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If we removed our access to ALL pharmaceutical drugs
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If we removed our access to ALL processed foods and artificial food like substances
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If we removed our access to ALL televisions and devices promoting sedentary living
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If we removed our access to ALL soda, sport drinks and fruit juices
What impact would this have on the health of our nation?
What if we replaced these things with:
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exercise (3-5 days a week)
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quality water as the only source of hydration
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foods that grow from the ground or walk the earth
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quiet time to relax and find peace
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6-9 hours of daily restful sleep
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increased quality time with family and friends
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a sense of purpose and meaning in life
What impact would this have on the health of our nation?
If the end result to this same question in each situation would lead to a larger percentage of the population experiencing healthier lives (taking into account those needing life sustaining pharmaceuticals would obviously die) what EVIL OMNIPOTENT POWER exists that successfully prevents us from doing WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW is in our
OWN BEST INTEREST?
What INVISIBLE POWER takes that pure innocent child in all of us that loved life for no other reason than the ability to do so and reconfigures its thinking and behavior to willfully hurt our developing selves day after day making life more difficult and less fulfilling?
I’m sure we can come up with excuses such as:
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poverty
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lack of opportunity
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financial limitations
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responsibilities
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bad luck
but maybe our lack of will to
FACE THE TRUTH
becomes the biggest obstacle in our lives. You see, the EVIL OMNIPOTENT POWER is not an external force pressuring us to make bad decisions each day, but rather an INVISIBLE POWER which resides within the soul of every person. The most interesting thing about this evil power is its source of energy. You see for it to survive it requires:
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pharmaceutical drugs
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processed foods and artificial food like substances
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televisions and other devices creating sedentary living
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soda, sport drinks and fruit juices
to weaken and break the spirit in each of us to maintain control over our actions and our lives. If we succumb to a life of slavery to this EVIL Master within, our health and happiness is sacrificed forever. If we choose instead, to follow WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW is in our OWN BEST INTEREST, we retain control over our lives and get to live the life we choose.
All About Healthy Choices 
I have been very focused on doing each of the things that you wrote about today. Unfortunately, I sit in front of a computer all day for work, but I make a point to get up throughout the day and it’s my goal to always spend lunch walking around.
My husband and I are planning ways that we can quit the rat race and move to the country to pursue our dreams. It’s really just a matter of “going for it” and I am confident that we will get there…and soon!
Any time my doctor tries to give me medication or orders a test with inherent risks, I’m always grilling him about the reason why he thinks it’s necessary and what the alternatives are. I’ve talked him out of quite a few “necessary” tests and medication and I’ve managed a lot of conditions on my own naturally. My thyroid is the constant battle but as soon as my weight gets down, I am getting off the pills.
I gave up all sugary drinks almost a year ago and I don’t miss them at all. In fact, the smell and taste of them makes me sick now (never thought I’d say that!). We also make a point to meal plan and cook at home for every meal every day because it’s the only way that we can control what goes into our food. We prefer hosting and going to people’s places than going out to restaurants and we also try not to use food as a social thing.
My doctor reminds me that pleasure comes from our families, friends, hobbies, etc. and NOT from food. I wonder who was responsible for marketing it differently (HMMMMMM). I remember one elite athlete saying, “I don’t eat for taste, I eat for function and performance” and I thought he was nuts. Now, I agree and try to do the same.
I consider everything I eat and what it’s going to do to my body now and in the long term. It sounds like a lot of work (and it can be!), but being sick is a lot of work too and has more dire consequences than spending TV and Facebook time meal prepping instead. People often say they have no time – we all have the same 24 hours in a day, it’s a matter of how you are choosing to spend yours. You make time for what’s important to you, plain and simple.
We also use the internet rarely, have our phones off more often than on, and we don’t have cable or stream movies or television. We are always outside with our dog, pursuing our hobbies, or doing things outside the house. We go to bed early, drinks tons of water, have started a garden, and only buy local, sustainable, and organic food.
