Want to know a little about my values? Well, just follow Herculix. Inge – my adorable wife and business partner – and myself created this character. He impersonates our most important values. As Inge is an ENFP and I’m and ENFJ, we call ourselves “ENF UNITED!”.

Here’s what we stand for:

1. Be Bold
Be like Richard Branson: be courageous, without being arrogant. Be brave enough to face what’s going wrong in your life and to change what you don’t like. Sounds like a cliché, but it’s oh so relevant: Dare to be yourself, because you are absolutely gorgeous! Be a leader. Follow your dreams and don’t listen to all those people who will tell you why you will fail.
2. Be Social
Look for connections with other people. Open yourself and don’t place yourself above or below others. Meet people and make time for them, listen to their stories. Show your appreciation and affection towards your friends and family. Be respectful. Show interest in their feelings. Be mild. Be polite and well-mannered.
3. Be Generous
Do some good without expecting anything in return. Remember that you don’t need to be rich to do good. You can be generous with many other things than just money. Share your ideas and experiences with other people. Offer a helping hand where you can and connect interesting people with each other. Support new talent. Be happy when your friends are successful. And most of all: don’t be rancorous and forgive; everybody makes mistakes.
4. Be Funny
Play down. Be light. Have a positive outlook on life. Use humour. Try to have fun in everything you do, also and especially in your work. Fun is refreshing. It stimulates and inspires you, and is vital on both a physical and a mental level. When it’s not fun anymore, move on.
5. Be Young
Pablo Picasso said: “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up.” Stay in touch with your juvenile side. I must admit that having kids can help you on that one. If you stop thinking young, you risk to be rigid in your approach to life. A youthful approach enhances your personal development and sharpens your ambitions.
6. Be Alive
Take a deep breath, and shout it out loud. Look for things that give you positive energy. This is what they mean by that trendy word ‘mindful’: live consciously in the moment. The past is already gone and the future hasn’t started yet. If you live the moment, enjoy it: travel around the world, discover other cultures, learn Arabic or Chinese, or both of them. Open yourself for the beauty of art and nature; you can find it everywhere.
7. Be Charming
Shine! Glide! Show some selfrespect and care for yourself. Be a beautiful, tidy, attractive person. Enchant people with a natural friendliness and consideration. You will be amazed how people respond.
8. Be Creative
The system is not sacred, for god’s sake! Break the rules, find new ways and don’t blame others. The world is full of opportunities. So dream. And please don’t be a victim. There’s always a choice. “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” Mary Lou Cook (American community activist, calligrapher and author).
9. Be Balanced
Pursue harmony and authenticity. Do what’s right for you. Think about what you want to change and make it achievable. If your goals are too large, you might get disappointed. A lot of small steps make one big step. Switch of that TV, read a book or listen to some music before you go to bed. Follow your intuition without denying your ratio. Try to live healthy. Take up gardening. And if you need that chocolate tablet to feel balanced, eat it!
10. Be Inspiring
If you want to change the world, be an example. Change yourself. Be a hero and inspire others. Make a list of your own heroes and point out those characteristics why you admire them. They will encourage you, just when you need it. “Maybe there will never be a fair World. But you can dream. If everyone of us tries to change, then it might work.” (from the movie “La Siciliana ribelle”)
11. Be Decisive
Action speaks louder than words. What we anticipate seldom occurs, so don’t be afraid to make decisions and execute them. Be fast. Like Richard says: ‘be prepared to be called a raving lunatic”. Think long term, but adapt continuously. A little less conversation, a little more action (Elvis Presley)
12. Be Aware
Stop for a moment. Look around and widen your view. Look further than your own micro-cosmos. I don’t know if others perceive it as much as I do. But I feel like the world is evolving at another pace now. Think about the impact of your acts on the planet because we can’t go on like this. Climate change, 3rd World problems, endangered species,… also affect you. Commit yourself before it’s too late.