Chasing Joy

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The Joy of Getting Powered Up!

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This weekend I had a great great (that’s right had to say it twice) experience at Power Up 2013.  Hopefully you were following my tweets and the hashtag #PowerUp2013 so that you could enjoy virtually.  If not check them out now.

I have never been to a conference like this before.  I did not have the opportunity to go to Power Up 2012 so I did not know what to expect.  I knew there would be other bloggers there but it was not a blog conference.  It was better than I could have imagined.

The purpose of Power Up is to uplift and empower women. There were a lot of speakers covering a variety of topics.  However there was one theme that crossed every  session.  That theme was MINDSET.  Whether the session was about letting go of past hurts, forgiveness, health, finances, networking, or making money in business having the right mindset for the outcome you want is key.  We all experience painful events in life and things that make us fearful.  These things alter our mindset and take us off track, and make us feel we cannot have the life we want.  Power Up was about encouraging us to get our minds right and getting back in the mindset that we can have the lives we want.

Based on the conversations I had with other attendees and some of the tweets using the hashtag most of us left the conference feeling very reflective of our current lives vs. the lives we want to have, the people we need to forgive, the things we need to let go of, the fast food we need to stop eating, the financial moves we need to make.  The great thing about the speakers is that they left us with some practical tips. It’s impossible for me to share all that I learned (which is why you should go next year)  but here are a few things that stood out to me.

  • Take time to discover what you really want. Not what you think you should want, but what you actually want.
  • There are two types of problems, surface problems and root problems.  Example: someone may have a surface problem of bad spending habits, the root problem may be a deep desire to please others and avoid rejection.  The desire to people please and avoid rejection may lead to buying things they can’t afford or making financial commitments in order to look good to others.  Take time to figure out if your problems are surface problems or root problems.  You want to work on the root problems.
  • The 5 Ps:
    • Passion – What do I want.
    • Purpose – Why do I want it.
    • Power – I can do anything
    • Persistence  – I won’t give up
    • Positivity – I will have a positive attitude
  • Make plans for your life based on your goals and priorities and hold yourself accountable to yourself.
  • When bad things happen use the 3 A’s to avoid keeping it in.
    • Awarness – Admit that the thing happened.  Don’t be in Denial
    • Acceptance – Accept what responsibility you had or did not have in the situation.  Sometimes painful things do happen to us that are not our fault. It is just as important to Accept that you were not at fault or to blame
    • Action  – Depends on the situation, but could include apologizing, forgiving yourself and others, counseling, changing behaviors, etc.  
  • Invest in yourself including professional development, education, appearance etc.
  • Know what your financial situation is including how much you owe and how much you have.
  • Before you get married know what your spouse owns and what he or she owes.
  • Make the decision to be wealthy (all about mindset)
    • What does wealth look like to you?
    • Don’t let the media dictate what wealth looks like to you.
    • What will wealth feel like for you?
  • Write a financial plan
  • Are you willing to pay the price to have more money?
  • 4 financial steps to follow:
    • Increase awareness of how much you have and what you do with it
    • Be dedicated and disciplined
    • Commit to the process but be willing to be flexible
    • Take inspired action with your financial decisions
  • Wealth is 80% mindset and 20% budgets and financial strategy
  • In your life understand the cost of staying the same and not moving forward
  • You become similar to the people you spend most of your time with.  Hang with Great People!
  • Lastly, spend quiet time with yourself, without TV, Music, or other distractions.  Listen to your thoughts and possibly even hear God giving you inspiration. 
This is just a small sampling of my takeaways from Power Up.   Here are a few of the things I tweeted.  

As you can see Power Up was an amazing and uplifting experience.  I feel inspired to work even harder for the things I want in my life; husband, children, growing the Chasing Joy community, losing weight, learning more at the day job, and becoming wealthy.

Were you at Power Up 2013 or 2012?  What were some of your takeaways?  If you could not be there do any of the above takeaways resonate with you? 

