INTERNAL LANDSCAPES
I imagine my thoughts as an internal landscape — vast and boundless, rich with diverse beauty, yet scattered with harsh terrain and barren lands. Self-awareness gives us the profound ability to navigate this inner world, to shift our perception, and ultimately to choose how we respond to the world around us.
When I was 27, I went through an incredibly transformative time in my life. I faced shocking consequences, lost everything, and had to overcome it all on my own. It was a time that broke me — but also revealed just how strong I truly was. That was when I began to believe in myself.
One of the most impactful books I’ve ever read is “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. It gave me a simple but powerful code to live by — a guide for navigating not only life, but the many relationships that shape it.
Even now, 13 years later, I return to those Four Agreements. Whether I’m facing challenges in relationships, family, finances, work, or life in general — especially when dealing with negativity — I always come back to the foundation of staying true to myself and believing in who I am.
Every season of life brings its own gift of challenges. And that, to me, is the beauty of it all — we get to live, to make mistakes, and to choose growth.
The key to facing adversity is to never give up on your dreams, to have the courage to face your darkest truths, and to keep believing in yourself — even when no one else does.
Keep going.
xx, Kamokila
Hawaiian sea shells, shot on 35mm film
