Elizabeth Gilbert’s insight about “choosing happiness over suffering” isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a strategic life decision. She argues for actively making space for future joy, a powerful shift from passive hope to deliberate creation.
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Meaning
This quote is about a conscious, active decision to prioritize joy and remain open to the positive possibilities the future holds, rather than defaulting to pain or fear.
Explanation
Let’s break this down because it’s deceptively simple. The first part, “choosing happiness over suffering,” is an active verb. It’s not about waiting for happiness to find you. It’s a daily, sometimes hourly, commitment to not marinate in your own misery. You’re literally building a new neural pathway. The second part is the real masterstroke: “making space for the unknown future.” That’s about relinquishing control. Most of us are so busy trying to micromanage our lives, we leave no room for serendipity, for the “yet-to-come surprises.” It’s like clearing out a closet. You have to get rid of the old baggage—the worry, the rigid plans—to make physical and emotional space for the good stuff to arrive. It’s a two-part formula: choose your present attitude, and then trust the future to deliver.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Personal Development (697) |
| Topics | choice (55), future (24), happiness (48) |
| Literary Style | affirmative (75), narrative (32) |
| Emotion / Mood | hopeful (357), optimistic (116) |
| Overall Quote Score | 85 (305) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is straight from Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. It came out of her personal journey of self-discovery after a difficult divorce, and it perfectly captures the philosophy she developed while traveling through Italy, India, and Indonesia. You sometimes see it floating around the internet unattributed or credited to other self-help gurus, but its true home is firmly in that book.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Elizabeth Gilbert (39) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (39) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Elizabeth Gilbert writes with clarity and heart about creativity, love, and self-discovery. After starting in magazines like GQ and The New York Times Magazine, she published Pilgrims, then broke out with Eat Pray Love, followed by Committed, The Signature of All Things, Big Magic, and City of Girls. Her 2009 TED Talk on creativity went viral and continues to inspire makers worldwide. She splits time between writing, speaking, and mentoring creative communities. For a full view of her work, see the
| Official Website | Facebook | X| Instagram
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | I’m choosing happiness over suffering; I know I am. I’m making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2006; ISBN: 978-0-670-03471-0; Last edition: Penguin Books, 2010; Number of pages: 334. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 69, Indonesia section, Approximate page 269 from 2010 edition |