Sorry for such a long comment – I’m very passionate about my new lifestyle. You have helped me a lot and hopefully if someone takes the time to read my mini-novel, I can in turn inspire them! If I can make these changes and open my mind, so can anyone 🙂
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It’s not often that someone can make me speechless. After reading your comment, all I could do was stare out my window, look up to the blue sky and whisper to God, “Thank you for giving me my stubborn persistent personality and for showing me my message and desire to help people experience a better and healthier quality of life is being heard.” In general, people (including strangers) have no idea just how much I care about their well being. I have been blessed for many years and believe I have been guided down this path in life I follow. Since it is not a common path, it is viewed as strange and different. My philosophy on health and happiness attracts great resistance because it confronts typical lifestyle patterns that are destructive in nature. Helping people to lower their defensive positions is challenging and frustrating, yet essential to making people aware that healthy options will NOT deprive them of joyful fulfilling lives.
You see, in retirement, I need to use the same skills those looking for work need to use. I need to get that interview (in my case, attract attention to my blog site.) Just like an interview, I need to show my words have VALUE. I need to prove that hiring me (in my case, having people FOLLOW my blog site) will make a “profitable” difference in their lives. The only difference is my definition of “profitable” is experiencing people grow and develop into the best possible versions of THEMSELVES rather than focusing on personal monetary gains!
Your words mean more to me than you can imagine. It shows me how much you value your life and health and recognize the importance they play in your future. As you write, it is not always easy. In life, we often find the greatest value in challenges we successfully pursue and ultimately overcome. If it was easy, everyone would do it!
I want to welcome you to a world filled with opportunities that most people exclude themselves from. Their lack of willingness to place “needs” before “wants” places great limits on their vision to see what this world has to offer. You have discovered a way of life that provides a rich source of “soil,” endless water, and brilliant sun that will provide the foundation for your ongoing development and growth. I look so forward to watching you fly right by all my achievements in life as you make and leave your impact on this planet. I never had children, but this is the statement I would have loved to have made to them. You have now given me a chance to fulfill this part of my life. Thank you.
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I think of you often in my journey, especially when things are hard. It has come to matter to me that you say you’re proud of what I’m doing and that you see good things for me in the future. You and your opinion are important to me, even though we’ve never met. I have considered the timing of connecting with you and losing my own dad, who meant the world to me, and I can’t help but think who is responsible for that, too. I have a pretty good idea.
It is a very challenging message to deliver and I do it very carefully. People will ask me questions about why I make my own soap, why I eat the way that I do, why on earth I’d wake up at 4:30 a.m. to workout, and I have to be very careful how I answer. Explaining the truth can alienate people and have them look at you like you have three heads. It’s hard to change your status quo, it’s frustrating, time-consuming, and fraught with obstacles when life is already challenging enough. But it’s worth it! That’s what I try to get across. I can’t even tell you how many benefits I’ve received holistically as a person for treating my body, my mind, and my spirit with respect.
When I face negative reactions, even from my closest friends, I think of you and remember that there was a time when I read your messages with skepticism and thought, “that’s nice for him, but it wouldn’t work for me.” However, I kept being drawn back to your messages even if I didn’t fully believe you. Over time, I thought to myself, why don’t I look into this further rather than just dismissing it as nonsense because it goes against what I grew up thinking to be true?
And so I did, and a whole new world opened up to me. There have been times that I just thought, oh forget it. Let people do what they want. I’ve made changes and if they don’t want to, that’s their choice. But YOU inspire me not to give up and to keep at it, so I do try and provoke consideration in as thoughtful a way as I can. I carefully recommended Ty Bollinger’s book to a cancer patient who I connected with over blogging and she was so grateful, wanting to learn more. That alone made it worth it to me. I didn’t learn quickly enough to help my dad, but I can help others and that would make him happy because he always cared for others more than himself.
