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Conscious Inklings Blog. IDEAS, INSIGHTS & INK-SPIRATION.

Things we can’t control. Things we can. Where’s our focus?

Things we can’t control. Things we can. Where’s our focus?

What causes us stress is trying to control things we have no control over. So, instead, let’s be sure to put our focus on things we do have control over...and let go of the rest (as hard as it may be at times). For instance, we may not be able to control whether there is a Coronavirus, but we can control how often we wash our hands. 

We know that stress and worry lower our immune system. This is not helpful! What is helpful is actually the opposite...lowering our stress and worry. And how do we do that? By RAISING our state of being...by feeling good...by feeling relaxed. And how do we do that? By doing things that we love, that bring us joy. By doing things that relax us. By doing things that make us feel good. By doing things that feel loving. What are your favorite things that do that for you? 

As counter-intuitive as it may be, the best way to deal with stress and worry, and to improve our immune system, is to actually feel as good as possible! Scientifically proven!

For best results, implement immediately, and regularly, throughout your day!


Frank Gjata, Founder Conscious Ink
 
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The Permission Slip You've Been Waiting For

The Permission Slip You've Been Waiting For

If you've been waiting for a sign that it's time to do that thing you've been meaning to do but haven't gotten around to, well, this is it. 

You see, everyone comes with their own built in special aptitudes and gifts to share with the world. If you haven't yet uncovered where your own talents lie, look for those things that come so naturally to you that you don't even give them second thought. Our greatest internal gems are often hiding in places that are obvious to everyone except for us. 

So many of us are reluctant to accept these gifts that are innate to us and to in turn share these gifts with the world, because doing so might seem impractical or inconvenient. We may also be unknowingly waiting for some person or external event or circumstance to give us permission to act upon these callings. We say that we'll create that product when the economy picks up or we'll write that book when we feel more qualified to do so. 

The catch to waiting for the perfect external person, place or thing to give us the permission to do what we came here to do is that, more often than not, this permission slip never comes. Thereby we pose the risk of going to the grave with these gifts still inside of us, left unopened. 

When we bypass the permission slip that we believe we need to move in the direction of our dreams and get started now, we step into our power. If you must, grant yourself permission and go for it. The important thing is that you get started.

Amanda,
Conscious Ink Staffer 

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.
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Conscious Tool Kit: Harnessing Your Intuition

Conscious Tool Kit: Harnessing Your Intuition

When faced with a major life decision, many of us will likely consult with every external source of information we have available to us before asking ourselves what we feel is the right thing to do. We call friends and get lost in Google searches until we eventually find ourselves on WebMD, certain that we have a rare, rapidly spreading form of cancer and everything is over. 
Yet in these desperate attempts to find an answer, we so often forget to consult with the one person who knows us better than any of these outside sources and can thus provide us with a wealth of information perfectly tailored to suit our own needs--ahem, ourselves
There is no one and nothing as well-equipped to make decisions that are aligned with what we truly seek than ourselves. All of us come with a plethora of wisdom built into our bodies, otherwise known as intuition. When we make space for introspection in our daily lives, we enhance our ability to tap into this precious internal resource and in turn, make the task of landing on a good decision a great deal easier. 
Intuitive Decision-Making 101
Here is one question that we can all ask ourselves to access our intuition when we're in a pinch and need to make a decision quickly:
Does this decision feel expansive or contractive?
There are some things that excite us and provoke a feeling of expansiveness in our bodies. It's like our intuition's way of saying that it is open to this experience and going down this direction will lead us to something satisfying. On the other hand, there are certain things that, upon mention, give rise to a sense of dread that weighs down our physical bodies (often with a knot in the gut) and causes us to shrink. This is our intuition's way of telling us that pursuing this is not in our best interest and will not lead to anywhere that will fulfill us. 
When considering a decision, do a quick body scan and survey what comes up. If you feel expansive and excited at the thought of one option, move in that direction. If you feel physically weighed down and limited by an option, chances are this is not the right move to make.
A basic guideline for intuitive decision-making can be summed up as follows: when in doubt, move in the direction of that which lights you up and feels physically expansive. 
When properly harnessed, intuition is like a trusty sidekick that will work at all hours to point us in the right direction.
Have a wonderful week!
Amanda,
Conscious Ink Staffer 
Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.

 

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Conscious Tool Kit: Setting Intentions For The New Year

Conscious Tool Kit: Setting Intentions For The New Year

Greetings Conscious Inkers!

