I’m 35 today. Odds are that 1/3 to 1/2 of my years on earth are done. I haven’t wasted the time.

Maybe the most valuable thing I’ve learned so far is this: There is absolutely no substitute for hearing, telling, and facing the truth.

The truth about ourselves, what we want and what we fear, is a priceless thing to possess. Discovering, facing, and embracing that truth is a most worthy lifelong pursuit.

The most valuable things in life are face to face moments of relationship. These are moments of looking our fellow humans in the eye, of truth without shame, of curiosity, energy, and being alive together.

Work, inquiry, invention, creativity, building, competition – these are wonderful endeavors to which we apply our remarkable selves and from which much goodness springs.

We human beings are exquisitely attuned to fear. It’s in us every second. In fear of pain we avoid the truth. In fear of exclusion we keep ourselves alone. In fear of rejection we avoid the eyes of another. In fear of failure we stifle our ambitious dreams.

When we get acquainted with our fears, we receive the precious gift of choice. With awareness of our fears and of what we want we can choose how we act, respond, and live, with intentionality, with our values, with courage.

Fear courses through my body and lights up my neurology all the time. As I turn 35 I’m much better acquainted with my fears. (We spend a lot of time together and we understand each other pretty well.) And I have choice. I will not live a small life. I will not waste my time. I will wrestle. I will risk. I will be afraid and I will face the truth. It’s my intention to speak, relate, work, and live with great truthfulness and courageous choice in the face of fear.

I hope to read this in another 35 years, on my 70th birthday, and see how I did. To my treasured companions on this journey I look forward to seeing you there. In addition to warm hugs and the aforementioned checkin, we’ll have cake or somethin’.

Today I concluded a week of intense and deeply personal training at the One Week Intensive (OWI) for counselors presented by Dr. John Townsend and Dr. Henry Cloud.

During the week we spent part of our time in interactive seminars. The majority of the time we spent with our small group talking truthfully, guided by world-class group facilitators. The intimacy, emotion, and clarity that emerged from this experience were remarkable.

I arrived for the week with a desire to improve my skills as a leadership coach and facilitator. That happened. I leave knowing myself more deeply and telling truth more clearly. Those are, after all, essential foundations for the work of coaching others.

The Urbana Champaign Angel Network is a group of early-stage investors focused primarily on technology startups in the Central Illinois area. I’ve joined the group as an investor. Local entrepreneurs seeking investment capital present business ideas to the group once per quarter.

I love entrepreneurship (with a passion) and I’m eager to engage with investors and entrepreneurs who love it too.