Thinking Long Term

Shala’s presence had made something wonderful possible for Esperia: thinking long term.

Does that sound insignificant?

The Espers were not creatures naturally inclined to think across long periods of time, spanning decades or even centuries.

But one thing was clear to the Seven Shapes: if they were finally going to create a civilization united in peace, harmony, and equality for all, they needed to think long term.

Why?

The discovery of Aether, the life source of Esperia, had also helped the Espers understand that the use of magic could not continue at such a frantic pace without causing major consequences in a future that was actually quite near, even if it seemed distant within the span of a single life.

Indeed, every use of magic consumed a little of this Aether, and it did not renew itself as quickly as it was being consumed.

On a finite planet with finite resources, it was therefore necessary to plan together, starting now, what kind of environment future generations would have the right to live in.

For the choices of the past influence the present, and the choices of the present influence the future.

Shala understood the gravity of this moment for Esperia. She had seen other similar civilizations across the Universes she was able to observe.

“Will the Seven Shapes succeed in spreading the importance of thinking long term?… The future of generations yet to come will surely depend on it…”


Our latest tales

  • The First Step

    The First Step

    Faya was explaining in her lesson about Willpower how the First Step was one of the most important keys to developing it. Some younger Espers had trouble understanding, so she used her own element, Fire, as an example. “In order to create a beautiful and heartwarming, cozy fire, what do we need first?” The young…

    Read more

  • Addictions

    Addictions

    Addictions can take many forms. Some are seemingly obvious, and many are aware of them: sugar-laden food, soda, alcohol or tobacco, smartphones and social media, games… Others are less willing to be acknowledged, making them harder to detect. hese include the commercials that keep you “hooked” on the latest products, the social media posts that…

    Read more

  • Question your own beliefs

    Question your own beliefs

    Eklea’s teachings were certainly the most difficult to grasp. What exactly is awareness—or consciousness? To help the Espers, she always tried to use concrete examples. And the theme today was: “You should always question your own beliefs.”A younger one asked, “But if that’s what we’ve been taught, shouldn’t our beliefs be right?” “When you learn,…

    Read more

  • Pure Heart

    Pure Heart

    Cha Cha was looking at Guruko, who was humming a song she had heard from the birds of the nearby forest. He thought to himself: “Guruko really has a pure heart.” He reflected on how the planet Earth was plagued by raging wars, genocides, and inequity—and how many of its inhabitants were living, oblivious to…

    Read more

  • Our own extinction?

    Our own extinction?

    What kind of world are we going to leave behind for future generations?Can we really behave so selfishly that, even though we now fully understand how human behavior has impacted the world, we still choose to ignore what must be done—as if nothing will go terribly wrong if we continue doing nothing? Future generations, not…

    Read more

  • A World with Limits

    A World with Limits

    The Espers were magical creatures with incredibly potent skills, but the Seven Shapes—and in particular Atma, the Shape of Balance—were there to remind them that the more power they gained, the more cautiously they had to use it. Without considering the consequences, a new magic could trigger an irreversible chain reaction that might reshape the…

    Read more

  • The Cycle of Life

    The Cycle of Life

    The Shape of Time, Shala, had witnessed with her own eyes the beginning of the cycle of life in Esperia. She remembered when nature took form, eventually spreading in harmony with the mountains, the seas, and the rivers. She remembered the first Espers, born with their beautiful inner light, which they would call StarDust. When…

    Read more

  • Virtuous Circle

    Virtuous Circle

    When writing One Daily Tale, the 7 Shapes were also tracing the path for any Esper of Esperia to develop themselves by following a Virtuous Circle. Working on their StarDust meant doing what was right for the planet and for others, and studying the principles of One Daily Tale meant enhancing their StarDust! By building…

    Read more