Just like the opening quote says "breathing" is the most important thing in life.

I treasure fresh air.

Our neighborhood is part of a green belt in a massive city. There are no apartments allowed over five stories. I enjoyed fresh air here fkr years until one day a public wood burning sauna was established in the neighborhood. From then on I began to appreciate the fresh air. During corona social distancing the opening hours of this sauna were reduced to 8 hours a day. That gives me more hours of fresh air and I appreciate it.

Of course what I value next beyond air is fresh water but I will keep the two in a category of their own, air and fresh water. Those are basic needs aren't they? I will call this number one important thing to me is "basic needs for life."

Next

...of course is relationships and love and faith but I will put those all in the category of basic needs together with water. I'm just not alive without them. After all basic needs are meet I desire...

creative freedom and affirmation.

I know that's too much to ask for. Most of the time creative freedom comes with rejection, but it's important to be accepted for what I am at the level I am at. That's what got me hooked on Proofofbrain. There was no one direct thing I had to create. If one day I feel like talking about Koala flying airplanes and the next day I want to talk about drawing pictures with sixth graders and the next day I want to talk about making a puppet or the history of music then it is all okay. I'm given creative freedom and feel no pressure to be anything but myself. And I get affirmation so I keep producing content. I love it.

Third, I value hard work, sweat and brains.

I know this also seems to be one of the impossible categories. It seems to be an inherent fault in human beings who use their brains to become lazy. A person doesn't have to be real smart to use their brains. It just takes a few seconds to turn off the noise of the world and listen to what is inside. I get excited hearing about a football match but I don't get excited hearing about a good ballet performance or a violin recital. But something happens when I see a trained ballet team perform in front of me. I am moved to tears at their devotion and hard work and brains. I feel the same way listening to a violinist who has given their life for years to make the violin part of them. This hard work, sweat and brains is something I commend human beings for and value highly above financial success and academic achievement.