Read, Shake, Appreciate #14
Welcome to Read, Shake, Appreciate! This is your fortnightly round-up of words that made me feel inspired, songs that made me shake my ass, and people who I think deserve some spotlight.
This week I’m reading:
30 Things I Love About Myself by Radhika Sanghani
I don’t read as much fiction as I’d like to (too many books!! Not enough days!!), but when I got sent an advanced copy of a novel about a young woman who goes on a complete journey of self-love, I thought I’d give it a go. I started reading it at a time when my own self-love was basically non-existent and every morning I found a little bit of comfort in reading things that on one level I knew, but didn’t truly believe I deserved in that moment. The characters develop beautifully and Radhika has struck a great balance between Instagram-friendly self-love messaging and deeper commentary on mental health, identity, and relationships. It’s easy to read and I would 100% recommend to any teens/young people in your life who need a dose of self-love.
Here's a little quote:
Society might have decided what constitutes beautiful, but you don’t have to agree with its beauty standards. You can pick your own. Don’t spend hours trying to make your beauty fit into a beauty definition you didn’t choose yourself. Create your own instead, whether that means picking and choosing from ancient or global beauty standards, or just flipping current ones on their head. Make a new beauty ideal that is conveniently made up of every single feature you already have – whether it’s acne, rolls of fat, or stretch marks. Why not see them as beautiful? Why not see scars as stories? Spots as patterns? Fat as sexiness?
This week I’m shaking to:
Fly As Me by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak & Silk Sonic
https://open.spotify.com/track/7GuP2hQO9oprADjY3gRhCT?si=a47c4d4b76c24aad
Get ready to strut down the street like a 70s sex icon who’s cool enough to walk without tripping over their flares.
This week I’m appreciating:
Sex educator, author, creator of colourful & often jelly-themed Instagram content. Ruby is an absolute gem in my online world, whether she’s speaking about body acceptance, the joys of masturbation or healing from trauma. You won’t regret inviting her into your feed.
I've subscribed and ignored so many newsletters in my online life, and yours is the first that so completely resonates with me. I can tell I'm actually going to love finding your emails in my inbox! Currently listening to Fly as Me from the album you recommended, and LOVING it! Also, my therapist has given me the homework of following bodies on instagram that look like mine and that send loving messages, and Ruby Rare's insta is exactly like the account I'm looking for. Thank you for being you and for sharing!
There was a line in your book review that really resonated with me "found a little bit of comfort in reading things that on one level I knew, but didn’t truly believe I deserved in that moment".
I'm having ADHD coaching at the moment and said to my coach before Xmas that I often KNOW things that I'm learning but don't FEEL them, and that's something I'm working on.