuries Hob lives like a pauper, in others he lives like a king. No matter whether he’s super rich or just lost his wife and child, however, Hob asks for 100 more years at each meeting. 600 years later, his conclusion is clear: “<a href="https://nik.art/i-could-do-this-forever/">I could do this forever. </a>”

Lesson 1: Human Nature And Being Dissatisfied 

Whereas Hob is driven by <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/a-curious-mind-summary/">curiosity </a>and a lust for life, Nora finds something wrong with every life she tries. In the married pub-owner life with her ex Dan, he cheats on her and drinks too much. Had she moved to Australia, her best friend would have died. If swimmer-Nora had become an Olympic gold medalist, she’d still be depressed, and if her cat hadn’t died early last night, it would have died three hours later.

With each disappointment, Nora returns to the library, and so, albeit for different reasons, she and Hob learn the same lesson: You could live a million lives, and yet, you would still not be satisfied — because striving for progress is just <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-laws-of-human-nature-summary/">human nature </a>.

While this drives civilization, as individuals, we are also happiest when we feel we’re evolving, and to evolve, we need to make a change . That’s why, even if we lived a thousand years, there’d always be things we still feel we need to do.

Don’t strive for a perpetual state of perfection. It doesn’t exist. Learn to be okay with never being completely satisfied, and make the most of this trait rather than regret it.

After she has tried being a glaciologist, being a rockstar, and owning a vineyard, Nora finally finds a life that seems to fit like a glove. She is married to her hot neighbor Ash, who’s a surgeon. They have a daughter and a dog. The couple lives in Cambridge, and Nora is a philosophy professor. In other words, <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-gifts-of-imperfection-summary/">everything is perfect </a>.

Lesson 2: Perception Of Your "Best" Life

For weeks, Nora stays in this life, thinking this might be the one, but eventually, she realizes she must leave it behind. For one, Nora hasn’t earned this life. She wants it, but unless she can achieve it through her own actions, she’ll never fully enjoy it. For another, the perfection of Nora’s life came at the expense of who she left behind. A boy she originally gave piano lessons to, for example, ends up being a criminal because Nora never opened the door to being a musician for him.

Usually, we imagine our “best” lives as devoid of sacrifice. Everything is supposed to be easy. But what if that easiness hurts people we care about? Wouldn’t we rather make some compromises and thus see them happy too?

Your best life will only feel as good as you feel you actually deserve it — and to deserve it, ironically, you’ll likely have to make some painful sacrifices . Ultimately “best” is not about achievement. It’s about <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-nicomachean-ethics/">making choices we are proud of </a>— and whatever that life ends up looking like, even if it’s far from perfect, we’ll be happy that we’re in it.

As the Midnight Library collapses, Nora realizes: <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-last-lecture-summary/">A life full of problems can still be good </a>, and even a good life might be full of problems. She manages to throw up her sleeping pills and get help. The next day, she reconciles with her estranged brother and passes on her lesson: “You don’t have to understand life,” Nora tells him. “You just have to live it.”

Lesson 3: Understanding Life Verses Living Life

On her social media, she writes: “We only need to be one person. We only need to feel one existence. We don’t have to do everything in order to be everything, because <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/finite-and-infinite-games-summary/">we are already infinite </a>. While we are alive we always contain a future of multifarious possibility.”

“We can’t tell if any of those other versions [of us] would have been better or worse,” Nora writes. But we can tell that our actual lives are happening right in front of us, “and that is the happening we have to focus on.”

In life, you won’t get an explanation for every breakup, let alone a “<a href="https://nik.art/what-if/">what-if </a>” report outlining all your alternate realities. If you focus on the life you have , however, you won’t need either of those things. All we have to do is live one day at a time and trust that, in that one existence, everything that’s needed will be contained.

Enjoy the present, be kind to those around you, and ask for help when you need it. May you never end up at the Midnight Library.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52578297-the-midnight-library">The Midnight Library </a>is a beautiful book with a clever concept, masterfully executed by Matt Haig. It is easy to read, full of great quotes, smart references, and even some poems and lyrics Nora wrote in her other lives. The book draws from many genres and will make you think deeply, not just about the lives you could lead, but also about the one you do . A magnificent thought experiment with a wonderful conclusion.

The Midnight Library Review

The 14-year-old boy who gets bullied in school and feels isolated and alone, the 35-year-old stay-at-home wife who feels she should have accomplished more, and anyone who spends a lot of time thinking about past regrets.

