Overall: 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢
Storyline:
Writing Style:
Personal Growth:
Enjoyment:
“‘Can you dance?’ . . . ‘If you cannot dance,’ the Elder said, ‘how can you heal?'”
Still on Fire by Renee Linnell
The Story:
Magic, miracles, travel, and romance – this is where Renee leads you in her long-awaited sequel to The Burn Zone. From love affairs with men half her age, to being rescued by angles, to getting stranded at 22,000 feet in the Himalayas and being electrocuted in the Maldives, Renee takes you on a wild page-turning adventure – sharing with you soul-soothing wisdom she gained along the way.
Where The Burn Zone was an exploration of what happens when we don’t listen to our inner guidances, Still on Fire is an exposition of what happens when we do. As Renee courageously takes leap after leap into the unknown, picks up the pieces after being shattered, and recounts hilarious attempts to regain her mojo, you will see yourself in her stories. You will remember it is not only okay but necessary to try and fail. And your heart will be lifted as you become reminded of a deep truth you have always known but may have forgotten along the way – life is magic and anything is possible.
Key Elements:
Memoir, Life, Love, Embrace Yourself, Self-worth, Travel, Lessons, Life Experiences, Relationships, Miracles, Stories
Why This Rating?
Wow. There isn’t much that can be said past that single word that captures, firstly, how brave one must be to put their life’s story into writing, sharing it to the world and, secondly, how wonderful this book was to read! From cover to cover, I was constantly learning, thinking, and, quite often, being amazed at the experiences Renee has had in her life so far. And man this woman has LIVED! Traveling the world, meeting new people everywhere she went (and goes), embracing the challenges placed in her life and facing them head on. I am in awe of her life and the lessons she has gathered, experienced, and taught. Thank you Renee for sharing your experiences with the world!
I am quite taken with Renee’s writing style in this memoir. She writes it as if you are sitting at a table and just passing stories back and forth. No holding back. Point blank and here it is type attitude. You can feel the bravery she has and the full acceptance she has towards herself. There is no hesitation in the truth being told. Her confidence is palpable through the pages. I love it! Plus, also like a journal, she makes quips towards her own writing. I was laughing at her laughing at what she was writing or remembering. Same goes for when she was, in a sense, *sighing* at a memory she was sharing and so forth. Those moments could have easily been left out, but I think the inclusion gives this book its own personality. Renee’s personality to be more precise. I haven’t met the author; however, I feel like she would be very similar in character to how the book comes across as you read. Very laid back but passionate about so many things. This made it far more personable while reading than some other memoirs I’ve read.
Out of the entire book, one section that is still in my head is the chapter “Can you dance?”. I can not stop thinking about how profound that one question is, especially in the situation that she wrote about. If you apply yourself and get yourself those high marks or ranks, but at the end of the achievements list you haven’t let yourself live a little in the process, are you enjoying this life then? The doctor that is given the question “Can you dance?,” embraced this, and learned that when our “heart, mind, and action are aligned is there wholeness” within us. If I walk away with nothing else from this story, I am grateful to have read this section alone. It makes me want to enjoy some of the smaller things when I get too focused on something that is forcing me to hold a part of myself back. My crazy side is allowed to come out and play too!
There are some moments that are a bit difficult for myself to follow, more due to my personal religion than on any fault from the author. I am not as familiar with Buddhist doctrine or as much of the self heal concepts that are out there in the world. This being said, I was captivated by the thoughts and spiritual concepts Renee discussed within her writing. I had never heard of thanking and letting go of pain to heal ourselves. I’ve heard “If you think you are sick, then you will be sick” kind of thinking. I had never thought about it in the reverse though. Also, there wasn’t any pressure to have any religious experiences or beliefs before reading this book. Or to go into/leave the reading with some new life style. It is full of her honest interactions in the beliefs she has and telling us what she thinks.
I think that you guys are going to really enjoy this memoir! Even if you are a bit skeptical about reading a memoir or listening to another person talk about their life, I’d say you are missing out on a few lessons that Renee can probably teach you. This is a book that calls us to action! Imploring us to love and learn to accept One’s true self-worth, our “Authentic self” in the current world. I loved reading about the different places she traveled to and the people that she met along the way. There was always something she found either during or looking back that helped her grow as an individual. It made her stronger and more self-aware. Her experiences might have been her own soul’s lessons to learn (she explains more about this in the book), but they are also opportunities for us to learn from as well.
A few thoughts that I took away from this book:
– You must know, love, and completely accept yourself before you can embrace and love others to the fullest extent that your soul can and in most times needs.
– Live life to the fullest – “Balls to the wall”
– You are allowed to let your inner Alien out. They want to play and be a part of the your life too. That crazier side of you that is hiding inside is still you! Don’t be afraid of it!
– To gain full freedom in your own life, you must be willing to let go of all the blame and take responsibility for everything that happens to you.
– Allow yourself to dance and enjoy moments of life. You are healing yourself when you allow time to just be you.
– We need to stop giving others the power over us. Place yourself above others and embrace the concept that you are truly more important – even if that goes against your own instincts.
If you’re interested in Still on Fire, it is coming out August 16th, 2022!
Time to get lost in the next story!
