After establishing the cosmic scale of human existence, Schneider posed this thought experiment to the counseling graduates. He described life as an adventure with all the necessary provisions, daily opportunities for discovery, and approximately eight decades to explore — then asked the crucial question: 'Would you want to go? Would you cherish every moment of the opportunity? Or would you attempt to skirt, skim, or devalue the adventure?' The implied answer was obvious, yet Schneider's point was that most people do exactly that — they devalue the adventure through distraction, mechanical routines, and superficial engagement. He challenged the graduates to bring this sense of wonder not just to their personal lives but specifically to their counseling careers, asking what kind of counselor they would choose to be. He contrasted two models: a counselor who follows 'textbook formulations and mechanical rules' versus one who 'goes on a journey with her client, who acknowledges the other with her whole body — senses, feelings, intuitions, cultural and political consciousness, and attunement to the living moment you share.'