Who would I recommend our The Midnight Library to?

Read our summary of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig to get the plot of this beautiful novel in 4 minutes + 3 valuable life lessons.

philosophy

Philosophy

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

problemsolving

Problem Solving

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

The Midnight Library Summary

<ul><li>In 1938, Harvard researchers embarked on a <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-secret-to-happiness-heres-some-advice-from-the-longest-running-study-on-happiness-2017100512543">decades-long study </a>to find out: What <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/what-people-in-finland-happiest-country-in-world-never-do-according-to-psychologist.html">makes us happy </a>in life?</li><li>The researchers gathered health records from 724 participants from all over the world and asked detailed questions about their lives at two-year intervals.</li><li>Contrary to what you might think, it’s not career achievement, money, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/fitness-trainer-shares-the-exercises-she-does-every-day-to-look-and-feel-younger.html">exercise </a>, or a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/21/cardiologist-shares-foods-that-are-not-actually-that-healthy-for-your-heart-what-to-look-for-instead.html">healthy diet </a>. </li><li>The most consistent finding we’ve learned through 85 years of study is: Positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/29/people-who-live-100-longer-share-this-hobby-longevity-experts-say-it-can-add-years-to-life.html">live longer</a>. Period .</li></ul>

What Makes Us Happy? 

<ul><li>Relationships affect us physically. Ever notice the invigoration you feel when you believe someone has really understood you during a good conversation? Or a lack of sleep during a period of romantic strife?</li><li>To make sure your relationships are healthy and balanced, it’s important to practice “social fitness.”</li><li>Our social life is a living system, and it needs exercise.</li><li>Social fitness requires taking stock of our relationships, and being honest with ourselves about where we’re devoting our time and whether we are tending to the connections that help us thrive.</li></ul>

The No. 1 Key to a Happy Life : ‘Social Fitness'

Humans are social creatures. Each of us as individuals cannot provide everything we need for ourselves. We need others to interact with and to help us.In our relational lives, there are seven keystones of support:<ol><li>Safety and security: Who would you call if you woke up scared in the middle of the night? Who would you turn to in a moment of crisis?</li><li>Learning and growth: Who encourages you to try new things, to take chances, to pursue your life’s goals?</li></ol>

How To Take Stock of Your Relationships 

<ul><li>Emotional closeness and confiding: Who knows everything (or most things) about you? Who can you call on when you’re feeling low and be honest with about how you’re feeling?</li><li>Identity affirmation and shared experience: Is there someone in your life who has shared many experiences with you and who helps you strengthen your sense of who you are?</li></ul>

How To Take Stock Of Your Relationships (cont.) 

<ul><li>Romantic intimacy: Do you feel satisfied with the amount of romantic intimacy in your life?</li><li>Help (both informational and practical): Who do you turn to if you need some expertise or help solving a practical problem (e.g., planting a tree, fixing your WiFi connection).</li><li>Fun and relaxation: Who makes you laugh? Who do you call to see a movie or go on a road trip with who makes you feel connected and at ease?</li></ul>

How To Take Stock Of Your Relationships (cont.)

<ul><li>Prepare a chart based on the above with the relationships around you. </li><li>Place a plus (+) symbol in the appropriate columns if a relationship adds to that type of support in your life, and a minus (-) symbol if a relationship lacks that type of support. </li><li>It’s okay if not all relationships offer you all those types of support.</li><li>Think of this exercise like an X-ray, a tool that helps you see below the surface of your social universe. </li><li>Not all of those types of support will feel important to you, but consider which of them do, and ask yourself if you’re getting enough support in those areas.</li></ul>

Assessing The Relationships In Your Life Through A Chart

<ul><li>Looking at the gaps on the chart, you might realize that you have plenty of people you have fun with, but no one to confide in. </li><li>Or maybe you only have one person you go to for help, or that a person you take for granted actually makes you feel safe and secure.</li><li>Don’t be afraid to reach out to the people in your life. Whether it’s a thoughtful question or a moment of devoted attention, it’s never too late to deepen the connections that matter to you.</li></ul>

Assess Your Chart And Reach Out To People That Matters 

Interesting study on what truly makes us happy... A good way for us to stop / pause and reflect on these areas of our lives. 

