Three years ago, National Geographic photographer, Dewitt Jones, gave a remarkable TedTalk titled, “Celebrate What’s Right in the World”. The photography is indeed inspiring but his message is what really caught my attention. I adopted his metaphor, “Change your lens, change your life” as a daily mantra. And it has indeed changed my life! Those simple few words have taught me to step back, refocus, look at situations or ideas from another person's perspective, and to look more inquisitively—at everything! Explore his message here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD_1Eh6rqf8
Near the end of Stelladaur Book 1, Finding Tir Na Nog, Reilly travels through a portal to a place called Som where he meets Kokumo, a dwarf with rust-colored skin and fire opal eyes. Kokumo is an African name that means immortal. In Som, Reilly and Norah learn that change is both impending and inevitable.
“Change occurs continuously for all. A change that will happen in the moment immediately following this moment is an impending change. Therefore, change is always impending,” Kokumo said.
“And inevitable?” Norah asked.
“There are some things one can change. Some things one cannot. And some things change regardless.”
Later, Kokumo further explains:
“Learning to welcome the changes you cannot see, and trusting they will bring you those which you can, is one of the keys of understanding never-ending change. The waves know this, and they do it. As does all of nature.”
Finally, Kokumo warns Reilly and Norah that their life will be different when they go back through the portal.
“Soon after your return, you will both see much change. At first, you may not welcome it. But remember, these changes are an opportunity to become like the waves. Every growing. Ever moving. Yet inside, ever still.”
Reilly felt a calmness fill him with courage, but he had one question for Kokumo.
“Will I still find my dad, even if I don’t have my Stelladaur with me?”
“You do not need to see either of them to find them.”
Kokumo clapped his hands again, twice. The Water turned a piercing azure blue, and the horizon changed to an endless rim of fire, whose flames danced and spun in the sky. It was the most exquisite sunset Reilly and Norah had ever seen. One of the dancing flames jumped right out of the sky, rolled into a ball and landed at their feet in the white sand, still burning. Directly above the fireball, multi-colored droplets rained down, extinguishing the flame. In its place a large fire opal rested on the sugary sand. The rain stopped.
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