All of us, at one point or another, have gone through times in our lives where it feels like the expectations of others are suffocating us. Rather than be happy because you are, they question how well you've thought something out that seems 'too different' to them. In my own life, I'm guilty of this - from time to time I catch myself thinking about my brothers and the decisions they make. Yes, I'm the oldest (and obviously the wisest) bro, but rather than put them down for thinking different, I try to encourage it. I let them paint their own canvas.

If I'm honest - sometimes giving them that leeway to figure things out for themselves is incredibly difficult. Experience makes it easy for us to feel like someone simply 'isn't listening' to us when we've already been through a similar situation. On the flip side - I've discovered something even more valuable - sometimes I'm wrong. Sometimes they surprise me and show me a different way of looking at something that I hadn't noticed before. That, in itself, is an incredible reward.

My hope for you in this month's Pearl is that this little hug will help you reflect on what you want your life to be. Don't be discouraged by the opinions of others and don't take it personally if they don't understand. If life itself is a beautiful canvas, your decisions are the brushstrokes that give it value.