In 1938, Harvard researchers embarked on a decades-long study to find out: What is the secret to a happy life? Contrary to what think, it's not career achievement, money, exercise, or a healthy diet.

mindfulness

Mindfulness

health

Health

mentalhealth

Mental Health

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

The No. 1 thing that makes us happy in life: It helps us 'live longer'

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

The things you've always wanted are within your reach, no matter where you are or what skills you possess. Whatever your circumstances, you can always begin. Do not let your desire for something or your desire to be somewhere else prevent you from utilizing what you already have.

productivity

Productivity

history

History

writing

Reading & Writing

Quote by Theodore Roosevelt

The life of this world is nothing but the harmony of opposite

I can heal a Brocken heart with a smile

Maybe you are searching among the branches for what only appears in the roots

Patience with small details makes perfect a large work ,like the universe

Your legs will get heavy and tired .then comes a moment of feeling 5he wings you've grown, lifting.

You dance inside my chest where no one sees you

Close your eyes, fall in love , stay there

Love calls everywhere and always , we are sky bound Are you coming?

Growing up as an Iranian rumi has always been one heavenly guide showed me how to discover universe

Arranged by topic and by theme, this introduction to the works of the great mystical poet Rumi features some of the best translations of his verse Rumi’s poems are beloved for their touching perceptions of humanity and the Divine. Here is a rich introduction to the work of the great mystical poet, featuring leading literary translations of his verse. Translators include Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Andrew Harvey, Kabir Helminski, Camille Helminski, Daniel Liebert, and Peter Lamborn Wilson. To display the major themes of Rumi’s work, each of the eighteen chapters in this anthology are arranged topically, such as “The Inner Work,” “The Ego Animal,” “Passion for God,” “Praise,” and “Purity.” Also contained here is a biography of Rumi by Andrew Harvey, as well as an introductory essay by Kabir Helminski on the art of translating Rumi's work into English.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

books

Books

Arranged by topic and by theme, this introduction to the works of the great mystical poet Rumi features some of the best translations of his verse   Rumi’s poems are beloved for their touching perceptions of humanity and the Divine. Here is a rich introduction to the work of the great mystical poet, featuring leading literary translations of his verse. Translators include Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Andrew Harvey, Kabir Helminski, Camille Helminski, Daniel Liebert, and Peter Lamborn Wilson.   To display the major themes of Rumi’s work, each of the eighteen chapters in this anthology are arranged topically, such as “The Inner Work,” “The Ego Animal,” “Passion for God,” “Praise,” and “Purity.” Also contained here is a biography of Rumi by Andrew Harvey, as well as an introductory essay by Kabir Helminski on the art of translating Rumi's work into English.

Jalaluddin Rumi

The Rumi Collection

….. simply a means of urging people to do more of a good thing or less of a bad thing.Economics ultimately boils down to the study of incentives. Incentives are all around us, whether natural or manufactured (like by a parent, teacher, boss, politician or economist).Three kinds of incentives:<ol><li>Economic: doing something to increase your wealth.</li><li>Social: doing something to affect how others perceive you.</li><li>Moral: doing something because of your sense of right and wrong.</li></ol>

INCENTIVE 

A day-care center wanted parents to pick up their kids on time, so they levied a $3 fine for parents who were late. However, the number of late pickups actually doubled.. That’s because the fine was too affordable, sent the wrong signal that being late wasn’t a big deal and removed the parents’ guilt of being late. Without a moral incentive, parents continued to be late even when the $3 penalty was removed.

Moral Incentives 

<ul><li>Steven debunks the myth that drug dealers are all rich. In reality, crack gangs are very similar in structure to any business in corporate America, with a small number of people on the top making big money and hundreds of people on the bottom barely scraping by at all.</li><li> These people stay in the business because of the prospect of potentially moving up and making it big one day, which is the mentality that drives people like athletes and entertainers trying to move up as well.</li></ul>

Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?

<ul><li>Because of high-stakes testing, schoolteachers in Chicago public schools were incentivized to change their students' answers on test answer sheets so that they would not be fired or penalized for the poor test scores.</li><li>Similarly, sumo wrestlers in Japan are incentivized through bribes and social incentives to cheat and throw certain important matches (to allow other wrestlers to win) so other wrestlers do not drop in the rankings.</li></ul>

What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?