I consider my toxic nail polish post and see that it is one with the fewest “likes.” People prefer to see pictures of B, to hear about fun things I’m doing with JP, to see recipes, to hear about my fitness journey, etc. Challenging their belief system and creating more work for them doesn’t always go over well. BUT I know that at least two people considered what I wrote and are going to look into safe brands because they trust me and my messages. When they reached out and told me that, I knew that it was worth writing and that it didn’t matter how popular it was. I am going to keep “sneaking in” posts like that because to quote Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” We’ll keep trying and working together 🙂
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If you don’t mind me asking, what did they say is wrong with your thyroid?
The only health problem I have is I allowed them to use a radioactive iodine pill to kill mine completely.
I wished I had known better before that. It was hyperactive. Making too much.
But they did not offer any other solutions. There are ways to help control your thyroid.
Do a lot of research on it on a holistic site. They can actually tell what foods that will help it.
Be careful about quitting your thyroid pills….depending on what they said Is wrong with you.
It can mess up many internal organs if you aren’t careful.
I wish I had known then what I know now…..
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My thyroid is underactive, so I take pills to increase the level of hormones that my thyroid is supposed to produce on its own.
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Here is a link to a great site I really like. They have a lot of valuable information on there.
He explaims a little bit more about you thyroid and some other tests some doctors don’t do.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/many-symptoms-suggest-sluggish-thyroid.aspx
I have learned a lot after they took mine. I wish I had known something then. I wish you luck with your thyroid.
I know a lot of gmo foods will also mess up your hormones. And also increases a chance for other diseases and they are on the rise. Diabetes is fast becomimg another disease on the rise. This is also caused by hormone disruptions. That is only one disease. Gmo’s cause many others.
That is one reason they have not yet fully disclosed what they can actually do to you. They do not want you to know.
Real heirloom seeds are the best way to go if you grow your food.
I hope you like Mercolas site. It is interesting. Many of the medical professionals and others have tried to shut him down to shut him up.
Good luck in your endeavors you seek. 🙂
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I do hope you get out of the rat race soon too! Life is too short to work all of your life and then retire when you are much older.
Life is meant to be able to enjoy.
Your doctor sounds a little odd? 😉
You sound like you are on the right track.
Take care of your body and most always, it will take care of you too!
I too do not like much tv. Unless it may be a documentary. And computers, I use mostly for research, but not everyday.
You have only one life, so enjoy all the days you can.
🙂
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Thank you! I agree, life is short and you need to do the things that make you happy before it’s too late.
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I think the idea of a lifestyle change, not a temporary “diet” or “cleanse” or “30 day challenge” is important for actual health and wellness. Long term adjustments, not a fad, is what is needed for our nation.
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Once the MIND is willing to accept a “lifestyle change” the mission becomes possible. Like you say, diets and challenges are short term projects often leading to more damaging end results as people yo-yo out of control because a LONG TERM plan of action was never designed.
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Haha…you know my decision ! 🙂
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Never a doubt!
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I’m a compulsive package reader and I don’t eat meat, I do take prescription medication which is designed to help me to cope with a trauma related condition but I try to compensate for this by focusing on diet and exercise and by taking as little of these drugs as possible.
The question is always about the ‘quality of life’ and for me the most essential element is the feeling of having a life worth living.
For me that means having full access to my mind. Were there a natural way to do this I would use it.
I don’t believe that the body, the mind or those aspects of our lives that are extensions of the mind are separate.
Our sense of self worth is reflected in the choices that we make and the choices that we make are in every way determined by how we are taught to perceive ourselves in relation to other people.
I can’t completely agree that I am in control of every last aspect of the way I experience my life because it doesn’t comport with my life experience…But I do understand that this is true for a lucky few.
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This post was not a literal attack on pharmaceuticals as much as a reliance on them IN PLACE OF living a lifestyle necessary in restoring and maintaining good health. There are certainly situations where pharmaceuticals (as part of a treatment plan) are indicated. This post was meant to reinforce the importance of self value, self worth and personal responsibility to participate in the process.