#FlashbackFriday: Joy Chaser’s Guide to Surviving Visits From Your Ex.

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Happy Friday!!!!

Welcome to the Flashback Friday Link Up!

Flashback Friday is where we link back to one of our favorite oldie but goodie posts!  Simply Add a link to your posts in the linky below. Share your post on the Chasing Joy Facebook Page and use the hashtag #FlashbackFriday on Twitter to promote your Flashback posts. All are welcome!!!  The only rule is to visit AT LEAST TWO other flashback posts from the linky.  If you link up early be sure to come back and checkout those who join the linky after you.  Remember our linky does not work properly if you don’t visit the other links 🙂  

Before you add  your link, check out some of my favorite posts form last weeks linky:

You Cant Live a Positive Life With a Negative Mind is such a great post.  It supports me thoughts on avoiding Joy Thieves and gives examples of how to turn negative thoughts into positive ones by practicing an attitude of gratitude. Plus it was originally posted on my Birthday 🙂

 How to be More Confident at Work provides great practical advice based on experience.  I will be referencing this post again.   

My Flashback Friday post this week is Joy Chaser’s Guide to Surviving Visits From Your Ex.  My post pokes a bit of fun at the uncomfortable situation of your ex showing up uninvited and unexpected.   

Make sure you tell everyone you linked up. Click here to tweet -> I just linked up for #FlashbackFriday with @Chasing_Joy.  

Now, give your old post new life via the power of the linky!!!

#CJBL, Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn Recap and Live Tweet Giveaway Winner.

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Me and Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn
speaker Melissa Lopez, aka  @Ms__Positivity 
It was a success!!! I’m talking about the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn blogger and social media, inspirational networking event and meet up.  .

It took place this past Saturday the 27th at Maggiano’s in King of Prussia.  I am thrilled with how everything went.  The Joy Chaser’s who attended were awesome.  They came in the right spirit, ready to network and be inspired.  The inspirational speaker, Melissa Lopez of Positively Shining, was so one point with her message of following your passions and BYOB, being  your own boss.   The food and staff at the Maggiano’s in King of Prussia were wonderful.  Our food was great.  The wait staff in the King of Prussia room were attentive and helpful.  Things could not have gone better.I am thankful for everyone who came to the event.

  I appreciate the giveaways provided by the #CJBL Brunch & Learn sponsors:
A Happy Slappy Greeting
BellaNor Boutique
Chrystina Noel
CreekSide Naturals
Glitz Entertainment
& Paige Consulting
I hope everyone who one a giveaway reaches out and connects with our sponsors.

Speaking of reaching out to sponsors, there is one more giveaway to announce. This event was hosted by me, a blogger, and social media fan. It should come as no surprise that live tweeting was encouraged.  The hashtag was #CJBL.  A sponsor, Chrystina Noel is donating free handmade greeting cards to one attendee who shared her experience at Brunch by live tweeting.  The names of everyone who live tweeted during the event were listed on random.org.  The list was randomized to select a winner.  The winner of handmade greeting cards by Chrystina Noel is……..@MiiMiiFr3sH!!!  Congrats MiiMii!!!

It was truly an awesome experience to host the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn.  I’m not ready to jump right into planning another one just yet. I’m tired, LOL.  Check back in with me in a couple weeks.  🙂 If you could not be there check out what you missed.  Visit the Chasing Joy Facebook Page to see some pictures.  Search the hashtag #CJBL on twitter or check out the Storify Slideshow below to see all of the live tweets form the event.

View “undefined” on Storify
If you attended what was your impression of the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn?  What events have you gone to lately and what did you like about it?

Any Questions: What’s The Deal With #Hashtags?

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A little while ago during a Facebook conversation a Joy Chaser explained that she needed a lesson on Hashtags.  So hear is all that I know about Hashtags.

I believe Hashtags started as a twitter thing.  A Hashtag is formed when you place the pound/number sign in front of a word or a string of words without spaces.  Here is an example of a Hashtag, #HashtagExample.  The purpose of creating the Hashtag on twitter is to make a word or phrase easily searchable.  When  you are on twitter and click on a Hashtag other tweets using that same Hashtag will com up.  This is what it looks like.

