<aside> ✨ These values serve a few purposes:

• To guide my decision making
• To help me design my daily habits
• To enable me to gut check if I am living in integrity with myself
• To hold me accountable for upholding what matters

It's a living document that I reflect on from time to time. It's also not comprehensive; it captures the most resonant values— the ones I want driving my decisions at this stage of my life— but not everything I care about.

The "even over" articulates what I'm willing to trade off in reasonable quantities in order to honor my values.

</aside>

Live, work, and learn elegantly

• What this means: The Oxford Dictionary defines elegance as "pleasingly ingenious and simple." A thing done well— with craft, devotion, and care— is more meaningful than a thousand things done hastily, for the sake of seeing it done. I advocate for that which is elegantly designed, built, created— whether it's a clever turn of phrase, a well-written segment of code, a skillfully pared down piece of furniture, or a delightful UX element that precisely meets user needs. And in all aspects of my life and work, I do things well and elegantly. I invest in focus to deepen my skill, pare down, and edit to essentials— all to reveal a crisper, clearer truth underneath.
• Even over: Volume and speed. Doing many things quickly and covering a lot of ground. Appearing prolific and driven to others.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” — E.F. Schumacher

“There are several ways to perform almost any act - an efficient, workable, artistic way and a careless, indifferent, sloppy way. Care and artistry are worth the trouble. They can be a satisfaction to the practitioner and a joy to all beholders.” — Helen Nearing

Trust the gold

• What this means: Humans are fundamentally good, creative, and whole. They have noble intentions. Harm is caused not by malice but rather by fear, desperation, and lack of skillfulness/choice in meeting one's needs— challenges that have been part of humankind for quite a long time. With the exception of extreme situations, I aspire to approach every interaction with humility, compassion, and trust that this person has positive intentions. I forgive with ease and don't hold grudges.
• Even over: Self-protection. Appearing 'strategic' and 'savvy,' preventing myself from getting hurt occasionally, the feeling of safety and superiority from judging and criticizing others.

“As we’ve seen, all criticism, attack, insults, and judgments vanish when we focus attention on hearing the feelings and needs behind a message. The more we practice in this way, the more we realize a simple truth: behind all those messages we’ve allowed ourselves to be intimidated by are just individuals with unmet needs appealing to us to contribute to their well-being." — Marshall Rosenberg