This Is Your Life Podcast Episode 35: The Importance of the Leader's Heart Published: 12/05/2012 Michael Hyatt

Hello and welcome to this episode of This Is Your Life. My name is Michael Hyatt, and this is the podcast dedicated to intentional leadership. My goal is to help you live with more passion, work with greater focus, and lead with extraordinary influence. In this episode, Ill be talking about The Importance of a Leaders Heart. I speak on this topic a great deal. The corporate world, I think, is increasingly aware of the fact you cant improve productivity without increasing engagement. In other words, people have to be all-in. They have to show up at work with more than their education, more than their experience, and more than their skills. They have to come with their heart. The same is true if youre going to succeed in life. You have to cultivate, develop, and protect your heart. So in this episode, well be talking about the heart, what it is, why its important, and how you can develop more of it. First, this podcast is brought to you by Dynamic Communicators International, producers of the Platform, SCORRE, and Launch Conferences. We still have a few tickets left for the Platform Conference which were going to be holding here in Nashville on February 11-13, 2013. This conference is basically for anyone who wants to jumpstart their platform or take it to the next level. Whether youre an author, a public speaker, a blogger, a recording artist, a business owner, a mortgage banker, a pastor, corporate brand manager, whatever, this conference is for you! We have an incredible lineup of speakers this year including Ken Davis, Pat Flynn, Jeff Goins, Stu McLaren, Cliff Ravenscraft, John Saddington, Carrie Wilkerson, Andrew Buckman, Michele Cushatt, and, of course, yours truly. Ill be there as well, leading a couple of the sessions. You can get all the details, including registration, at PlatformConference.tv. Theres a link in the show notes, so you can click right to it at MichaelHyatt.com. So, lets get into this episode. Our topic for this episode, as I mentioned, is your heart. We live in a very externally focused culture. In this episode, I want to focus on something thats largely ignored, which is the condition of your heart and why it matters. Let me begin with a story. Back in the mid-1980s, I started my own business with a partner. My partner and I left big corporate jobs. We developed a business plan. We began raising money for this new venture. We had one investor who had promised to make a sizable investment. In fact, he was going to be our primary funding source, but he ran us through the wringer. Transcribed by Ginger Schell. 1

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The due diligence process took forever. It was all-consuming. We really didnt have time during that process as we were trying to launch the business to really court anyone else, and so we made the fatal mistake of putting all of our eggs in one basket. After months of back-and-forth, we were starting to run out of money. This investor decided not to make the investment after all. We were left high and dry with about $12.00 (Im not kidding you) in our checking account. We were extremely disappointed. We were angry. We were ready to quit. We, in a word, lost heart. For days we walked around like zombies. We were in a daze. It was surreal. We didnt know what we were going to do because, as I said, we didnt have any other source. We lost heart. However, that experience wouldnt be the last time I experienced an assault on my heart. In my journal, Ive cataloged almost 20 distinct situations where I was ready to quit and throw in the towel. In fact, as Ive grown older, the temptation to quit has intensified, Im sorry to say. Im facing it right now with a major project Im in the middle of. It sounded great at the beginning. I was totally pumped. I thought it would be an awesome project. Now that I find myself in the middle of it, where Im not seeing much progress, and I feel like I have a long way to go, Im beginning to lose heart. At least once a day, I fantasize about quitting. About once a week, I seriously consider it! It almost always comes back to the condition of my heart. If its healthy, then Im not so easily discouraged. I keep perspective. I soldier on, confident Im going to prevail, and its going to come out okay. If my heart is unhealthy, I get discouraged, and I want to quit. I lose perspective. I feel overwhelmed, and I fear failure. Again, it comes back to the condition of my heart. Today in this episode, I want to share with you five truths about your heart. If you understand these truths and apply them to your life, youll maximize your influence as a leader because your heart really is the wellspring of your life and of your leadership. So lets start. 1. Your heart is the essence of your identity. Look, I dont want this episode to be a Bible lesson, but we have to start there. The Bible, like a lot of ancient wisdom literature, has a lot to say about the heart. Sometimes as moderns we have it all figured out, but the Bible really puts the emphasis on the right place. The word heart occurs almost a thousand times. In just the gospel of Matthew, one little book in the New Testament, we find these words: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (Matthew 12:35) Ill have a lot to say about that in a little bit.

