Kalieodoscope

I am inspired to be my kaleidoscope me like the Galapagos octopus. She changes the color, texture, and tone of her chromatophore-laden skin as she propels her torpedo-shaped body across variable ocean terrain—mimicking seabed patterns in real-time with her super-smart brain. Miraculously, she does this by simultaneously expanding and contracting 100’s of millions of skin cells filled with differently color punches in 10 million color-control center bunches. This symphonic color is her secret camouflage weapon hidden under her skin for just the right moment when a predator passes by and she has to practice her Yin.  If that’s not extraordinary enough, under her chromatophore layer lies another thin barrier filled with iridophores that reflect back color from the variable ocean floors, appearing invisible to passing predator explorers. This kaleidoscope of color created by natural selection and the octopus artist herself, allows her to peacefully jet through the ocean’s 3D cyberspace with incredible grace. Belonging to a larger group of ocean organisms called mollusks, including clams, oysters and snails; the octopus dates back 164 million years ago. But she certainly isn’t the same cephalopod she was in Paleolithic times. Since, she has evolved from her ancient kin and shed her shell for a lighter, more flexible skin. She’s also developed sophisticated intelligence. Her sensory intelligence is not centralized like our brain or as complex as our neural network @ 100 billion neurons per person. But nonetheless, the octopus has a decentralized system of sensing 500 million neurons strong, where intelligence lives in the sharp eyes and eight equally sensory-laden arms, long. Imagine each sucker on each of the octopus’ limbs, harboring nearly 10,000 neurons for tasting, touching, smelling her ecosystem in a hyper-local way from rim to rim. Finally, having lived a good life, the female octopus happily and humbly passes her brilliance onto the next generation. Once impregnated, she finds a comfortable den to nourish, oxygenate, and protect her 100,000 + eggs; like a master of Zen. Completely committed to the survival of her species, she literally lays her life down and gives her last breath in death to nourish her eggs until they hatch and swim around their new reef playground.

Reflection:

If an octopus is endowed with such brilliant color and grace, then I am also gifted with natural intelligence. Imagine, I have access to 100 billion neurons in my body to sense and experience my world. Do I honestly activate this intelligence fully?

Challenge:

As our environment is constantly changing; how do we optimally adapt our tone, color, texture, behavior to reflect our best, most compassionate selves in every rough, rocky, sandy, salty, serene situation and protect from predatory, poisonous fears lurking in the dark?