Some initial principles

Mind Fu is very much a parallel of physical Kung Fu.

Wikipedia tells me that "In Chinese, kung fu can be used in contexts completely unrelated to martial arts, and refers colloquially to any individual accomplishment or skill cultivated through long and hard work."

I'm for all three of those definitions for Mind Fu: a martial art (although mental), an individual accomplishment, and a skill cultivated through hard work.

My main background in the physical martial arts is currently Wing Chun, which I have found to be an immensely simple, practical and logical system. A lot of my metaphors will come that style of martial art, specifically.

Balance

Balance is not something you get or have, and then it's done. Balance is a tension between opposites. As such, it is constantly moving and alive, just as you are alive.

So you can't find balance and expect to keep it forever. Or even depend on it for a certain period of time. As circumstances change, you must change or you will be off-balance.

This applies metaphysically, in terms of what you expect from the world, and what you are willing to give the world in return. When the world changes, you must adjust. You bend without breaking, by understanding what matters most.

I'm going to be bold enough to state that these basic principles for humans as we are designed (by either deities or chance) are:

- Love - because we go crazy without it.
- Communication - because we go crazy without it.
- Purpose - because we can't live without it.
- Dreams - because we go crazy without them.

So the first aspect of training in Mind Fu is:
- who or what do you love?
- who do you need to communicate with? And what do you need to say?
- what do you need to do this instant? this day? this week? this month? this year? this ten years? Your life?
- what do you dream about? what do you enjoy, what is your passion?

You can only answer those questions yourself. Knowing the answers is only part of it - because these answers **will change**.

This is a constant work of exercising and adjusting and adapting the core of who you are. It doesn't need to be drudgery. And don't make the mistake of using this as a way to try to change them to what they "should be" - i.e. beating up on yourself, for not being someone different than who you are.

You can change aspects of your behavior - and in many cases it is very healthy to do so. You can do things which you don't necessarily like or want to do - and in many cases this is actually healthy also.

But if you find yourself unhappy and frustrated with anything for any lengthy amount of time, doing these kinds mental/emotional/spiritual exercises is a great way to start.