Transcribed by Ginger Schell.

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But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (Matthew 15:18) Jesus said to him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37) Your heart is your authentic self. Its the core of your being. Its that part of you that makes you, you. One of my favorite theologians, one of my favorite philosophers, was Dr. Seuss. He said, Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You! In like manner, there is no part of your being that is more you than your heart. It is the you-iest part of you, if I could say it that way. Your heart is your inner being where your dreams, your desires, and your passions live. Its that part of you that connects with God and with other people. Saint Macarius the Great, one of the desert fathers who lived in the fourth century, said this about the heart: The heart is but a small vessel; and yet dragons and lions are there, and there likewise are poisonous creatures and all the treasures of wickedness; rough, uneven paths are there, and gaping chasms. There also is God, there are the angels, there life and the Kingdom, there light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasures of grace: all things are there. Unfortunately, the focus in our world is too often on the image, that external self, the self you project to those around you. Its not our authentic self. Another Bible verse from the book of 1 Samuel 16:7: For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. Ill never forget years ago (its been more than a decade now) that I first met the author John Eldredge, who was writing for us at Thomas Nelson. He hadnt yet written the book Wild at Heart which would become kind of a defining book for him, his bestselling book of all time, millions of copies sold. At this point, he hadnt written that book, but I was meeting with him as the publisher of the division that was publishing his books. I remember the first time over breakfast he looked at me, and he said, Mike, how is your heart doing? I didnt know what to think. I almost took offense at the question. I thought in a sense, Its none of your business. Another part of me thought, I dont have a clue. I dont know what the condition of my heart is. Ive never honestly even thought about it. That began a journey for me to begin thinking about my heart and to over time realize it is the essence of my identity. Whatever is happening on the external world might be interesting, but its not essential. Whats going on in my heart is where the real battles are won or lost, where success or failure happens, and really where I connect to the things that are the most important to me. So truth number one is your heart is the essence of your identity. Theres a second truth about your heart you must embrace if youre going to maximize your influence as a leader, and its this:

Transcribed by Ginger Schell.

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2. Your heart is the most valuable leadership tool you have. I know as leaders we often think our experience, or maybe our knowledge or our skills, are the most important components of our leadership. I dont think thats right. I think its our heart. Thats why Solomon says, for example, in Proverbs 4:23, Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. In other words, its the source. Its the origination place of everything else in your life. Thats why were told to guard it. We only guard things that are valuable. For example, on Wednesday evening, I typically roll out the garbage cans from the back of the house to the front of the house and put them on the street because we have garbage pickup day on Thursday where I live in Tennessee. Ive never had anyone steal anything out of my garbage cans. Even though theyre sitting out there on the street in public view readily accessible by anyone, nobody ever steals anything out of those garbage cans. Why? Because theres nothing valuable. In fact, I have to pay people to pick up the stuff in them because theres just nothing worthwhile there. Thats not so with your heart. Its infinitely valuable. Why is it so valuable? Solomon tells us because its the wellspring of life. In other words, everything else flows out of it. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the San Juan Islands in the Northwest. As a part of that, we hiked up to the top of a small mountain. We were told to wear Keen waterproof hiking shoes because the woods were full of springs, and our feet were going to get wet. We didnt want to have to stop. We wanted to keep moving. A spring, as you probably know, is a spot where the water just bubbles up, and it flows out of the earth. We have a lot of them here in Middle Tennessee where I live as well. Some springs produce creeks. Some are larger, producing entire streams, but regardless, if you plug up the spring, the stream stops flowing. The same thing is true in your life. You plug up your heart, and the wellspring of life stops flowing. If you pollute the spring, the stream becomes toxic. The same thing is true in your life. Everything flows out of that wellspring that is your heart. So truth number two is your heart is the most valuable leadership tool you have. Theres a third truth about your heart you have to embrace if youre going to maximize your influence as a leader. 3. Your heart directly impacts your influence. This is where it really begins to get interesting, I think, for leaders. Physically, your heart, obviously, is what keeps your body alive. It pumps blood through almost 100,000 miles of arteries, veins, and capillaries. It brings life to every cell and fiber of your being. Thats how the life-giving nutrients you consume are distributed to every aspect of your being. Your body can survive without many important organs. In fact, many of them are important but not essential. Back in 2001, for example, I almost died when my gallbladder exploded. It almost killed me, but it wasnt really an ongoing issue. In fact, I dont know of any issue Ive faced as a result of losing Transcribed by Ginger Schell. 4

