BOOK REVIEW: INDESTRUCTIBLE BY KRISTA NERESTANT

I am a huge bookworm and I love reading books. I have to admit that I am very picky when it comes to books because it’s really difficult for me to enjoy reading when I’m not feeling a certain plot line or an author’s writing style. I have been approached by a friend to review Krista Nerestant’s Indestructible and I can’t rave enough about this book!

Welcome to Krista Nerestant’s journey from the other side of the globe―the islands of the Philippines―to the United States of America. Indestructible is where she shares the hidden gifts of trauma that have empowered her to not only survive but also thrive in a life most would have given up on. Krista was a traumatized overachiever bound by the cultural and societal limitations of her home country. But coming out as a spiritual medium exposed the many resources she had in her arsenal, inspiring her to embark on a healing journey. In Indestructible she shares how she learned to extract life-healing lessons while overcoming a violent past, with the hope of inspiring and teaching survivors to approach personal wounds as a gateway to unleashing their self-actualization. Her story will stimulate you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually―but most of all, it will lead you to start your own journey of self-discovery and uncover your very own hidden gifts of trauma.

When I read that summary in the back of the book, I already knew Indestructible would be my type of book. Not only am I a huge advocate for mental health but I admire those who have experienced trauma and have ended up on the other side of healing and resilience. Krista Nerestant is truly a brave and badass woman for not only recounting her past experiences with violence in her childhood and past relationships, but also sharing it with the world. While I have not been through the same experiences that Krista has, I can relate to overcoming trauma and not allowing it to define who I am, control my life, determine my self worth or dictate my future.

The book is divided into three parts including Cope, Survival Mode and The Rise. As evident in the titles, Krista walks us through her journey of overcoming all the obstacles she had to face to get to where she is today. What I admire most about Krista is that she never played the victim card in this book. Instead, Krista shows us that while she does honor her feelings and what she has survived, she also recognizes that it’s not about what has happened to her but how she reacted  to it. Krista teaches us that the the power we all have when it comes to dealing with struggles is the work that comes after.

It takes insight and self awareness for someone to ask themself hard questions to get to the root of the issue and that’s exactly what Krista did. Instead of wallowing in her sorrows, Krista was intuitive and asked herself questions that allowed her to first recognize what she’s feeling. Her answers gave her explanations as to her behaviors, which ultimately led her to creating actionable steps for her transformation.

One thing I resonated most with from the book is this quote from Krista:

“The gift of choosing a health perspective is one I exercise daily. So much so that it became one of the three pillars of Selfish Lifestyle: your perspective becomes your reality.”

I haven’t met Krista, but I can tell that she and I have similar values and a similar mindset. In my apartment, I actually have a quote that says “you create your own reality” which is basically another way of saying the same thing as Krista. I think  we as humans get too caught up with the cards that we have been dealt that we don’t realize that we can change them by changing our mindset. Once we are able to change the narratives that we tell ourselves and change our thinking to more positive, we can then focus on what we want to achieve in the future and start to manifest them. Our minds are powerful and once we recognize that, we can truly change the trajectory of our lives.

The concept of daily affirmation is not new to me as I have been introduced to the benefits a few years ago. However, I will admit that I wasn’t consistent with them and sometimes I feel like they’re not working or they’re silly. After reading Krista’s consistent incorporation of them into her life, I have decided to reintroduce them back to mine. Instead of seeking validation from others, we should validate and love ourselves. Krista reminds us to ask ourselves ‘How am I going to love myself today.”

And now I’m curious to know how many of you guys have asked yourself that question ever in your lifetime? I know I haven’t but I have started to do so and let me tell you, it has been eye opening and refreshing. I am starting my day with the intention of putting myself first. Once I know that I am filling my cup first, I can then show up in the world with bandwidth to serve others.

A powerful takeaway from Indestructible is Krista’s following lessons:

I think we can all use them to overcome any personal hardships, heartaches and trauma in our lives. After reading Krista’s book, I have learned that we all have a past and we all have stories to share. Krista didn’t write this book to commend herself for surviving, but to show us that despite what she’s been through, she survived and has thrived and is still thriving.

This book is inspiring, uplifting, beautiful and is a must read! Krista gives hope and strength to those who need it and reminds us that we as women are truly indestructible. Whether you guys are looking for a new read or not, definitely check out this amazing book because I promise you’ll feel better after reading it than you did going into it!