The Hashtag in this example is #ChasingJoy

The best thing about Hashtags is how they facilitate conversations on twitter.  Twitter only allows you to use 140 characters or less to communicate via tweet.  Between the limit on characters and how quickly your twitter stream can flow, with everyone’s tweets popping up, conversations can be quite challenging.  Hashtags help with that.  By allowing you to see all that is being said using the Hashtag.  You can even see tweets from people who you are not following. Using Hashtags to have a conversation gave rise to the twitter chat.

A twitter chat is when people have a conversation using a specific Hashtag at a scheduled time. For example the twitter chat using the Hashtag #ChasingJoy takes place the 1st Sunday of every month at 4pm EST.  Other twitter chats may take place weekly or may occur only once at a special appointed time.  There are apps like tweetchat.com, tweetdeck.com and hootsuite.com (I use tweetchat)  that you can use by signing in via twitter to attend a tweetchat.  To me the biggest benefit of using an app instead of twitter directly for a tweet chat is that the Hashtag is automatically applied to the end of your tweet so you don’t have to remember to add it.  
Very often a Hashtag will be created in association with a real life (not-virtual or online) event. Creating a Hashtag allows people looking for info about your event to very quickly see all of the tweets related to the event.  Using a Hashtag during an event allows event attendees to connect online by seeing who else is tweeting about the event.  It allows event attendees to connect with event sponsors and vice-versa.  Using the Hashtag during the event also allows those who are unable to attend to participate in the online conversation as things are happening at the event.
Due to the popularity of twitter, and all things twitter related, the use of the Hashtag has spilled over into other social media sites and communications tools.  I personally have used Hashtags on Facebook. I have received text and emails (from friends, not business related) with Hashtags.  These Hashtags do not have a search capability as they would on twitter.  In these cases they are used as a way to emphasize a word or statement.  
#HashtagsAreSoCool!!!
Now I’m sure there is much more to know about Hashtags but that is that all I know 🙂  I hope you are ready to try out your Hashtag skills.  If so, you will have a great opportunity tonight.   Join myself Janeane Davis and Melisa Lopez tonight Monday April 15th for the #CJBL twitter chat.  The #CJBL twitter chat is a sneak peak at the conversation that will be happening in a couple weeks at the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn.  We will be tweeting about personal fulfillment  following your passion, and defining success for yourself.  Just search for the Hashtag on twitter or using one of the apps mentioned above to see all of the tweets.  Reply back using the Hashtag #CJBL in your tweet to join the conversation. 
What information can you add about Hashtags?

Who will be joining in the #CJBL twitter chat tonight? 


****UPDATE****
The #CJBL Twitter Chat has been postponed out of respect for the tragedies in Boston.  The chat will take place on Wednesday April 17th at 8pm EST.

#FlashbackFriday: A Thief Amongst Us

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Happy Friday!!!

It’s time to revisit some of our older posts.  It’s time for the Flashback!  But before we dive into that I have some business to take care of.  

Last week I announced I was giving away 2 tickets to the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn.  The Brunch & Learn is an afternoon of networking, motivational speakers, giveaways and yummy Maggiano’s food.  Our focus is on finding your passion and defining success for yourself.  It is taking place on Saturday April 27th at the Maggiano’s in King of Prussia, PA.  If you have liked the Chasing Joy Facebook Page and followed me on Twitter than you already know all of that 🙂   What you don’t know is who won the 2 tickets.  

Drum roll please……………..

The winner of 2 tickets to the Chasing Joy Brunch Learn is  Sarah Mazzone!!!!!  Congrats Sarah!!!

If you did not win maybe you’ll be more lucky at the event.  There will be several winning opportunities as giveaways are raffled of during the Brunch.  Registration is required to attend.  Just go to the Events Page to pay the registration fee.  Don’t wait until the last minute.  Secure your spot!!!  