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my gallbladder. Its just not a big impact because thats not an essential organ. Not so with your heart. If you lose your heart, youre dead, and you cant survive without it. Spiritually, your heart is what keeps your organization alive. Yes, I know, if youre a Christian, God is the ultimate source, but he lives in your heart. He expresses himself through your heart. Im saying your heart is what keeps your organization alive. As a leader, you pump possibility into every person, every project. Possibility is what keeps the organization alive. Your organization can survive without your experience as we saw in the last point, without your knowledge, and without your skills. They too are important, but theyre not essential. Your organization, my organization, cant survive without our hearts. When it stops functioning, our organization and our influence begin to die. The single most important gift you can give to your team is your heart. I remember Bill Hybels saying that at one point. Its what gives life to everything else. My predecessor, the former CEO for 47 years at Thomas Nelson, was often criticized as a leader because he was sometimes moody. He was a little bit up and down, but I want to tell you something. Sam Moore was all heart. I never doubted for a moment, and nobody who ever worked for him doubted for a moment, that he loved our company, he loved our mission, and he loved us. He was allin. He was fully-engaged. He was all heart, and it made a huge difference. He was able to build a huge company and accomplish an enormous impact in the world because he led with his heart. So truth number three is your heart directly impacts your influence. Theres another truth, a fourth truth, about your heart you must embrace if youre going to maximize your influence as a leader, and its this: 4. Your heart is either healthy or its unhealthy. Some of you listening to this podcast have spiritual cardiovascular disease. Ive had it from time to time. Its life-threatening. Its a silent killer that takes leaders out. Physical heart disease happens when plaque begins to build up inside the arteries and blood vessels of the heart itself, constricting the flow of blood. When an artery becomes blocked, it results in a heart attack, and its often fatal. Well, in similar fashion, your spiritual heart is either healthy or unhealthy. Sometimes our hearts get gunked up with spiritual plaque. To say it another way, your heart is either open or its closed. I want to examine this a little bit closer because I think as leaders we have to recognize the condition of our hearts so we can make them healthier, so we can cultivate the habits that lead to a healthy heart. When your heart is closed, it looks like youre distant and aloof. Youre lost in your own problems. You dont connect to people. Communication shuts down. You leave people to fend for themselves. You focus on what people are doing wrong. You become critical and demanding, and people feel oppressed. The result? Possibility dries up in the organization, and your influence begins to die. Let me give you an example of a closed heart. A few years ago, I was invited to facilitate a retreat with a group of financial professionals, and so I had a conference call with the management team. I thought Transcribed by Ginger Schell. 5