The new year is upon us and with a new year comes a renewed sense of possibility. Why not welcome the new year with clear intentions? Ultimately, a new year's resolution is birthed from an intention to expand into a more preferred version of ourselves--whether that involves shedding a few extra lbs or old habits that are no longer serving us.

I view intentions as the tour guides that work to set us in the right direction and create the overall experience we are hoping for. Here are a few guidelines for setting intentions that are clear and effective in their ability to guide us toward the destination we wish to land on.

Intention Setting As A Road Map For Success 

Begin by picturing a GPS map of your life, marked with where you currently are at the moment, the route outlined on the screen and the destination that you want to arrive at in the near future. Now ask yourself the following questions:

1. Where am I now?

In order to arrive upon your desired destination, you need to first have knowledge of the starting point--that is where you are today in parallel with where you want to go. What is working well for you? What would you like to change? What are the consequences of staying put where you are? Grab a notebook and answer these questions for yourself.

2. Where am I headed?

Habit loops are creating our lives whether we are aware of them or not. Take a close look at the current habits you have and the results they are giving you. Ask yourself: If I continue to do this regularly, where will this habit lead me in the next year? If these habits aren't serving you, they will need to be swapped out with habits that will help propel you towards your desired destination. 

3. Where would I like to go?

Now that you have a good idea of your current whereabouts and the habits that are driving your results, it's a good time to evaluate where it is that you actually want to go. It's important to feel into this answer rather than letting the mind take the lead. Our minds can be rational to a fault. Leading with the mind can lead us to ignore the higher call of the heart, which ultimately knows what it is we really want--not what we think we should want or what we feel we need to do in order to feel like worthy, lovable humans. 

4. What are the habits that will put me on track towards my desired destination?

As mentioned earlier, habits are major proponents in the process of creating lives that we love to live. We become what we repeatedly do. If we wish to land on our desired destination (or if not our initial desired destination, someplace better), then we need to put in place a system of habits that will lead us in the right direction. Think of these habits as the series of micro-actions that gradually pull you towards your destination, like the consistent turning of the tires on a car.

When put into action, these four questions can serve as powerful stepping stones into a bright new year. 

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year!

Amanda Brown

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FEATURED INK: Happy

FEATURED INK: Happy

The word "happy" is one that comes bearing gifts, these gifts being the different set of sights, sounds and smells that we associate the feeling with. For some of us, happiness is found in the scent of salt hanging in the air and the sound of ocean waves rolling onto the shore. Others will draw up an image of a favorite memory, perhaps strolling down a street lit up by Christmas lights or playing with a puppy. These perceptions of happiness vary from person to person, but its origins are the same--happiness is always something that comes from within. 

This seems to be something that is forgotten in Western society, as many of us are told that in order to feel happy, we must first tick an item off of our achievement list or purchase the right clothes, car, house, etc.. 

In reality, the more that we place an emphasis on acquiring external things and outcomes in order to feel happy, the more that we make happiness inaccessible to us.

Happiness is often put off for a later time-- when we lose the weight, when we buy the house, when we have published a book, and so on and so on. As time passes and we hit the external markers of success we have set for ourselves, the feelings of joy and satisfaction are fleeting, as our visions expand and we set new, increasingly higher success markers. 

So, what if instead of chasing things in order to obtain positive emotion, we pursued the feelings we are after and allowed the material things to come as a byproduct of feeling good?

While it takes an investment of time and resources to acquire external things and achievements, happiness is available to everyone in this very moment. It all simmers down to a matter of choice.

Regardless of our external circumstances, we can choose to reach for feelings of happiness, gratitude, abundance, joy, love and well-being. 

It's as simple as returning to the first set of sights, sounds and smells that come to mind at the mention of the word "happy". 

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer 

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.

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"Live Frank" Podcast! Self Love - How we treat ourselves...
FEATURED INK: Life Goes On

FEATURED INK: Life Goes On

Our "Life Goes On" Manifestation tattoo serves as a reminder that regardless of what has unfolded in our lives, life will proceed and the pain of the past will eventually lessen.

The truth is that morning will always come, it simply has no choice in the matter. Never mind the seething of our open wounds, the sun will still rise, the moon will continue to illuminate the night's shadow and the earth will keep rotating on its axis. And with time, these open wounds will turn into scars, tangible remnants of times in which life failed in its quest to break us.

Some wounds cannot be fully healed, they still ache with time as a reminder of what was lost. As time goes on, however, the beautiful moments that are gained begin to pile onto the pain of the past. If we're scrappy, we can blend these aspects together, the lightness and the darkness, into something appreciable-- a life rich in meaning. 