If you are still on the fence about attending, join me along with the two event speakers Janeane Davis and Melissa Lopez for the #CJBL twitter chat.  You will get a sneak peak of the Brunch discussion.  The Chat is Monday April 15th at 8 pm EST.

In the mean time here is what Joy Chasers had to say about  why they will be at the Chasing Joy Brunch Learn. 

“For me, attending this event was a no brainer!  It is always worthwhile to invest in myself.” ~ Erika of your Chic is Showing

“This sounds like fun and a wonderful opportunity to meet up!” ~ Priscilla Jackson

“I am so excited to be part of this event!!!!” ~ Janeane Davis

“This is cool. I like this.” ~ Chrystina Cappello

Just in case you did not know that Chasing Joy event’s are awesome here is what Joy Chasers had to say about my last event, which happened to be for charity.  

“I so loved the event and yes I will attend another one” ~ Authoress Evelyn Jackson (Diva-lyn Small Business Guru)

“I would join future events, because it was a relaxing atmosphere and everyone was there for the same cause to give back” ~ Authoress Evelyn Jackson (Diva-lyn Small Business Guru)

“I had a wonderful time!” – Angel of Emeralistic Treasures.

Now on to the Falshback!!!  My favorite posts from last weeks Flashback are:

5 Reasons Blogger is An Excellent Choice – With the trend of so many bloggers switching to WordPress I like hear some of the benefits of Blogger.

A Happy Girl – Great guidelines for a Joyful life in her review of the book The Four Agreements.

 My Flashback this week is A Thief Amongst Us… A Joy Thief.  In this post I show how dealing with Joy thieves is similar to dealing with toddlers. 

Now it is time for you to share your Flashback Friday post.  Link to any post you like.  Post a link to your Flashback post on the Chasing Joy Facebook Page so more Joy Chasers can read it.  Use the hashtag #FlashbackFriday on Twitter to promote your Flashback posts. Check out AT LEAST TWO other flashback posts.  If you link up early be sure to come back and checkout those who join the linky after you.   Please leave a comment below saying why you selected your Flashback post and what you thought about the other Flashback posts.

Now, give your old post new life via the power of the linky!!!

Now that you’ve linked up, head head over to the Chasing Joy Events Page and get your tickets to the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn.  Then help spread the word about it by retweeting:

Taking Social Media to Real Life via #CJBL

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This week is the last week to get the Early Bird pricing for the Chasing Joy Brunch & Learn!!!  Some of you have your tickets already.  I am so excited that we will be meeting and hanging out IRL (in real life).  🙂 If you are on the Chasing Joy mailing list then you received my email talking about why I am hosting the brunch.

If you missed it or have not signed up for emails I’ll share with you that the main reason I am hosting the brunch is to connect IRL with other positive, Joy minded people and be inspired by motivators like Janeane Davis and Melissa Lopez (Check out their Bios) .  I am super excited to hear these ladies speak.  I am also super excited for Maggiano’s breakfast.  I’ve been there for dinner before but not lunch and the menu sounds yummy.  In addition to the speakers and food we will have a few giveaways and the opportunity to network and make new friends, IRL!!!

Chasing Joy Events are Awesome!!!

If you will not be in the Philly area on 4/27 don’t feel left out.  We will be live tweeting from brunch; sharing all the pearls of wisdom Janeane and Melissa have to offer with the hashtag #CJBL.  As a matter of fact we are getting the party started tonight with a #CJBL twitter chat at 8 pm EST.  We will be discussing taking social media off line and into real life as well as some of the topics to be discussed at the brunch.  If you have questions about the brunch & learn you can bring them up during the chat.

Writing this blog has connected me with so many new people and opportunities.  I am excited about connecting more deeply with my readers and fellow bloggers.  Twitter chats and IRL events make these connections so much deeper.

Use a site like tweetchat or search the hashtag #CJBL directly on twitter to join the chat tonight at 8 pm EST.  Also be sure to follow me (@Chasing_Joy), Melissa (@Ms_Positivity), and Janeane (@JaneaneDavis).