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it went great. We instantly connected. I understood what they wanted to accomplish. I thought I could do a good job for them. They thought the same thing, but the CEO said to me, I need for you to talk to the chairman because this is really his meeting. Hes the one who facilitates this, always has, and I just need for you to talk to him. When I talked to him, it was obvious his heart was closed. His management teams heart was open. His heart was closed. I could almost sense he was sitting on the other end of the phone call with his arms crossed, daring me to impress him, and I couldnt connect. So I turned down the engagement. Thats what it looks like when your heart is closed. By the way, thats how it can have an impact on your business life as well. When your heart is open, it looks like youre fully present and accessible. Youre focused on others. You connect to people. Communication is wide open. Youre a resource to your people. You may focus on whats missing, but not on who is wrong. Thats an important distinction. Youre affirming and encouraging, and people feel free, not oppressed. The result? Possibility flows through the organization, and the organization grows and develops. The bottom line is it matters if your heart is open or closed. Itll have a tangible impact on your organization and on your business or ministry results. The good news is you can open your heart. This is the leaders most important work, keeping your heart healthy and wide open. Its foundational to growing your influence. So truth number four is your heart is either healthy or unhealthy. Theres a fifth and final truth about your heart you must embrace if youre going to maximize your influence as a leader. 5. Your heart is under constant attack. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you and I have an adversary. Some people think of this as simply an unseen evil force. Others, particularly those of us in the Christian tradition, see it as an unseen evil person, Satan, or persons, demons. If youre not a Christian, Im not going to try to convince you of any of this. It may even sound primitive or archaic. I simply want to share with you what I believe, and you can take it or leave it. I believe evil has a name: Satan. He was created good and beautiful, but he made a choice to rebel. As a result, he fell into an existence of increasing deception and destruction. This happens, by the way, to people. Hes now intent on destroying everything that is beautiful, true, and good, in other words, everything that reflects the character of God. With regard to you and to me, his primary objective is to take us out. He often does this without firing a single shot. He simply attacks our hearts so we become discouraged and quit. In a sense, we give up, and we walk off the field before the game is over. Thats why King Solomon said, Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. It presumes its under attack. Thats the first thing we have to do as leaders if were going to be effective is guard our heart, recognize the value and the importance of it, and make a stand for it. Transcribed by Ginger Schell. 6

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So how do you guard your heart? You guard it by keeping it healthy. Think of it this way. As Im recording this, were entering right now into flu season. Your number one defense is a good offense. You need to stay healthy. Get plenty of rest, eat well, exercise, practice good hygiene, and all the rest. This is how you guard yourself against catching the flu.The same is true of your heart. You cultivate a healthy heart by practicing four disciplines. Think of these as the four chambers of your heart if that metaphor helps you remember these. Discipline #1: The discipline of reflection. We live in a busy, noisy world that will suck the life out of us if we let it. Thats why its essential that we intentionally pull away to a quiet place, pause, and reflect. I believe this is best done by observing a daily quiet time. If you want to know what I do in my quiet time, listen to episode #28, Become More Productive by Reengineering Your Morning Ritual, or read a blog post I wrote called The Practice of Stillness. I have links in the show notes to both of these. Ive also found it helpful to read other spiritual writings, especially those of the desert fathers. Anything outside of our own time gives us much-needed perspective, as C.S. Lewis notes in an essay entitled On the Value of Old Books, which is an introduction to a book called On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius. Discipline #2: The discipline of rest. We have this need for rest built into our very physiology. Were made to shut down for a third of the daily cycle. One of the quickest ways to lose perspective is to cheat ourselves out of this God-given off switch. By practicing the discipline of rest, we can gain that back. It requires more than a biologically-induced pause. It requires deliberate choices, deciding to rest one day in seven, and choosing to take our allotted vacations. I believe it even involves fasting, giving our bodies a break from the tyranny of our appetites. Intentional rest. In fact, it theres one thing you probably need to do to regain perspective, thats it. I talk a lot about it on these podcasts because I meet a lot of people who are worn out and tired, and just a good nights sleep would give them a lot of their heart back. Discipline #3: The discipline of recreation. Theres a difference between amusement and recreation. The former leaves us more tired than when we started. For example, have you ever taken a trip to Disney World and come back more exhausted than you left? Yet the latter, real recreation, leaves us refreshed, and it grounds us. Recreation involves any activity that gives us the opportunity to express our creativity. For some, that might involve painting, writing, or playing a musical instrument. For others, it might involve rebuilding an engine or baking a cake. These activities never seem urgent, but theyre vitally important. The older I get, the more I realize it. Discipline #4: The discipline of relationships. You and I were made to live in a relationship to others. In fact, the very foundation of reality is relational. Before the world was created, I believe Father, Son, and Holy Spirit lived together in perfect love and unity. Transcribed by Ginger Schell. 7