With time, comes clarity. It's as if we are hiking along a trail, on our way to the top of a mountain. As we move along, we gain the gift of hindsight and our past experiences become more comprehensible. We see things from an elevated perspective, one that can put together the dots of our past experiences and see the way in which our greatest losses may have in fact directed us towards our most profound gains. 

If you find yourself having a hard time bearing the pain of a recent experience, hang in there. Life will go on, the aching of your wounds will dull and time will help you to make sense of it all. 

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer 

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.

 

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FEATURED NEW INK: Just For Today

FEATURED NEW INK: Just For Today

It's likely that many of us want to transform some facet of our lives. After all, the main task of existence is to expand and expansion entails change and transformation. To exist is to strive, to inch further along the path of self-actualization. This journey of self-actualization is one that will never cease to be so long as we continue to inhale and exhale. 

That being said, transformation requires audacity. Whether the goal is to quit sugar, write a book, or run a marathon, embarking on the path ahead can seem to be an intimidating task. When we get ahead of ourselves, self doubt begins to creep in. We may worry about what could go wrong and wonder how we will pull it all off. 

The good news is that it isn't necessary to plan so far ahead--there is no need to tackle the hows and the what ifs if we are rooted in our personal whys. If we not only know, but can feel in our bones the why behind a goal, it is already ours. The only thing we need to do from there is to break things down into digestible chunks and take it day by day, moment by moment. 

Saying that you are going to quit sugar forever can feel daunting. The idea of sticking with anything forever is loaded with expectation and fear. However, opting to bypass the cheesecake at the end of dinner just for today feels doable. The more attainable success feels, the more hopeful we will feel while pursuing a goal. 

As time goes on, the days add up and we begin to build track records of success. Days turn into months which turn into years spent moving in the direction of our goals. If we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of our goals, it's a good time to take a step back. Instead of focusing on, for instance, running a marathon, writing a book, or quitting sugar, let's run a mile, write a page, or skip dessert, not forever, but just for today. Ultimately, the person who will rise up to the task at hand will be a wiser, stronger and utterly capable version of ourselves, because they will have been incrementally working towards this one day at a time.

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer 

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.

 

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"Live Frank" Podcast! Fostering Life-Changing Moments!

"Live Frank" Podcast! Fostering Life-Changing Moments!

Life-changing moment anyone? Conscious Ink founder, Frank Gjata and "Live Frank" Podcast Host, Downtown Amanda Brown, explore how to invite life-changing shifts!