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I didn’t perceive your post as an attack at all.
I understood the intention which is why I mentioned using ‘meds’ in a limited way and making sure that you modify diet and increase exercise to counteract the negative effects of the drugs.
I think our culture’s reliance on pharmaceuticals is a real problem.
They may be part of why we our political discourse is so irrational…
We could be a nation of drunks without knowing it because our ‘booze’ comes in pill form.
Benzodiazepines are sometimes called powdered alcohol because they affect the same areas of the brain as alcohol.
I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear.
I think your blog is doing us a service by letting us discuss ways to naturally heal.
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Great commentary and great illustrations. I’ll bet the average reader was unaware that Benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medication) affects the brain’s neurotransmitters similar to the way alcohol does. Prolonged use of this medication causes an adaptive response by the body. Increased dosages are then required to restore the response desired. If this is the only approach to addressing the anxiety disorder, serious complications develop. The average person is not offered additional information or advice on steps to take IN ADDITION TO TAKING THIS MEDICATION in most cases. I add these comments so that patients understand to CONTINUE TO GET ANSWERS from their doctors and other professional counselors about the ROLE THE PATIENT PLAYS in dealing with these disorders. NEVER ACCEPT THE ANSWER: JUST TAKE THE PILLS!
Thank you so much for your comments. You bring up very important points that fellow readers will learn from INCLUDING ME!
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I have had to take benzos off and on for almost thirty years. The first prescription I got was for xanax. I did not know that it was addictive and I wasn’t told. At the time I was also very depressed and my doctor thought that xanax had an anti-depressent effect. At one point I was taking eight milligrams a day.
I decided that I hated the way I felt on it and let the prescription run out which sent me into seizures.
People need to know that these drugs are not a cure and they are not a substitute for the hard work of psychotherapy which for me is a natural approach to the problem of treating trauma induced mental illnesses. Talk therapy is time consuming and way more expensive that pills and groups but in my experience it works.
The fast acting benzos like ativan and xanax are more addicting than the slow acting benzos like clonopin.
But all of them act by suppressing anxiety and when you go off of them there is always a rebound effect.
Knowledge is power — you can make them work for you but you have to know what you’re taking and have a plan in place for going off of them.
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I’m relative newcomer to your blog and I love your message of common sense and personal responsibility.
I totally see your point: We don’t need to “outlaw” drugs, or fried food or television. Nor would I want that. Every now and thenI like a plate of greasy nachos while plopped in front of the TV. But I know when to turn the TV off and go out and play. And eat a banana or two as well.
Anyone can put down the remote and the bag of Cheetos whenever they want and join me out in the fresh air and sunshine.
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The one word that describes your comment is BALANCE. I agree with you. We have a tendency to vilify McDonalds and other fast food establishments. They simply provide a product the consumer demands. It is up to the consumer (to a large part) to demand healthier food items if we want these establishments to “change or add to their menus.” They don’t care what they serve; they care about the revenue generated. If organic sweet potatoes brought in the same purchasing power as the hamburger, McDonalds would become known as McSweet Potato.
We have a right to demand that Big Business listen to our needs and recognize a moral responsibility in the products they provide to the consumer, but until we are willing to change our behavior, their motivation to do so won’t exist.
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Yes! Take back our lives and reclaim our power. I want to live better and that means taking care of me. Who knew that doing so, as you point out, would make us radicals? But that is so – many, if not most people, bury their heads about this, pursuing the next shiny object to distract them. Working on yourself, for yourself, is hard work. Do it anyway. Answer the tough questions about why you’re making your decisions as you are, and whether you can make better decisions. Keep inspiring us Dr. Jonathan!
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Love the power of your comment. I think the message needs to be reinforced for the consumer to realize where they stand. It is difficult to step outside oneself and objectively view their “real” world. As these type of messages continue to be seen over and over they eventually begin to resonate in our minds. It takes a “final straw” situation (commonly) to provide the strength people need to follow new paths in life. Once they do, the journey continues to generate new obstacles, but the benefits in overcoming them exceed the harms of the previous lifestyle.
