I loved Eat, Pray, Love. It was a touching story of a woman's spiritual journey from depression to self-realization and happiness. While I couldn't identify with a lot of her story (how many of us have the ability to pick up our lives and travel for a year?), her thoughts and philosophy really stuck with me. She discusses how it was her new vow not to ever use another person as her emotional scratching post again and that really stuck with me.  Her chapter about the best pizza ever made me hungry, her description of Bali made me want to move to Indonesia and her escatic descriptions of true meditation convinced me to try it. Definetely read this book.

I want to have a lasting experience with God. Sometimes I feel like I understand the divinity of this world, but then I loose it because I get distracted by my petty desires and fears.

I want to be with God all the time. But I don't want to be a monk, or totally give up worldly pleasures.

I guess what I want to learn is how to leave in this world and enjoy its delights, but also elevate myself to God.