"I should just put it bluntly, because we're all sort of friends here now - it's exceedingly likely that my greatest success is behind me. Oh, so Jesus, what a thought! You know that's the kind of thought that could lead a person to start drinking gin at nine o'clock in the morning, and I don't want to go there"

In this quote, Elizabeth Gilbert is expressing her fear and vulnerability about her future success. She is resolving a group of buddies and confesses that she believes her greatest achievements have currently occurred. This idea is frustrating and might potentially lead her to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Gilbert is being honest and open with her pals, showing her human side and the pressure she feels to continuously attain. She does not want to fall under a down spiral of self-doubt and harmful behavior, so she chooses to share her ideas and look for assistance from her friends.