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I love social media. Ive written a book about social media. In a world of social media, there are a lot of faux connections where we take something thats artificial, and it looks like a relationship but its really not a connection. We have to be intentional about building authentic relationships and real community if our hearts are going to stay alive. This means making quality time for our family members and friends, and it means taking the initiative to invest in those we love. I realize Ive only scratched the surface. This topic is worthy probably of an entire book. My hope in recording this podcast is simply to put your heart on your radar so youll nurture it and find it to be a resource in the challenging times ahead. So with that, lets get to a few listener questions. The first one comes from Victor: Victor Manzanilla: Hi, Michael. My name is Victor Manzanilla, and I blog about leadership in Liderazgohoy.com. It means leadership today in Spanish. Hey, man, you do an amazing job, and thank you for everything you do. The question I have is about what do you think is the biggest temptation a leader has after he becomes successful? You know the type of temptations that precede the fall of a big leader. I would love to know if you had any personal experience or temptation you want to share for us. Thank you very much. Michael Hyatt: Victor, I think the biggest temptation is to think we have it all figured out. This is the temptation of pride. We think just because something worked once, weve now broken the code and we have a formula. The antidote to do this as a leader is to keep asking questions, to be humble enough to realize you dont have to have all the answers and you dont have all the answers, but to be able to pull out of the people around you the answers to the questions youre facing as a team. So I think just making sure you can listen, dont do all the talking, keep asking questions, and remain humble. Its pride that goes before a fall, and its pride that is always the thing that trips leaders up. So you have to guard your hard against that very real temptation. Great question. Thank you for asking it. The next question comes from Nellie. Nellie Felipe: Hi, Michael. My name is Nellie Felipe, and I am with Arize Coaching and Consulting. Thats Arizecc.com. My question to you pertaining to a leaders heart is how do you as a leader maintain a fresh vision, fresh hope, and fresh energy, so your people will be renewed daily, that they will continue with the same passion they started the race with. Thank you so much, Michael. I look forward to your response. Have a great day. Michael Hyatt: Thanks, Nellie. I think you maintain a fresh vision, fresh hope, and fresh energy so your people will be renewed by leading yourself. You lead others best when you lead yourself well. Thats really where it starts. Its not a new idea. Its something Ive shared over and over again on these podcasts, but thats because its so important. You have to connect yourself daily with the vision, and you have to manage your energy.

Transcribed by Ginger Schell.

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Episode 35: The Importance of the Leaders Heart

As I said earlier in the podcast, Bill Hybels says the most important gift a leader brings to his team is his energy. I think this is really true. So you have to manage your energy level. You have to make sure youre getting enough rest, that youre eating well, that youre getting exercise, and that youre maintaining your energy so you dont get fatigued and get out of gas. People can pick up on that and it affects their leadership and their energy level as well. Then also I would remember people need vision. The Bible says without it the peoplewhat? Perish, thats right. You have to keep speaking the vision because people get lost in the daily routine, the daily grind. The vision just kind of goes out of the organization, and theyre just trying to attack one task after another as though they were unconnected to something bigger and something transcendent. Your job as a leader is to keep talking about why what theyre doing matters and how its connected to the bigger picture. Your words as a leader carry more weight. Thats why you have to be a wellspring of encouragement. I would say one of the simple things you and I can do is start by making sure were thanking the people closest to us even for the little things were paying them to do. Thank you never gets old. People cannot hear it too much, and living with an attitude of gratitude really will affect other peoples attitudes as well. The next question comes from Heather. This is a little bit off topic for "The Leaders Heart," but I thought it was so important that I wanted to answer it on the episode today. Heather Boggini: This is Heather Boggini, and my website is Puttingtheseatdown.com. My comment is in response to Episode #33 podcast where you answered a listeners question on people living in different stages or decades of their lives. What advice do you have for the female entrepreneur who chose a different or untraditional career and life path and whos entering the workforce at age 42? Im finding in my 40s Im starting my own company, reentering the workforce, and Im cramming in everything the traditional career path wouldve accomplished in their 20s and 30s. Please give advice to the scores of women like me who have chosen a different career and life path. Thank you, Michael. Michael Hyatt: Thank you, Heather, for such a thoughtful question, and Im sure it must seem overwhelming when youre trying to reenter the workforce after youve been out maybe for a decade or a couple of decades. First, thank you for having the guts to do what you chose to do. Im sure that wasnt an easy choice, and there was probably a lot of peer pressure to make a different choice. I think what you chose to do is really, really important. I saw my wife make this same decision and really commit to our family, and now were enjoying the fruit of that with five wonderful daughters. I have four sons-in-law and a bunch of grandkids. In fact, we had number eight this last week. So I dont think theres anything more important than family. The second thing I would say to you, Heather, is dont underestimate your experience. Youre probably great at a lot of things like multi-tasking, like empathy. I mean, you can pick up when a child for sure is having a bad day or when theyre sick. That will serve you well in the workforce as well. Youre Transcribed by Ginger Schell. 9