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This is such a powerful post Jonathan! We all can make these choices and improve our lives!
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Thank you for all your kind words. Sometimes people simply need to be reminded that a better life can be found by deviating from a habitual path.
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Yes so true just a reminder can reallly help
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It takes courage, effort and discipline to make these choices each day, but I know it works and it allows me to live fully and be present to the gift of life. Well said.
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The beauty in your words go beyond your personal choice to truly LIVE LIFE; you pass on to others (through your blog site) your insight to help them achieve the life they choose to live. You are a special person and deserve the recognition.
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Thankyou Jonathan you are very kind. I must admit I haven’t seen someone with such passion for Heath and life as you do! You are making a difference in people’s lives and we all learn from you, so keep educating!! 🙏🏻
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I appreciate you and your kind words. In a world that already has so much to offer, it is a humbling experience to try to add additional value. Thank you.
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Discipline to follow a guideline of this lifestyle is unfortunately missing from so many people. Everyone wants the “get rich quick” quick fix solution. We need to make people understand that patience is a virtue….
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We need people to think of life in terms of a sporting event. A basketball game is relatively slow paced for about 3 3/4 quarters. The action and excitement picks up as the game clock nears its final 2 minutes. Do you think if we reduced the time of the game to the last 2 minutes ONLY, we would enjoy the excitement as much? In reality, we need the other (slow paced) 46 minutes in the game to enjoy the final 2 minutes. People may think they want quick solutions, but what they don’t realize is the importance, fun and learning experience achieved during the entire journey. If people began thinking in these terms, it would reduce an enormous amount of pressure and help them achieve their goals more easily.
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Absolutely perfectly put Dr J. You are 100% correct. Learning and changing is fun BUT it takes effort so it would be great if people thought in your terms because it would reduce the effort so much they would simply see the future as fun.
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[…] TAKING BACK CONTROL […]
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Thank you for taking the time to share this message. Have a beautiful Monday!
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[…] TAKING BACK CONTROL […]
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Thank you so much for helping me pass this important message on to your readers.
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It could not be any clearer and makes total sense Dr. Jonathan. It is slavery when we succumb to those forces that rob us of our health and well being.
I have made mistakes in my past health wise, but education is power. And as I endeavour to take control, I appreciate your blog very much and the work you are to educate and empower. THANK YOU! 🙂
~Carl~
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Thank you so much for your very kind words. Most of us have made mistakes in the past. Rather than simply viewing them as mistakes, I suggest we view them as experiences to learn from so we can move forward following better options in the future. To breathe is to live; to take control is to determine the quality of how we will live.
Stay healthy and happy!
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Antidepressants are not a cure for the problem, but mask it.
I know myself because I have had to take some for years. I do know what causes it.
My doctor also let me run out and didnt refill it. I thought I was going to literally die! I was going through some hard withdrawels. Not a nice thing.
Now they say valium is a ” street drug.” Imagine that. And who prescribed it? A doctor. Now with many people they want a person to take a antipsychotic drug. ( not me but others that I know, and those are not good either.
Sometimes it might help….but if you are in tune with your body,it will let you know.
A interesting read is http://www.ssristories.com
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You offer some good practical advice obviously learned with some experience as well. The website you listed offers stories I have seen and read many times. I have not been satisfied with traditional medicine as an end all approach to “disease care.” This is one reason I created this blog. I wanted people to be exposed to different ideas regarding health and see if they felt their quality of life could improve.
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Yes, people DO need to really see what is happening in all areas of health and food.
There is good knowledge out there and also here on your site.
People need to be awakened.
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[…] The following comment is a slightly abbreviated version of what she commented on my post entitled, TAKING BACK CONTROL. I am so very proud of all her accomplishments and know in my heart this is only the beginning. I […]
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