Flying

Please don't be afraid to fall.

Wow, that was surprisingly easy to say. If only it was that easy to do...

Falling. The word is not very extravagant or fancy, its rather simple, but it has power. It has the power to keep people in their comfort zones, away from heights, edges, and mountainous cliffs. The fear of falling is intense, and can hold people back from chasing their dreams. Falling in front of peers, in our own minds, in front of our family, and in front of everyone watching and counting on us are all terrifying (to me anyways) and sometimes the tasks we have at hand can seem totally overwhelming. In fact, sometimes it can be crippling.

So, what keeps us going? Why do we still take risks? Why shouldn't we all just sit on Netflix ALL THE TIME? Isn't it safer?

Yes, it's safer. Yes, watching Netflix all the time can seem tempting, and it won't hurt in the end. The issue with this is we don't gain anything. We don't grow, we don't change, we don't learn.

Life is full of opportunities to grow and learn and develop ourselves. We need to make an effort to take advantage of these things. Don't wait for tomorrow, don't wait until someone else does it, too. Decide today, no, not just today, decide right now that you want to achieve your goals, that you want to fly. Don't be afraid to fall in love. Don't be afraid to fall in love with a person, or with life, even at the risk of falling. 

"There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, and you ask, "What if I fall? Oh but my darling. what if you fly?" Erin Hanson nailed it on the head. Flying is exactly what follows when we overcome the fear of falling. The feeling of liberation lets minds and hearts become peaceful, and content. 

God is good. In fact, He is really, really good. When you decide you want to fly, He will help you as your wings grow. Be patient, be humble. He will make you more than you ever imagined.

I hope someday I can look at myself in the mirror with laugh lines deeply engrained on my face, satisfied with the life I lived, and full of fantastic memories: some extravagant, some simple. I hope I will have surpassed my own expectations and helped people and never turned away a questioning soul. I hope my eyes still look for the good in people and I hope my heart overflows with gratitude for the wonderful life I have been given the chance to live, because it is fantastically beautiful, in every sense of the word.