Get your tickets before prices go up by going to Eventbrite. Eventbrite - Chasing Joy Brunch and Learn @ Maggiano's

Join the Event on Facebook so you can invite your social media buddies to come and meet you IRL.

Have you gone to local events in your area to meet your favorite blogging, Facebook, or Twitter Friends in person?  What type of events would you like to attend to meet up with your online friends?

#ChasingJoy December Twitter Chat Recap

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Did you miss the #ChasingJoy twitter chat this past Sunday???  If so your in luck.  I’ve used Storify to bring you the highlights of the chat.  Enjoy the recap and feel free to keep the conversation going by answering the chat questions in the comments below.

[View the story “#ChasingJoy December Twitter Chat Recap” on Storify]

#ChasingJoy December Twitter Chat Recap

Storified by Chasing Joy · Wed, Dec 05 2012 01:15:18

Hurty wants in on the #ChasingJoy chat http://pic.twitter.com/wHQZfNEPChasing Joy
The purpose of this chat is to get to know each other better and bond over the themes of Optimism, Gratitude, and Happiness.#ChasingJoyChasing Joy
This month’s Chat is a little different because it comes with a giveaway from @LCCindee of Creekside Naturals. #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q 1: Who are you and where are you from? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q2: How happy are you at this time in your life? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
A2. I happy in my life even though there’s a few things I really want in life #ChasingJoySamantha Dube
Q3: What holidays are you celebrating in the next few weeks? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q3 My family will be celebrating Kwanzaa and then my son’s tenth birthday. #ChasingJoyJaneane Davis
#chasingjoy we are celebrating ChristmasCindee Smith
#ChasingJoy I will be celebrating Christmas though I have no real plans yet.Samantha Dube
Q4: What emotions are you feeling this holiday season? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q4 I am feeling rushed, excited and nervous #ChasingJoyJaneane Davis
Gratitude and peace. RT @Chasing_Joy: Q4: What emotions are you feeling this holiday season? #ChasingJoyMichelle
I’m a little melancholy same as every yr at this time RT @Chasing_Joy Q4: What emotions are you feeling this holiday season? #ChasingJoyMel
Q5: How are you managing the stress (gifting, work parties, entertaining) common to this time of year? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q5 I am managing the stress by taking a deep breath, counting to five and chewing sugar free bubble gum #ChasingJoyJaneane Davis
#ChasingJoy I hope everyone can remember why we celebrate the season.Cindee Smith
A5: Delegating and focusing on the why of the holiday season and not so much what everyone will get. #ChasingJoyMichelle
Love it RT @Ms__Positivity: This year I have worked on my stress-free techniques. I refuse to worry about things I cant change! #ChasingJoyMichelle
#ChasingJoy A5. I love parties so no stress there . Gifts r a bit tough wen u don’t have $$. Haven’t had an opportunity to entertain yet.Samantha Dube
Q6 A: What are you most looking forward to this holiday season? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q6 I am looking forward to achieving some professional successes and being able to make my son’s 10th birthday special #ChasingJoyJaneane Davis
A6. I’m looking forward to going to see the nutcracker with my mom and pulling the little prank on her with her gift on Xmas #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Christmas Dinner … well, dessert 🙂 RT @Chasing_Joy: Q6 A: What are you most looking forward to this holiday season? #ChasingJoyMichelle
Q7: What is your favorite tradition to pass on to your children? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
A7: Giving back, having a charitable cause and valuing people above everything else. #ChasingJoyCaroll Atkins
A7. When I have kids I hope to pass on my dad’s traditions and create some new ones with them #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q8: if you are giving gifts are you shopping #USAmade, #smallbusiness, or doing homemade? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
Q8 I am doing homemade gifts to go along with the idea of Kwanaa. #ChasingJoyJaneane Davis
#ChasingJoy that is a Biggy to me. I try to buy all my product form USA great pointCindee Smith
Q9: Are you doing anything different this holiday season than previous years? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
A9: @Chasing_Joy Yes. We are staying home and enjoying each other without extended family. YAY! #chasingjoyuneeka jay
Q10: Do you have a Facebook page, blog, or other link that you’d like to share? #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
#ChasingJoy wow South Africa isn’t it amazing we can all talk togetherCindee Smith
I love that our chat is global, South Africa, USA, and UK. #ChasingJoyChasing Joy
RT @Ms__Positivity: RT @Chasing_Joy: The next #ChasingJoy chat will be Next year on Sunday January 6th. At 4:00pm EST #ChasingJoyChasing Joy

