Self Love Book Club - Red Hot and Holy

When I first started to read Red Hot & Holy by Sera Beak I had a difficult time staying interested in it. So I would read a couple of pages at a time each night, hoping it would get more interesting. And it did!

By the halfway mark I couldn't put it down. I would read it on the bus to and from school, in between classes and before bed. It still took me a while to read it, but that's because I like to read slow so that I can absorb the information and reflect on it as I'm reading. And I dog-eared many pages, and highlighted many quotes.

I think one of the reasons I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning is because I'm not at all religious and I felt like I couldn't relate to what I was reading. After I pushed that thought of my head and focused more on Sera Beak's journey and how it related to her self, and not so much her beliefs, I found a lot of inspiration in her memoir.

One of the things I loved about this book was how honest it was. I loved how she mentions times when she felt tired, embarrassed, ecstatic, devastated - when she laughed, when she danced, when she cried.

Her honesty made her seem more real, and the story more real.

Sera talks a lot in her book about doubting herself and her beliefs, which is something I can relate to very well. I often doubt myself. I don't believe I can do the things I want to do, and so I don't even try.

Reading about how Sera felt similar, and also didn't want to try at a lot of things, but ended up forcing herself to do those things because she knew it was right, helped me to realize that sometimes things may feel difficult, or even impossible, but those are usually the things worth doing. Those are the things that most define us, the things that have the greatest rewards and importance.

And this book reminded me that I am human, that I am going to make mistakes and that it's okay to forgive myself.

I lost my book for a little while, but eventually found it under Sidney's bed! She had tried to highlight sentences on her own, which I thought was super cute.

Here are some quotes I found especially inspiring:

"The truth is, if I let myself unleash, if I did what I really wanted to do, I'd probably just mack on random people all day. I'd love their shit up..." - Page 60

This part of the book made me laugh, because similar thoughts have crossed my mind! I honestly think that if I let loose I would make a lot of people very uncomfortable. Actually I know I would, because every now and then I do!

"Skin yourself bare of what is not you." - Page 162

This quote really hit home. I often find myself thinking that I am too weird or strange when I'm being myself. That I might freak people out, or they just won't like me in general if I open myself up to them. But when I do this, I withdraw from social interaction and I just end up feeling miserable. It just feels better to be myself, which is something I have been trying to do more.

"Remember, the process is the point." - Page 245

Sometimes I forget that. I forget to enjoy the journey, to enjoy each and every moment.

Reading someone else's self-love journey has been really inspiring as I continue on my own journey towards self-love.

Thanks,
Cole



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