<ul><li>Parents are more afraid of gun than of swimming pool. But there is 1 child drowning per every 11,000 backyard pools (550 drownings per year from 6 million pools) compared with 1 child killed for every 1,000,000+ guns (175 child deaths per year from 200m+ guns in the US).</li><li>By these numbers, swimming pools are 90 to 100 times more dangerous to children than guns</li><li>We human are horrible at assessing risks.</li></ul>

Which Is More Dangerous Swimming pool or gun?

If we feel in control, we view things as safer. We prefer to drive a car than fly, even though there are far more deaths from car crashes than from plane crashes. When we’re in the driver’s seat we feel in control, but in a plan we relinquish all control to the pilot, so it feels riskier.

CONTROL

We weight the things that could kill us now more heavily than the things that could kill us in the future. A terrorist can kill us right now, but eating too much McDonald’s won’t kill us for a few decades.

PRESENT VS FUTURE

We see the news stories of the horrific plane crashing into the side of a mountain or the kid playing with a gun that accidentally goes off, so these feel more likely compared to the guy who fell asleep in a car and quietly veers off the road or the child who drowns in the pool without any news coverage.A simple equation might be: <a href="https://www.psandman.com/handouts/sand44.pdf">Risk = Hazard + Outrage</a>

AVAILABILITY

<ul><li>Stetson Kennedy, a man who infiltrated the 1940s KKK and published much of their secret information, thereby erasing the informational advantage they had that made people fear them.</li><li>Real estate agents also have an informational advantage over their clients, and they often use this to their advantage, selling houses for less than they are worth so that they can close a deal quickly because they have less to gain from a higher sale than the sellers do.</li></ul>

How the Ku Klux Klan is similar to real estate agents?

<ul><li>Parenting methods that entail specific actions (such as taking one’s child to museums, spanking the child, reading to the child every night, etc.) play little to no role in the child’s development, whereas there are many parental qualities (such as the parents’ level of education, their age at the time of having children, etc.) that have a demonstrable influence on a child’s development.</li><li>Such data suggest that genetics plays a larger role in a child’s development than parental nurture does.</li></ul>

WHAT MAKES A PERFECT PARENT?

<ul><li>Chances are, we’ve all been cheated at one point or another, probably by a repairman who overcharged us or an expert who gave us bad advice. Experts have an informational advantage over the average person. </li><li>Experts often abuse information asymmetry between themselves and consumers, but things like the internet are working to erase this information imbalance by providing more information to everyday people.</li></ul>

EXPERTS AREN’T ALWAYS THE GOOD GUYS

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? Freakonomics will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.

En esta obra, Levitt y Dubner demuestran, a través de ejemplos y una sarcástica perspicacia, que la economía representa el estudio de los incentivos. ¿Qué resulta más peligroso: una pistola o una piscina? ¿Qué tienen en común un maestro de escuela y un luchador de sumo? ¿Por qué continúan los traficantes de drogas viviendo con sus madres? ¿En qué se parecen el Ku Kux Klan a los agentes inmobiliarios? Quizás éstas no sean las típicas preguntas que se formula un experto en economía, pero Steven D. Levitt y Stephen J. Dubner no son unos economistas muy típicos. Se trata de especialistas que estudian la esencia y los enigmas de la vida cotidiana y cuyas conclusiones, con frecuencia, ponen patas arriba la sabiduría convencional. A través de ejemplos prácticos y de una sarcástica perspicacia, Levitt y Dubner demuestran que la economía, en el fondo, representa el estudio de los incentivos: el modo en que las personas obtienen lo que desean, o necesitan, especialmente cuando otras personas desean o necesitan lo mismo.

Discover the world of business and economics.

economics

Economics

parenting

Parenting

En esta obra, Levitt y Dubner demuestran, a través de ejemplos y una sarcástica perspicacia, que la economía representa el estudio de los incentivos. ¿Qué resulta más peligroso: una pistola o una piscina? ¿Qué tienen en común un maestro de escuela y un luchador de sumo? ¿Por qué continúan los traficantes de drogas viviendo con sus madres? ¿En qué se parecen el Ku Kux Klan a los agentes inmobiliarios? Quizás éstas no sean las típicas preguntas que se formula un experto en economía, pero Steven D. Levitt y Stephen J. Dubner no son unos economistas muy típicos. Se trata de especialistas que estudian la esencia y los enigmas de la vida cotidiana y cuyas conclusiones, con frecuencia, ponen patas arriba la sabiduría convencional. A través de ejemplos prácticos y de una sarcástica perspicacia, Levitt y Dubner demuestran que la economía, en el fondo, representa el estudio de los incentivos: el modo en que las personas obtienen lo que desean, o necesitan, especialmente cuando otras personas desean o necesitan lo mismo.

