gennean wild heart
 
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I'm Gennean, a digital content creator and wandering wild heart who is passionate about travel, a good cup of tea, all things Harry Potter, and keeping it real. You can find me writing all of the things over on my blog, hosting a little podcast called Wild Hearts, and capturing beautiful people and places from behind the lens of my camera.

 
 
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» Has anyone else been frustrated with @instagram lately? I try to not pay much attention to algorithms and strategies and numbers, but wow have I noticed a shift in how content is being seen… and I don’t like it. But here’s the thing: it’s just social media — a tool built for, well, either connection or consumption ... I can’t really tell which is reigning as of late. All this to say, I'll be stepping away from posting for a bit. I’m hoping, instead, to fill my days with more dreaming, more prayer, more time with my people, more planning for my return to Europe, and more quiet moments with my Pops. Remember: we prioritize what is most important to us, and right now, this platform just ain’t doing it for me. I’ll still be around to connect and talk about important things and share new podcast episodes, but otherwise, I’ll see y’all lovelies on the other side — whenever and wherever that may be✌🏼️
» If there’s one thing that has always bothered me and that I will speak out against freely and for all time it is the idea of settling. Whether it’s things or places or experiences or relationships, I think we humans too often settle for what is good instead of seeking, waiting for, or receiving what could be (and is more often than not) so much better. I think of the picture C.S. Lewis painted in his sermon “The Weight of Glory”, first preached in Oxford, England in 1941 — "It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." (C.S. Lewis) What He has in store and what He wants to give us is always the best. Does that mean the easiest? 
the most exciting?
the prettiest? the most money-making? the coolest? the most Instagram-worthy? Maybe, maybe not. But the best? Yes, always. Here’s the bottom line: we have an inheritance beyond our wildest dreams — but will we accept it? Or will we keep trying to grasp at straws for a sense of control, settling on what we can bring into our lives on our own? I fully believe He desires for us to stop settling for what our human hands can manufacture and that we would instead just sit at His feet with our hands open, ready to both let go AND receive from Him. I don’t know where you’re at, but I am done trying to control all the things, especially the ones the world loves to tell me I should care about. Because I have glimpsed that holiday at sea, and I’m leaving everything else behind for it 🙌🏼🌊
» Shoutout to the friends (like this one) who have been with me through the good and the bad, and especially to the ones who stuck with me in the hardest and unhealthiest bits these last few years. To those of you who fall into that camp: thank you for showing love when I was operating at minimum capacity — when I was but a shell of myself — and for giving me the time and space to figure it out; for sticking by and pushing me toward healing and wholeness and Grace; and for believing that the best was yet to come. Because, spoiler alert: it was. It’s right here, and right now. I can confidently say that I am the healthiest, fullest, and most fun version of myself nowadays, and it’s the actual best. Glory to my Pops, first and always... but wow was the assist ever my friends. Keep your people close, keep your heart open, and lean into the hard stuff. The ones who love you most will be there through it all, trust me 🙌🏼
» Kindness is free, so why wouldn’t we give it in abundance? Think about it: you know that feeling you get when someone randomly gives you a compliment or says something unexpectedly kind? It’s the best, right? So why aren’t we doing that all the dang time? In a world where it’s all too easy to be jaded and cynical, let’s be known for throwing kindness around like confetti — both in words and action — everywhere we go, and especially with our sisters. March is women’s month, and @reebokwomen has partnered with my favorite @shareloveeverywhere to celebrate women encouraging women through these Love Everywhere cards. Over 200,000 (!!!) of them can be found inside Reebok Classics Aztrek boxes, and anyone who orders these dope shoes will be able to write their own kind words to leave hidden in plain sight for a stranger to find! It’s a simple and yet utterly contagious mission: to share kindness everywhere we go. To love in the face of hate. To be a light. And I think that this is something we can and should all get behind, yes and amen✨ #reebokxsharelove
» Here’s the thing about fear: most of the time, the things we fear happening in our lives don't happen, but every once in a while, they do. It’s the exception to the rule, for sure, but sometimes the things that keep us up at night — the difficult things that can so easily break our hearts — become our reality… and then what? In episode 007 of #wildheartswithgennean I’m sitting down with my sweet friend @kaitlinwernet to share our thoughts on walking through heartbreak and doubt — especially after tragedy — including how we’ve coped in the past, key things we’ve learned through grief, and the importance of believing that real and lasting joy can come from suffering. 
Wild Hearts with Gennean | available on iTunes, Spotify, & Google Podcasts — all links in my profile 🎧✨
» A note to Sunday: thank you. Thank you for signifying both an end and a beginning, and for the reminder that both are beautiful.