Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Elizabeth Gilbert

Generally speaking, though, Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused with everything from porn, to theme parks to wars, bu that's not exactly the same thing as quiet enjoyment. Americans work harder and longer and more stressful hours than anyone in the world today. But as Luca Spaghetti pointed out, we seem to like it. Alarming statistics back this observation up, showing that many Americans feel more happy and fulfilled in their offices than they do in their own homes. Of course, we all inevitably work too hard, then we get burned out and have to spend the whole weekend in our pajamas, eating cereal straight out of the box and staring at the TV in a mild coma(which is the opposite of working, yes, but not exactly the same thing as pleasure). Americans don't really know how to do nothing. This is the cause of the great sad American stereotype- the overstressed executive who goes on vacation, but cannot relax.

Mind | Sacred |

Elizabeth Gilbert

Problem is, you can’t accept that his relationship had a real short shelf life. You’re like a dog at the dump, baby – you’re just lickin’ at the empty tin can, trying to get more nutrition out of it. And if you’re not careful, that can’s gonna get stuck on your snout forever and make your life miserable. So drop it.But I love him.So love him.But I miss him.So miss him. Send him some love and light every time you think about him, then drop it.

Prayer | Will |

William Shakespeare

Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon, and fightest with the sword of Deborah.

Anger | Man | Question | Reason |

William Shakespeare

Still it cried ‘Sleep no more!’ to all the house: ‘Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more,—Macbeth shall sleep no more!

Peace | Right | Silence |

Elizabeth Gilbert

Destiny, I feel, is also a relationship - a play between divine grace and willful self-effort.

Control | Fate | Grace | Little | Man | Need | Play | Question | Will | Fate |

Elizabeth Gilbert

Every word was a singing sparrow, a magic trick, a truffle for me. The words made me laugh in delight.

Better | Mind | Play |

Elizabeth Gilbert

I'd learned enough from life's experiences to understand that destiny's interventions can sometimes be read as invitation for us to address and even surmount our biggest fears. It doesn't take a great genius to recognize that when you are pushed by circumstance to do the one thing you have always most specifically loathed and feared, this can be, at the very least, an interesting growth opportunity.

Attention | Change | Control | Death | Ego | God | Heart | Important | Life | Life | Light | Little | Love | Marriage | Mind | People | Purpose | Purpose | Reason | Relationship | Right | Soul | Space | Time | Universe | Will | God | Afraid | Think | Understand |

Elizabeth Gilbert

Listen to me. Someday you're gonna look back on this moment of your life as such a sweet time of grieving. You'll see that you were in mourning and your heart was broken, but your life was changing.

Emotions | Good | Happy | Ideas | Loneliness | Mind | Past | Time |

William Shakespeare

Such is the power of love, that exalts materialistic things. Now imagine I clear why it has mold and paint god blindfolded and wings - leisurely blindness! Because of what worse! And present it has a child, because not distinguish good from evil in their games, noise and shout swears and throws every moment!

Right | Will |

Elizabeth Gilbert

In 1954, Pope Pius XI, of all people, sent some Vatican delegates on a trip to Libya with these written instructions: Do NOT think that you are going among Infidels. Muslims attain salvation, too. The ways of Providence are infinite.

Calmness | God | Right | Universe | God |

Elizabeth Gilbert

Oh Krishna's mind concern, rough, strong and stubborn, and subjected to at least the difficulty of for subjecting the wind

Absolution | Business | Children | Clemency | Pain | People | Right | Thought | Words | Business | Friends | Thought |

Elizabeth Gilbert

The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefiting act, but also a generous gift to the world. Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people.

Day | Mind | Need | Noise | Peace | Silence | Wants | Will |

Elizabeth Gilbert

Your problem is you don't understand what that word means. 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's holding you back, the person who brings you to your 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 they leave.

Eternal | Evolution | God | History | Humanity | Ideas | Individual | Longing | Means | Need | Nothing | Order | Peace | Providence | Right | Sacred | Search | Spirit | Story | Thinking | Thought | Will | Wonder | God | Think | Thought |

Elizabeth Gilbert

The other day in prayer I said to God, Look - I understand that an unexamined life is not worth living, but do you think I could someday have an unexamined lunch?.

Day | Mind | Need | Noise | Peace | Silence | Wants | Will |

Elizabeth Gilbert

We are not alien visitors to this planet, after all but natural residents and relatives of every living entity here. This earth is where we came from and where we'll all end up when we die, and during the interim, it is our home, And there's no way we can ever hope to understand ourselves if we don't at least marginally understand our home.

Ego | Fortune | Life | Life | Mind | Perfection | Right | Silence |

Elizabeth Gilbert

Zen masters say you cannot see your reflection in running water, only in still water.

Ego | Mind | Perfection | Silence |

Elizabeth Gilbert

There's a reason we refer to leaps of faith - because the decision to consent to any notion of divinity is a mighty jump from the rational over to the unknowable, and I don't care how diligently scholars of every religion will try to sit you down with their stacks of books and prove to you through scripture that their faith is indeed rational; it isn't. If faith were rational, it wouldn't be - by definition - faith. Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be... a prudent insurance policy.

God | Present | Reason | Right | God |

Elizabeth Gilbert

There is a theory that if you yearn sincerely enough for a Guru, you will find one. The universe will shift, destiny's molecules will get themselves organized and your path will soon intersect with the path of the master you need.

God | Present | Reason | Right | God |

Elizabeth Gilbert

There’s a wonderful old Italian joke about a poor man who goes to church every day and prays before the statue of a great saint, begging, Dear saint—please, please, please . . . give me the grace to win the lottery. This lament goes on for months. Finally the exasperated statue comes to life, looks down at the begging man and says in weary disgust, My son—please, please, please . . . buy a ticket.

God | Reason | Right | God |

Elizabeth Gilbert

We must take care of our families wherever we find them.

Love | Mind |