​Once upon a time, I sought the input from a psychologist. I’m sure she meant well.
 
She asked me, “What is your favorite color?”
“I have many favorite colors.” 

“But which is your favorite?”
“It’s difficult to choose! I only know I don’t like orange, does that answer your question?”

She showed visible frustration as she asked the next question, “What is your favorite flower?”

​People who think only of what they can take from this life, create an unsustainable future of increasing terror. 

People who think only of what they can give to this life, create abundance for all, generation after generation.

It’s about way more than lies being bad
Yet, we are wise to remember that lies of all sizes and orientations break healthy connections between people.

Pinocchio stories show how important it is to be real
As well as the perseverance it takes to be real in a world where fake is the dangerous norm.

Pinocchio stories also show how dangerous escapism is to being real
When we expend our energy on escapism, the world crumbles around us - and nothing could be more sad, because the world needs us.

Real People

• Real people do not fake their way through life.
• Real people do not hide their true feelings.
• Real people do not run from reality.
• Real people embrace the repairs always needed by reality.
• Real people love reality and make it the best it can be within realism (healthy) limits.
• Real people avoid unwittingly crossing the line into fake.
• Real people never fear speaking up about what is important to reality.
• Real people know that real ugly is a byproduct of uncaring people, not a byproduct of reality.

Real

• Real sings and dances its ass off - and needs no lessons.
• Real speaks its mind - and fears no repercussions.
• Real never lets go of the life-blood of a well-lived life: Curiosity.
• Real has an insatiable, respectful desire to learn and become better at being real.
• Real doesn’t want or need cookie cutter anything, because diversity is the best life has to offer!
• Real is the most wonderful place in the universe to be.

An open heart is also open to pain. 

Keep heart open, anyway.

This kind of pain is the greatest grief in the world …

… the grief born of true love.

Truly intelligent people, everywhere, have one thing in common: They responsibly care more than almost everyone. It is painful to care that much, and yet intelligent people know that this is a price worth paying. IQ has little to do with True Intelligence. And, caring is primarily shown through actions, not spoken.

​Intelligent people care about what’s right for all, short-term and long-term. When something bothers an intelligent person, they determine its worth by determining if others of decency would also be bothered. This helps them determine their corrective actions.

Perhaps most important of all: Truly intelligent people never stop caring about what's important, no matter what. They do what they have to in order to never become jaded. 

Z is for Zany

Zany in balance means …

• Smiling at the unwritten rules and breaking them because you know unwritten rules are unwritten for a reason
• Looking at the impossible and seeking a solution, anyway
• Embracing the impulses of our beautiful hearts, mind, and bodies, because we trust ourselves to do no harm and to allow no harm to come to us.

Y is for Youthful

Youthful in balance means …

• Staying young at heart until the day you die, without crossing the line into immaturity
• Romance is sprinkled about to keep love young, but never replaces the importance of embracing reality
• Play is meant to be kind, fun, and mutually satisfying at any age, yet time and place matter.

X is for Xenial

xenial, adjective: “of, relating to, or constituting hospitality or relations between host and guest and especially among the ancient Greeks between persons of different cities”

Xenial in balance means …

• Every person before us, wherever we go, is an opportunity to build xenial relationships with the goal of building trust.

W is for Wisdom

Wisdom in balance means …

• Our foundational life goal is to find the wisdom hidden in all things AND do so with a sense of adventure
• Books and classrooms are helpful, but only if balanced with hands-on experiences
• Insights are a byproduct of wisdom-finding and generate feel-good chemicals that can become addictive if taken too seriously.
• Wisdom can be lonely, so seek the company of others who value wisdom-seeking as a foundation life goal.