Steven D. Levitt

Stephen J. Dubner

Freakonomics

“Some people<a href="https://list25.com/25-luckiest-people-in-the-world/"> </a>can’t believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.”

“Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or <a href="https://list25.com/25-easiest-languages-you-could-be-learning-today/">learn </a>from it.”

“No one ever made a difference<a href="https://list25.com/25-crazy-differences-between-the-harry-potter-movies-and-books/"> </a>by being like everybody else.”

“Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming<a href="https://list25.com/25-best-places-for-swimming-in-the-world/"> </a>, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.”

To encourage in whatever you do and wherever you are in life, we present to you these 25 inspirational movie quotes that could change your life.

movies

Movies & Shows

Inspirational Movie Quotes That Could Change Your Life

“One of the functions of art is to give people the words to know their own experience… Storytelling is a tool for knowing who we are and what we want.”

“If you write what you yourself sincerely think and feel and are interested in… you will interest other people.”

“You can only write regularly if you’re willing to write badly… Accept bad writing as a way of priming the pump, a warm-up exercise that allows you to write well.”

“Don’t write at first for anyone but yourself.”

Mastering the essential complementarity of compassion and total objectivity.

“The first sign of disintegration — in a writer — is that the writing loses the unique stamp of his/her character, & loses its inner light.”

“In both writing and sleeping, we learn to be physically still at the same time we are encouraging our minds to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives.”

“At its best, the sensation of writing is that of any unmerited grace. It is handed to you, but only if you look for it. You search, you break your heart, your back, your brain, and then — and only then — it is handed to you.”

“There is a great deal that either has to be given up or be taken away from you if you are going to succeed in writing a body of work.”

“To write well about the elegant world you have to know it and experience it to the depths of your being… what matters is not whether you love it or hate it, but only to be quite clear about your position regarding it.”

“Had I been blessed with even limited access to my own mind there would have been no reason to write.”

“Never write more than two pages on any subject.”

“Sheer egoism… Writers share this characteristic with scientists, artists, politicians, lawyers, soldiers, successful businessmen — in short, with the whole top crust of humanity.”

“A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go for a long walk.”

“Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life.”

“The test of a writer is whether you want to read him again years after he should by the rules be dated.”

“You have to finish things — that’s what you learn from, you learn by finishing things.”

“As a writer you should not judge. You should understand.”

“You have to tell your own story simultaneously as you hear and respond to the stories of others.”

“It’s by writing… by stepping back a bit from the real thing to look at it, that we are most present.”

creativity

Creativity

entertainment

Entertainment

Timeless Advice on Writing: The Collected Wisdom of Great Writers

Whatever it is you are pursuing, whatever it is you are seeking, whatever it is you are creating, be careful not to quit too soon. As my friend Pastor Rob Bell warns: “Don’t rush through the experiences and circumstances that have the most capacity to transform you.”

Life is a labyrinth where an end could be a beginning or there could be multiple paths to reach a particular point. The universe has hidden deep jewels within us and the hunt that we must embark on to uncover those hidden jewels is called creative living. The result of that hunt is what is called ‘Big Magic’

'Big Magic'

<ol><li>Courage</li><li>Enchantment</li><li>Permission</li><li>Persistence</li><li>Trust.</li></ol>

Elements of Creativity 

Fear is boring in the sense that it manifests in the same way every day. There is no variety to it. It never changes or isn’t able to spark any interest or delight. Once we understand the true nature of fear we don’t need to be afraid anymore. We must cultivate the courage to embark on creative journey by making space for fear. Courage is not fearlessness i.e the absence of fear but rather living alongside fear by making space for it to exist but never let it take the driving seat.

Courage.

As per Gilbert, the universe is inhabited not just by humans ,animals but also ideas. These ideas are conscious and have a will be manifested by collaborating with a human. These ideas come in the form of an inspiration and if they are not tapped into they fade away and look for another human for manifestation.

How Ideas Work?