good morning good afternoon good evening wherever you are hello beautiful people my name is Amanda Brown and I am the community outreach social media maven and now podcast point guard for conscious think fun fact about me I'm from Chicago although right now I am currently in yeehaw Nashville Tennessee and I like to go by downtown am in brown or dad as Frank likes to call me because you know what I have had this same gang name for what 30 to 40 years now no spare you the details on that one but it's just boring so I like to spice it up like what we're doing today I'm old-school I'm not 90s kids so what can I say but today I am here with founder of conscious Inc Frank cotta Frank say hi hello and as you've clearly noticed we're doing something new right now we're shaking it up here at conscious Inc and so what you're watching right now for the very very first time is our first live Frank podcast whoo that is a whoohoo worthy moment people and I like to call those digital high fives by the way so wherever you are if you're in your car your living room shout it out to the rooftops that is like a digital high-five to us thank you but these podcasts are not going to be super long they may maybe go up to about 10 minutes or so we're just gonna go with the flow see how it goes they may extend longer they might be a little shorter but they're gonna be really rich in content as we'll be exploring how to live Frank as our most authentic selves and creating life shifting and changing behaviors or patterns so what's happened to Frank's transformational coaching experience we might even have a guest on the show we might even answer some questions from our audience but honestly just so you know and you'll get to know us as quirkiest Frank and I are it might go off on a tangent about coffee creamer we might share our favorite kombucha I might show up in a onesie I'm just saying it could get wacky but without further ado let's shine a little light on our founder Frank gotta talk a little bit about what he's been doing over the years so Frank has been a transformational coach for many years as well as a writer a speaker a so entrepreneur and filmmaker Frank and his work has been featured in shape magazine Yoga Journal the good news network modern meditation mantra yoga and health and also fitness magazine he's been on a lot of podcasts so who's actually on the speaker selection committee for TEDx bend and has had a short film that was accepted at the bend X the bend festival and a TV commercial he wrote in the Cannes Film Festival he's got quite a provocative video on YouTube as well right now with over 500,000 views you guys pretty amazing he also has created a number of websites like bliss asipi calm my naked guru calm three and one two three calm Hume angels calm live Frank calm as well as acknowledge is power that is a lot of website your tongue twisted me here Frank what's up with that ah cheers to you can turn that brown excited to have this podcast going it's been a long time in the works websites yes there's a lot of them they although basically do the same thing they support us in living our most vital lives by interval patterns in the moment you know and typically hopefully in a unique and fun way that's what they all do including come to think right so conversing are reminders to catch us when we may have gone in conscious into your old patterning and we see it in the moment and then we can actually make conscious shift decision to change so that's what those are all about okay so now with acknowledges power I was reading about like quote-unquote life-changing moments can you talk a little bit about that why clothing unquote those are life-changing moments man Brown yes so as a coach I was always intrigued well why would someone have a life change moment this moment but not that one and not that one and that's thinking was sparked by best-selling author gay Hendricks relationship expert him share his life-changing moment which was at age 23 he was over 300 pounds smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and in a dead-end marriage so I was just wow how did this change because now the guy's written multiple many many books and like I said is a top expert in the field of consciousness and relationships so in his moment I think it's worth sharing is that he typically got defensive you know with about his weight and where he was in his life and so he kind of would always get angry frustrated with people who called him out and in this moment that's what happened in the class of his in college somebody called him out again he just you know internalized it got angry and on his way back during a snowy icy cold day you know being all friendly and how could he this person and he had a moment where he actually for for an instant he goes well why am I so fat like he took it in he was like willing to drop the defense's for that second and in that moment he slips falls backwards hit his head and it's like out for a moment and all these answers started coming in just in that instance of him being willing to get really asked this this moment asked this question and after that things naturally started shifting he got the answers of why he was carrying all that weight and then within a year he was losing weight like every month like pounds of pounds within a year he was handed 170 he basically just kept that way the entire time for last 50 years and you want to succeed and this thing started to shift naturally started just eating things that he never did before we started eating berries just just stuff this is actually the concept that bliss asipi as well which is once we you know become authentic and are willing to shed these old habits things will start naturally happy so we don't have to do all this work to make shifts happen they wouldn't have to happen as gave story of conveys and shows it's an example um so so then I was I was wanting to incorporate these what I call the meridians - life-changing moments there's there's nothing like earth-shattering we know them all there are things like in cases instance was dropping our defenses being willing to hear and acknowledge the truth surrendering gaining humble being open to learning getting curious taking a breath so we can create an environment for those shifts to happen and that's what I really wanted to do in every session of my coaching sessions wai-wai-wait like let's just get into it let's incorporate those ingredients and let's let's have a moment now and you know the most powerful that I found was being willing that's back to acknowledges power is being willing to acknowledge our truth in the moment as a surefire way to to get to a shift in our lives one thing I noticed white is that why is that so powerful and on a balance power talk about five reasons why connecting really have sets for you one is that once we're willing to acknowledge any truth we're connected to all truth so if you envision that you know dipping your toe into a stream in the mountain you're connected to all the water one that's all connected to the vast oceans so dipping your toe into the stream connects you to all waterways in the same way that connecting to any truth connects you to all truth when connected to all truth there's synaptic stuff that can happen there you know we hear about these ideas and notions that we want to implement into our lives but having an illustration like that just really helps myself I know and I'm sure the viewers to just really process that butter and it resonates where I can now feel like I can apply that so thank you for that breakdown yeah there's other things too with regard to why technology to the moment so powerful one is you're practicing unconditional love and acceptance toward yourself being willing to be seen by yourself it's also another magical ingredient we tend you know a lot of times we're on this positivity well I don't want to acknowledge anything that is perceived as negative right and so they can keep these abilities opportunities to shift at bay i guaranteed willing to acknowledge whatever truth that you have will lead you to peace and freedom if we're willing to you know hang on for the right so that's another reason the universe revolves around truth so when you get back to once you're connecting your truth you've got the whole power of the universe at your back and so ya muted by magic and seek initiatives in anything that is observed you know we know some quantum physics is automatically changed it goes back to observing yourself with love and compassion and understanding so that also is is at work our bodies or you know we are set up for truth this is why when people lie that our bodies it's like a trap prisoner its warning to get out and that's why there's all these cues you know if you understand body language it's safe it's soni to tell you the truth even if you're trying to keep it it wants out incident so that's that's one of the most powerful ingredients to creating a life-changing moment that's some great stuff thank you so much because again I can't I cannot reiterate how much just in this moment with you and he and I Frank and I as you guys will find out we have conversations of course outside of this and as we work and we oftentimes digging deep into this kind of stuff and I often because Frank has been in this room for so long he knows it and I think a lot of us are kind of just coming into it and really want to absorb it and when you are able to really just I say this a million times break it down the way you do it just helps so much so this is some great stuff here this is really kind of a preview of what's to come you know I think we're just about out of time here but we'd like to thank all the viewers who have tuned in today we're really excited about these podcasts and interacting more with with our people our followers fans customers so with that everyone have a wonderful wonderful day be in your bliss don't forget to live Frank see you Frank see you later bye
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FEATURED INK: Focus

