Name: Success, failure and the drive to keep creating
Uploaded: 2014-04-25T14:52:51Z
Duration: 7 min 4 s
Description: Elizabeth Gilbert was once an "unpublished diner waitress," devastated by rejection letters. And yet, in the wake of the success of 'Eat, Pray, Love,' she found herself identifying strongly with her former self. With beautiful insight, Gilbert reflects on why success can be as disorienting as failure and offers a simple -- though hard -- way to carry on, regardless of outcomes.

Elizabeth Gilbert: Success, failure and the drive to keep creating

Success, failure and the drive to keep creating

Elizabeth Gilbert was once an "unpublished diner waitress," devastated by rejection letters. And yet, in the wake of the success of 'Eat, Pray, Love,' she found herself identifying strongly with her former self. With beautiful insight, Gilbert reflects on why success can be as disorienting as failure and offers a simple -- though hard -- way to carry on, regardless of outcomes.

The aftermath of massive success can feel as disorienting as repeated rejection. After a bestselling memoir, the speaker found herself just as lost as when she was a struggling, unpublished writer enduring six years of rejection letters. The key insight: both triumph and defeat can separate people from their true selves. Only by returning to a central passion—something loved more than ego or outcome—can anyone navigate the unpredictable storms of creative life.