Being the oldest sibling provides an interesting route. One minute you are awestruck in the presence of this little human & showering them with squinches, the next you are pulling each other’s hair out in the aisle of a grocery store as a tantrum ensues.

[repeat. x’s 3]

Most people have siblings so the exploitation of our shenanigans isn’t necessary, however, this most recent chapter, quite possibly, reveals the most beautiful gift a sibling has to offer: growth.

Most recently I have been encouraged by the youngest in our crew, my brother.

Short & sweet: my brother is a collegiate baseball player that found himself in an environment, among individuals that, over time, proved to be hindering & adverse to his growth on & off the field.

After stewing over the unrest for a year [+], he made the faith-guided decision to transfer colleges.

It has me reflecting — how often do we stick around for people, companies, relationships & geographical whereabouts being unhappy & disheartened, because we feel this tug of loyalty; this loyalty to someone or something that continues to chip away at us rather than galvanize the best in us.

Rather than scratch the surface of the unknown, we cling to the familiar & safe in hopes that if we stick it out people, circumstances & outcomes will change.

I wish at a younger age I would have released the inner lioness in me & rejected the fear that was commonly chosen over spontaneous happening, approaching opportunity & even a moment to share/use my gifts with others; all hindered & set aside in the presence of doubt.

But my brother did what I &, likely, most of us wish we would have had the strength to do as a young adult: walk a w a y from what is not good & blindly walk t o w a r d the unsung.

I’m thankful for my brothers little reminder in chasing passions, rejecting fear in the midst of life-defining decision making, acknowledging our worth & what it looks like to jump, leap — fly.

“Shine like the whole universe is yours.” – Rumi

#Adventure
#Journey
#InPursuit
#Fly