FEATURED INK: Focus

When put into practice, focus is a super power. It is focus that empowers us to create our own realities. At the root of this ability to bend reality is the human mind's capacity to assert meaning onto life experiences. Our minds are meaning-making machines. This is why two people can go see the same movie and walk away with entirely different interpretations of it. 

Focus, then, becomes a key player in helping us to form meanings that serve our highest good. What we seek is what we find, likewise, what we focus on is what we create. If we walk into a situation intending to find chaos, our minds will highlight the chaotic elements of that situation. On the other hand if we were to go into that same scenario intending to find ease, the likelihood of things flowing smoothly rises phenomenally.

It's helpful to periodically ask ourselves where we're placing our focus. Is it directed towards that which brings us joy and helps us to expand into more of who we are or are we finding ourselves consumed by mind-draining minutiae more often than we would hope to? Where we direct our focus gives energy to whatever it is we've honed in on, making this object of our attention expand to fill in the crevices of our lives.

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer 

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.

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FEATURED NEW INK: I'm Right Here

FEATURED NEW INK: I'm Right Here

Breath is the animating factor that distinguishes a living being from organic matter occupying space. In other words, breath is the marker of life--an inhale declares our arrival into this world and an exhale serves as the signature of our departure. 

Those of us who have ever mingled with depression understand that in those moments, when depression has unfurled its cloak of gray onto all aspects of our lives, it can feel like a slow suffocation--a suffocation of who we know ourselves to be. In this way, depression can be exceptionally life-sucking. 

Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert, our "I'm Right Here" Manifestation Tattoo is a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is a divinity present within all of us that is ready and willing to help when we seek it out. This inner divinity witnesses our lives from a birds eye view and knows the right next step for us to take.

Breath is the thing that will connect us to our inner divinity. Think of it as a 24 hour hotline to all things divine.

As we link up with our breath and in turn, the divine part of ourselves, we may be nudged intuitively. Such nudges can be as subtle as the call to go to a certain store for groceries or to write down the name of a business. Regardless of how subtle, these nudges can deliver substantial changes in our lives.

Maybe a harmonious business partnership is waiting to unfold in the aged cheese section at Whole Foods. There's no other way to know where these instincts are leading us than to follow them as they arise. 

There is always hope, even when the bright side isn't readily observable. Breathe in deeply, listen closely and know that the divine is right here to lend a hand if you should ever need it. 

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer 

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.

 

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FEATURED NEW INK: Courage/Fear

FEATURED NEW INK: Courage/Fear

Fear is an emotion that many of us try to block out. This is understandable, because it's deeply uncomfortable to feel afraid. However, fear is also necessary if we wish to live richly satisfying lives. 

Courage by definition is "the ability to do something that frightens one". Without sitting in the emotion of fear, then, we can never fully step into courage. 

Ironically, the greatest act of courage for many of us is to show up as our true selves. This means taking the reins of our lives, speaking our individual truths and making decisions that align with who we really are. 

It's scary to be real, to step outside of the facades we feel comfortable hiding behind. But...it's also exhilarating

When we stop limiting ourselves to the script that we believe the people around us want us to adhere to, we begin to write our own scripts and that's when the world opens up to us. 

There are endless opportunities to loom over what could go wrong. It's human nature to seek out potential danger, this is a tendency that has helped sustain our species. On the contrary, this tendency in overdrive is the greatest cause of lives that go unlived. 

Courage is the antidote to the paralysis that accompanies fear. When we feel the fear and do the thing anyway, we unleash the many possibilities awaiting us on the other side of fear.  

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer 

Amanda Brown is a wellness blogger and a member of the Conscious Ink Team at our home office in Bend, OR. She is passionate about helping people find peace with where they are at while pursuing their best, most fulfilling lives. For more of her work, you can head over to her blog at www.liminalwellness.com.

 

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