Fly.

A spark ignites. A flame begins to flicker. A hot air balloon lifts up off the ground. It sets out on a course, before answering to the call of the wind.

The balloon floats high through the sky, buoyed by the searing fire underneath.

Physicists say so long as the buoyant force is greater than everything the balloon must carry, it will rise.

Newton's First Law states "an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force."

After all, if nothing changes, then nothing changes.

So you set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames. Then fly; far and away, letting vulnerability and curiosity guide you onwards and upwards. Let nothing - not the icy sunrise air nor the weight of the world or your doubts - hold you down.

I am the hot air balloon. I am ignited by the roaring flame before I follow the path of the wind; leaning into the discomfort that comes with uncharted territory.

But it's physics, after all. It's the natural order.

And it does well to convince me that no matter where life at the moment takes me, I'll be okay.

To be floating freely, finally. To hold space for new beginnings. To have the courage to fly high - higher than I ever thought possible.

That is life's reward.