“What colour are you?” Asked Cami when they were both outside lying on the grass watching the sky.

The sun was shining, filling their eyes with light.

“I don’t know, Cami. I don’t know what colour I am, it is so difficult to choose one. But I understand that people like different colours, and when they see the colour they like, they are happy.

I want to be like you, changing colours, adapting myself to nature, animals and people. I want to make others happy. Can I be like you?”

“You can try and see if this is what you want.

I can teach you the skill of changing colours. I can teach you all the shades. You’ll become the master of adaptation, and please people.” Said Cami.

“Oh, yes please! Teach me this skill. I want to make people happy.”

—

This is how it began.

Cami, the small chameleon and the girl’s best friend taught the girl the powerful mastery of adaptation. He taught her to identify what colour people wanted to see and become this colour. If one teacher wanted to see the girl blue, she would become blue. If her dad wanted her to be red, she would be red. But not any red, Cami showed the girl how to turn into the exact shade of red her dad wanted her to be.

They trained every day for hours, and the girl became better and better. She was mindful of all the people surrounding her, she learned to identify their favourite shades and she happily pleased them. The better she became in the mastery of adaptation, the more smiles she received, the more kind words she was given. The girl was happy, because others seemed to be happy.

Cami had her practice every day. But the girl started to struggle, as some colours were too difficult for her.

“Cami, I am tired. I don’t know how to be scarlet red. It’s just not my favourite colour. Let’s take a rest, I don’t want to practice anymore today.”

“My sweet girl, you have to practice. You have no choice, you have to become scarlet. If people want you to be scarlet and it makes them happy, then you have to be scarlet, don’t you?”

Cami was a touch teacher. He wanted the girl to become a master in adaptation. But the reason he wanted her to practice is because he knew she would become tired one day, tired of adapting. This was the ultimate purpose of his training. The girl didn’t know that.

One day Cami and the girl were lying again in the sun, when the little girl started crying.

“Cami, I am so tired. I am doing my best, but it is never enough. Yesterday I became green because  my teacher wanted me to be. But then she said I wasn’t green enough, so I was upset.

When I came home I still had my shade of green, and mom got angry with me. I know she likes purple, and I didn’t realise I was still green. What a mess! So I quickly changed to purple, but she didn’t seem happy either. I did not please my teacher and I did not make mom happy. I am doing my best, and it’s never enough. I am sad.

What can I do, Cami? Please help me, I want to be happy and make others happy.”

This is when the chameleon knew she was ready.

—

“I want you to learn from someone else now. Go and speak to the Water, to the Air, to the Earth and to the Fire. Ask them what colour they are, and when you learn from them, come back to me.” Cami stayed in the grass, about to take a nap.

The girl wiped her tears off, gave Cami a hug and off she was.

When she reached the Water, she asked: “Water, which colour are you?”

And Water replied: “My dear little thing, I have no colour. The colour you see is what you want to see, what you want me to be. I have no colour, I am Water.”

She would receive the same answer from Air and Earth, and so went to speak to the last one, Fire.

“Beautiful Fire, what colour are you?”

“My dear little thing, I have no colour. The colour you see is what you want to see, what you want me to be. I have no colour, I am Fire.”

The girl got frustrated. She did not understand why they all pretended to have no colour. She could clearly see that Fire was red, orange, yellow and white.

“I don’t believe you!” She shouted.

“You have clear colours, I can see them and everyone else can see them too!”

Fire smiled and answered with a warm voice: “Go to see my father, the Sun. Ask the Sun, if you don’t believe me.”

The girl was determined to know the truth. She knew the Sun would give her the right answer. She was watching it every day when she and Cami were lying outside in the grass. She loved the Sun and she admired it.

She looked up to the sky and felt the familiar warm stroke on her face. The Sun, without waiting for the little girl to ask, said:

“My sweet little thing, I have been observing you all your life. I saw how the chameleon taught you the skill of adaptation. He is a very good teacher, but you must know he lives in fear. The reason he is changing his colour and adapting to nature, animals and people is because it is his way to survive. It is camouflage, a way to hide yourself. He is not doing it to please, he does it because he is afraid to die.

But you, little girl, are no chameleon. You don’t need to camouflage, to hide yourself to survive. You don’t need to adapt to live. On the contrary, you need to stop adapting, stop changing colours in order to live.”

The girl was not sure she understood the answer, but Sun’s words calmed her.

“Sun, can you tell me what colour you are?”

“I have no colour. The colour you see is what you want to see, what you want me to be. I have no colour, I am Light.

Every colour is just a shade of the same, a shade of light. According to the way light falls, your eyes identify a certain colour. But it is in the eye of the observer, you see. You are no colour, sweet girl, and at the same time you are the infinite spectrum of all colours. You are Light. So shine like light, and you won’t need to be any colour anymore.

You can never make everyone happy by adapting to what they want to see. You can inspire them by being yourself, and one day they will dare to be themselves as well.”

—
The small girl and the chameleon were both outside lying on the grass watching the sky.

The sun was shining, filling their eyes with light.

She gently took the chameleon in her arms and whispered with a soft voice: “Don’t be afraid Cami, I will protect you. You don’t have to adapt to anyone anymore. I want you to take a rest. I will protect you forever. You can be yourself.”

The chameleon felt her warm arms around him and looked her in the eyes.

“What colour are you?” He asked.

“I have no colour. The colour you see is what you want to see, what you want me to be. I have no color, I am me.

I am Light”.

They were both outside lying on the grass watching the sky.

The sun was shining, filling their eyes with light.