the beginning
Istopia is no secret and it is not far away.
It is inside all of us.
It is inside you.
Fateful tidings.
Before the world was as you know it, it was one, boundless ocean. This infinite water was teeming with so much energy, and so many different kinds of it, but it was sad. Why, you may wonder? Every day was a day like the day before, no single energy distinguishable from another, just a soup of same. The ocean wanted to become something more, something remarkable – but what? Aimless, monotonous, nothing just being nothing, for billions of years.
One day, another day like every other day, until it wasn't – a single drop of ocean, moved by the force of chance and an energy of desire, pulled away from the singular mass. For a split second, it looked down on that vast and same surface. Gravity, that trickster, pulled it back, but not before the drop realised it was a drop, a being of its own, a separate thing from every other thing. It had its own life, own thoughts, it could dream, make choices. The first Istota was born.
The drop celebrated its own-ness, exuberant and loud, and started waking up other drops, too. That big same ocean began to vibrate with exception, full of curious beings, no two alike. This was the start: the start of Istopia.
The ocean wanted to become something more, something remarkable – but what?
Aimless, monotonous, nothing just being nothing,
for billions of years.
Wonders of where.
Istopia is no secret and it is not far away. It is inside all of us. It is inside you.
Istotas sculpt out your life in the world, how you feel and respond to what happens around you. They mull over your choices and guide your actions. They go after your desires, protect you from pain, and keep you awake to your possibility.
You probably already know some of them well. Like that feeling in your belly when you meet someone you like for the first time? That's Exi chasing butterflies. Or that fire in your chest when you're angry? That's hot-blooded Al.
As magnificent as Istotas are, they can sometimes be too much. Overwhelming. There are so many of them, and they can get so wild and disorganised you just want everything to get very, very still. Trust this, though, and trust them. They are your companions, your friends. They are the energy that makes your legs run, your arms reaching out to hug your mom. They make you you.
You probably already
know them well.
Remember that feeling in your belly when you meet someone you like for the first time? time?
Living stories.
When Istotas were still sleeping sea drops, they were dreaming. When they suddenly woke up, parts of their dreams stayed with them. These dreams mixed with their waking and became their stories. Full of wonder, magic, fantasy.
Each Istota has their own story, and this story is how they see the world. This is why the Istotas don't always agree.
These Istotas, these stories, are you – you may just not know it yet. All the possible roads and side roads and detours and U-turns you can make come from these stories. Lucky for you (for all of us, really), there's a bookkeeper inside you who keeps track and organises it all: Cho.
These Istotas, these stories, are you – you may just not know it.
Yet.
Cho.
Cho knows every story and every which-way. Cho records your memories, collects your dreams, and has a dossier on each Istota. Cho takes careful notes on your imaginings, fantasies, and desires that inspire the direction of your life.
Cho has the body of an eagle and crocodile, as heavy as it is light, feet firmly in the ground but arms always about to take off. What magnificence! This jacket gives Cho the power of harmony, which is what makes them the perfect bookkeeper. Just think about it: when you're feeling out of sorts, or low, or sad, doesn't an inventory of all you've seen and done, and all you've survived, not help? That's Cho.
But Cho has another special role. Hold your breath, you're about to find out just what that is.
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When it comes to decision-making, Cho is the key. Cho will carefully weigh the Makers' proposal; Cho can follow their advice or ask them to come up with a new strategy. Cho looks at the proposal from every angle, even asking the moon to shine bright as the sun so there's light on all corners.
Knowing what to do is not simple. But Cho is skilful and caring, and has many superpowers. A clock to slow time, a pointed nose to focus, eyes that can zoom in and zoom out. This means Cho can see the bigger picture: Cho knows what Watchers feel, what Makers want, and what Movers can do. When Cho is ready, when the decision has been made, there's no going back.
Cho records your memories, collects your dreams, and has a dossier on each Istota.
Cho knows what Watchers feel, what Makers want, and what Movers can do.
Inner movements.
As with every land, Istopia has a structure. Without it, Istopia (and you) would be restless, confused, full of turmoil, all the time. Structure brings serenity. Peaceful and secure at heart, it creates space for play.
​
For surprise. So you have Cho, a singular, beautiful Istota. But there are many more: Watchers, Makers, and Movers.
This is istopia.
Watchers, Makers, Movers, Cho. This is Istopia. Watchers catch the signals, Makers come up with a way forward, Cho makes the final call, and Movers act.
While you dance through the world, Istotas dance with you. All of it, all at once, all the time. Your feelings, strategies, actions, and all you have ever seen and done, are intertwined – this is your unique you. The funny thing is, it's all happening so fast and so much that you often don't even notice.
But once you start seeing it, breaking it down, once you become familiar with Istopia, with who you are inside you, you'll discover that you all make a fantastic, fantastic team. You can direct your Watchers' attention, confab with your Makers, ask Movers to move a certain way. And this – this is how you write your book.
Your life.
How you get to all the possibilities that are You.