Stella BIDA, in conversation with Katja REIFF, Inspirational Photographer / School Teacher and Don LA FOUCADE Motivational & Inspirational Speaker

Summarised conversation transcript

This is a summary version of the conversation. More details, stories, and amazing insights are mentioned in the video!

This conversation is divided into 4 chapters:

1. Uncertainty Ahead

"The uncertainty of what lies ahead must never overshadow how far we have come." Don La Foucade

KATJA REIFF: Before Don added words to the picture, it meant nothing special. It was just a picture. I took that picture in Austria when I spent there our autumn holidays together with my family, and it was a real special time because it was the first time after the lockdown that we traveled. It was one of the first days there.

I never ever saw anything in this picture like Don. It was such a surprise to see the words Don had chosen. When a picture goes together with words, it can be something so fantastic!

DON LA FOUCADE: Life is a journey. This picture is actually saying something, because we've heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. I wouldn't write a thousand words for one picture, but what I did see is that it had a very special message, especially in this time of the Covid-19 around the world. There's a lot of uncertainty and I know people will be looking at the picture and would say that: "The uncertainty of what lies ahead must never overshadow how far we have come".

Because we think so much about the future that we forget to celebrate our past...

2. Sweat & Tears

"We each have a special contribution to make on the earth... sometimes through sweat and sometimes through tears." Don La Foucade

DON LA FOUCADE: We each have a special contribution to make on earth, and each of us have a special fingerprint, we have a special DNA, which means that we have a special mark to make on the earth. Some people make their mark easily, and some people have to fight to make their mark, but that doesn't change the fact that we all have a special mark. We all have that potential. Sometimes, it comes out through sweat and tears.

We have to work hard for what we want. Sometimes, it brings some tears to our eyes. But guess what? When you see the result of it, it’s wonderful!

KATJA REIFF: When I took the picture, we had made a long walk in Austria and it was so funny, because we did that walk so many times before, but we had never been to that place in autumn. We walked along a river, and with all the leaves falling down, I saw these colors behind the trees. I had to take a second look, then said: “What's that?”

I never saw it before! We had been there so many times, but I never realized the beauty of the place, the beauty of the waterfall. It looked so special. I had to take a picture! I just saw the beauty of the nature.

When the picture came together with Don’s words, it was such as a special thing, and made the moment much more important. And it's amazing!

3. Legacy Opportunity

DON LA FOUCADE: People take pictures all the time and all of us are gifted. You may have taken a picture, but wishing to have some words added to them, to make it special. I have the ability when pictures are sent to me by a family, to create special words for them.

Sometimes we might think that our pictures are to be put in the trash, when actually they are treasures. I could get you to like the picture that you were going to get rid of. This has great value, and can represent a legacy for a family to share.

What I’m offering today is an opportunity to the world to benefit from this gift that I have with words, in such a way that family pictures become a mean to share love, with words, through generations.

4. Love Squared

"Be grounded and surrounded with Love. If not it could all blow away." Don La Foucade

Katja Reiff: That day, my little daughter had to play tennis, and my husband was going to support her. At the same time, I wanted to go out to get some fresh air. So I went to the park, and I saw this special tree. It's called gingko here in Germany. It has very funny leaves, which look also a little bit like hearts. That day was after a really cold night, and all the leaves fell down. So there was green grass, and all around the tree all these yellow leaves. They looked so beautiful. The first easy thing to do which came into my mind was to create a star or a heart. That’s when I formed the heart.

DON LA FOUCADE: This is very special. The world will do better if there's love. I always tell people that we either Compete with each other, or we're here to Complete the journey together. The only letter that is in the word Complete that is not in the word Compete is the L. We can only complete when we have Love. This is what the L stands for.

It is what the picture says. The leaves can blow, because we all know leaves can blow away so easily. But you have to be grounded, you have to be free because the leaves are still free. You have to be surrounded with love.

Sadly, we are losing people that we love around the world, and sometimes it's only when we lose somebody that we realize how much they mean to us. So when we have people that we love around, let's be grounded, and let's be surrounded with them. Let's love and cherish people that we have when we can.

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More information about Don La Foucade's and Katja Reiff's work: http://doninfullflight.com/

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