DREIESKIVA​|Roald Kvam

Join me on a journey of thought.
Imagine a river flowing through mountains and valleys, winding its way through the landscape, filled with life and nourishing everything it meets along the way.
The river is life-giving—it brings water to plants, animals, and people, and it shapes the land around it with its power. Like all rivers, it must one day reach the sea…

This journey of thought invites us to reflect—on the course of life, on letting go of what is familiar, on overcoming the fear of the unknown, and on embracing change and the growth that lies ahead.

The river’s journey often begins in the mountains, as small streams melting from glaciers or gathered from rain.
It starts as something small, but grows as it receives more water from other sources.
As it travels through the landscape, the river gathers nourishment. And strength. And speed.
It forms lakes, tumbles down waterfalls, and winds through broad, fertile plains.

In the same way, our lives begin small.
We are born vulnerable, but as we grow, we learn and gain experiences that strengthen us.
We face obstacles, just as the river encounters rocks—but we find new ways forward, perhaps more mature and seasoned, just as the river adapts to the terrain.

The journey matters—because it shapes who we are.

Eventually, the river arrives at the inevitable moment when it must take the next step—far beyond everything it has known in life so far:

The sea. Or: a vast, unknown space with no clear boundaries.

Transitions into the unknown can be frightening.

For the river. And for us. The ocean is vast and unpredictable.
The river loses some of its form as it flows into the sea—it becomes part of something greater, something impossible to control or fully understand.

But… does it really become something other than more of Itself?

This is a powerful metaphor for the major changes we face in life—whether it’s the end of a phase, or a deep personal transformation.

Transitions require courage and trust.

Many people experience fear in the face of change—especially when it involves letting go of what is familiar and safe.
We are often bound by our routines, our sense of safety and comfort—just as the river has become familiar with its riverbed.
The sea represents the unknown, where we seemingly lose our individual identity to become part of a larger whole.

What lies in this fear? Is it the loss of what we know, or the uncertainty of what we will encounter?
Often it’s the fear of the unknown that holds us back from growing and evolving—even when we know that it is through these very transitions that we find new meaning and depth in life.

The river, in meeting the ocean, faces a risk: the risk of losing Itself.
This risk parallels our human fear of letting go of the ego, of old ways of being, or of the self-image we’ve known.

To truly grow and evolve, a person—like the river—must be willing to lose Themselves in something greater—ideally, something that is more Truly Themselves.

And it is precisely in this risk that possibility lies.
When the river reaches the ocean, it becomes part of a larger whole, a deeper meaning.
Because when the water evaporates, rises into the atmosphere, and falls again as rain—it nourishes new rivers and new life.

The ocean—the unknown—is a source of constant renewal for the river.

In the same way, when we take the risk to let go, we may discover new sides of ourselves, create new connections, and experience a deeper understanding of life.

The river’s journey into the sea reminds us that we too can—and must—embrace change.

Life is not about clinging to what once was, but about flowing with its natural current, just as the river follows its course to the sea.

Even when we face obstacles along the way, even when we are confronted with uncertainty, we must trust that the journey has a purpose.

Letting go of the familiar, taking the risk to face the unknown, and trusting the process—this is part of our human journey.
Just like the river, which becomes part of something greater when it reaches the sea, we too can find deeper meaning and a larger wholeness when we dare to release our limitations and our fears.