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probably good at keeping your composure under fire. I mean, moms have to do that. Project management Theres a lot of stuff that will directly translate or transfer into the corporate world. Dont underestimate it. Instead of focusing on what you lack, and I know that may be the temptation is to get all focused on whats missing, I would encourage you to focus on what you gained through this experience. I mean, literally make a list and indicate how each of these different attributes, each of these different skills or the experience, will benefit you in the marketplace and benefit an employer, or if youre starting up a business for yourself, how it will benefit you as you begin this new chapter in your life. You have to be able to transform a liability in your mind into an asset. Its for real an asset, but I know sometimes in our thinking we get these confused. We think what is really an asset is a liability. I was talking to a gentleman the other day who was frustrated because he felt like he was too old to reenter the workforce. Hed been laid off. He was now in his late 50s, and he thought, How in the world can I get another job? My age is a liability. I said to him, No, your age is a tremendous asset. Think of all the failures. Think of all the mistakes. Think of all the stuff youve had to learn the hard way. You have a huge reservoir of wisdom some new employer wont have to pay for. So its just awesome to be able to have that, but you have to get adept at thinking like that and thinking about how your so-called liabilities can, in fact, be assets in disguise. The third thing I would say to you is hold your head high. The world needs your wisdom. It needs your grace, and it needs your experience. As we get back to the heart, what are you doing to cultivate and protect your heart? I want to leave you with that question, and if you want to comment on this episode, go to my blog at MichaelHyatt.com/035 (as in episode #35). Two quick announcements before we finish up: If youre looking for a Christmas gift for an author, an entrepreneur, or a salesperson, let me suggest (humbly) that you get them a copy of my newest book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. Its been on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-seller lists. It has a 4.8 reader review rating out of 5.0 on Amazon. Its the perfect gift for anyone trying to build a personal brand or gain visibility for a product, a service, or a cause. Im off the road until January. However, I do have some speaking slots that are still available for the spring. If youre interested in having me come speak to your company or organization, you can learn more at MichaelHyatt.com/speaking. By the way, my next podcast will be on the topic of How to Develop More Discipline. So if you have a question on that topic or anything related to that topic, please leave me a voicemail message at MichaelHyatt.com/podcastquestion. This is a terrific way, by the way, to cross-promote your blog or website because Ill link to it just as I did with the callers on this particular episode.

Transcribed by Ginger Schell.

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Well, thats about it for this episode of This Is Your Life. Id be so grateful if you would rate my podcast on iTunes. That keeps it in front of people so the visibility is up and people who have never heard of it can discover it. If youd like to comment on this episode, as I said earlier, go to MichaelHyatt.com/035. Go to the show notes for this episode, scroll down to the comments section, and tell me whatever you want to tell me, whether its a comment, a question, or whatever. Until next time, remember: Your life is a gift. Now go make it count!

Transcribed by Ginger Schell.

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