<ul><li>You don’t need anyone’s permission to live creatively. Why do you seek permission? You are entitled to live a life the way you want. You have the right to assert yourself just because you are born and alive.</li><li>The creative endeavour should not be to help others but to help one’s own self. It’s also okay to not have any motive whatsoever.</li><li>The paradox of creativity is that we need to make art as the most important thing that we do but at the same time it shouldn’t matter to us way too much. Make space in your life for this paradox to happily exist.</li></ul>

Permission

<ul><li>There is no age limit when you can make a start at something. As long as you stick around the different phases (frustration and disappointment) of the creative process you are fine. You are learning.</li><li>There is never going to be enough time and resources to make art possible but one needs to take that time out and work on their creative pursuits.</li><li>Fall in love with your creativity and you will find/make time for it.</li><li>Make your self look presentable to attract and invite creativity.</li><li>Perfection is the enemy of the good. Don’t hold yourself back because one is not perfect. Embrace imperfections.</li></ul>

Persistence.

<ul><li>We are co-creators of life and we collaborate with mother nature to create life through reciprocation of its services</li><li>Gilbert argues that you need to trust love over suffering to be artistic.</li><li>When you not feeling inspired or passionate about creativity then being curious is the antidote. Find clues to whatever interests you and creativity will find you eventually</li><li>Ego demands rewards and satisfaction which is always elusive and there is no ending to it while soul desires ‘wonder’ and when we take refuge in the soul our ego remains silent or under control.</li><li>Don’t dwell on disappointments.</li></ul>

Trust.

Gives me an insight into the creative process and what it takes to make art 🎨

The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller "A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugar From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of. Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller "A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugar From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of.   Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

Elizabeth Gilbert is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Elizabeth Gilbert has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Elizabeth Gilbert's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic

“A wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.”

“Life is not the amount of breaths you take. It’s the moments that take your breath away.”

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

“Do, or do not. There is no “try”.”

“Every man dies, but not every man really lives.”

We put together some of our favourite lines from films to help you stay positive no matter what challenges you might be facing.

Inspirational Movie Quotes

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30659.Meditations">Meditations </a> by Roman emperor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius">Marcus Aurelius </a>was probably never meant to be published, but in 1558 someone at Heidelberg University in Germany decided that these 12 books full of wisdom were too valuable to remain hidden from the world – and printed them.

Meditations By Marcus Aurelius - Book Overview 

Opposite to the Epicureans, who sought as much pleasure as they could in the here and now, for tomorrow they could die, the Stoics believed in the goodness of things, no matter how bad they were at any given time.

"Put an end once for all to this discussion of what a good man should be, and be one."-Marcus Aurelius

Author Quote

<ol><li>True “logic” doesn’t always make sense, but everything happens for a reason. </li><li>Life is too short to complain. </li><li>The only pain you suffer is the pain you create yourself. </li> </ol>Excited about stoicism? Let’s begin your training, young philosopher!

Top 3 Book Lessons

The word logic as we use it today originally stems from ancient Greek. The word “logos” means “reason” and to the stoics, it was the force of life.Logos gives everything its form and its order. It flows through every plant, every tree, every building and every human being. It is the essence of all life and the underlying master plan for everything that happens in the world . Therefore, every single thing that happens, whether good or bad, happens for a reason.

Lesson 1: The true meaning of “logic” is not something that always needs to make sense — but it’ll always have purpose.

Things are exactly right as they are, which includes terrible things like terrorism, death and disease just as much as it includes wonderful things like rainbows, sunny days and long, fulfilled lives.

We’ve long deviated from this concept. To us, logic has become a much more mathematical concept. 1+1 = 2. That’s logic to us. But <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/the-art-of-happiness-summary/">when a close family member unexpectedly dies </a>, we don’t think that’s logical. It doesn’t make sense to us. It’s unfair, we get angry, we cry and resent the world. Marcus Aurelius believed that everything happens for a reason. Always. Even in the worst of times, he took comfort in the fact that everything is exactly as it’s supposed to be.

If everything is exactly right the way it is, complaining becomes utterly useless then , doesn’t it? There’s a saying I like: “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson You could’ve spent those 60 seconds laughing. Talking. Breathing. Living. But you chose to complain to the person next to you in line at the cashier how hard life is. How much waiting at the grocery store sucks. And how stupid that employee is for making a mistake.

Lesson 2: Life is too short to waste even a second complaining.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - Book Summary 

This summary of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius will explain the great Stoic philosopher's perspective. Read my Meditations summary.

Meditations Summary

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