Flashback Friday: Escaping Loneliness

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Wow!!! This week has flown by.  This week I had more interactions with medical types than I would ever want.  Luckily all is well now.  The devil was definitely throwing some stress my way as a distraction from the positivity that I’ll be partaking in at the Joy of Giving Charity Event tomorrow.  But I sent up some prayers to block the negativity that he was trowing. I can’t believe the Event is only 1 day away.  Time does fly.  Will you be there? 

Now on to the Flashback. Today’s Flashback Friday post, Chasing Joy or Maybe Just Escaping Loneliness, is about me dealing with feelings of loneliness during a dating dry spell.  My social life has picked up a little since the time I wrote that post.  But I’m still on the market, so if you know a cute joy chasing gentlemen, hook a sistah up!!!  Check out the post and leave some comments on how you deal with feelings of loneliness.

If this is your first Flashback here is the deal. Flashback Friday is a great way to re-discover our earlier works and discover some new blogs. Flashback Friday is where we Flashback to our older blog posts and give them new life through the power of the linky! Just pick out your link and add it below. You can link to any post you like the theme does not have to match my own post. Feel free to post a link to your Flashback post on the Chasing Joy Facebook Page so more Joy Chasers can access it. Use hashtags #FBF or #FlashbackFriday on twitter to advertise your Flashback post.

Add your link below and be sure to check out AT LEAST TWO other Flashback posts. I suggest the two listed before your post to make it easy. Please leave a comment saying why you selected your Flashback post and what you thought about the other Flashback posts. I’m looking forward to reading all of your Flashbacks.

*Don’t forget to grab the I am Chasing Joy and Flashback Friday buttons!

**Also invite some of your blogging buddies to join the Linky too!

The Hunt for a Joyful Image

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Happy Monday Everyone!

Remember don’t come down with a case of the Mondays 🙂  Instead set some weekly goals for Make It Happen Monday.

Last week we had our first Chasing Joy Scavenger Hunt.  I got the idea for the Scavenger Hunt because I like to keep things fun and Joyful on Facebook and Twitter.  I also know that it is not the big things that happen occasionally that helps up grasp and maintain Joy.  It is really the little things that we do every day that make us smile and laugh that allow us to have a Joyful life.  Even something as light hearted and silly as searching for an image that includes the word Joy can shift our focus to something pleasant and playful. 

So you don’t have to wait any longer.  The winner of last weeks Scavenger Hunt is Joy Chaser Melissa.   I love this image!  For me it represents how you can find Joy in the most unusual places if you look for it 🙂  Melissa found this photo on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/epler/406505707

It is no surprise to me that Melissa found this great image.  Melissa is also known as Ms. Positivity.  She is the author of the blog Positively Shining.  Her blog is all about how to stay focused on the positive through life’s ups and downs.  Check her out on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the scavenger hunt.  Stay tuned to the Chasing Joy FB and Twitter pages to find out what we’ll be hunting for this week.

Chasing Joy is Positively Shining… again

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Hey Joy Chasers,

Thank you for stopping by to Chase Joy with me. Today, I have the honor of doing a guest post on Positively Shining. Ms. Positivity is the author behind Positively Shining. Positively Shining is where you go to Scrub Away The Negativity and Positively Shine. Since I don’t want any negativity weighing me down as I Chase Joy I am spending a little time Positively Shining today. Please come and join me.

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