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Lindsay Elizabeth

Fantasy/Romance Fiction & Creative Living

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One Resolution That Will Change Your Life Immediately (Any Time of Year)

January 1, 2018

One Resolution That Will Change Your Life Immediately (Any Time of Year)

May 4, 2016

Why Your Creative Process Isn’t Your Enemy

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I’m Lindsay, an author and creative living blogger. I'm sharing advice on writing, tackling creative blocks, and building a life around what you love.

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𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈'𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⁠Getting into the right mindset to start writing is half the battle. I'm easily distracted and can get a bad case of "SQUIRREL!" brain, so my writing ritual helps me slip into my creative flow more easily.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Sometimes, I add things to the mix, but here are a few things I do every time — along with some tips if you'd like to create or improve your own.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝙼𝚈 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙰𝙻⁠⁣
⁠⁣
×⁠ Hydration. I drink like a fish when I'm writing so I always make sure I have water (usually with lemon), a smoothie, or tea on hand.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
×⁠ Music or ambience. Sometimes, I write in complete silence but 99% of the time I put my headphones in and play something to drown out my noisy mind and help me focus.⁠⁣
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×⁠ Inspiration. I'm very visual, so I open up my mood board(s) to reconnect to the vibe and world of whatever project I'm working on.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
×⁠ Establish an intention. What do I want to accomplish in this session? (Development? Line editing? Drafting?) What is my goal? (Work through X plot holes? Edit X pages or a chapter? Write X words?) This helps keep me get clear and focused and hit the ground running.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝚃𝙸𝙿𝚂⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Get rid of distractions. Put your phone on DND, make sure you're comfortable so you won't subconsciously feel anxious to get up, clean up your space, etc.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Try switching up where you write to stimulate your creativity. I go between my desk, sofa, kitchen, and patio. Pre-pandemic, I used to write at various coffee shops, too.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Employ things that will help you get into the right mindset. You could light a candle, drink your favorite beverage, and say some affirmations that will shift you into an empowered, relaxing state of mind to invite your creativity in.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
More tips on creating your own writing ritual can be found in my post "𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭" on my blog via the link in my bio.⁠ ✨⁣
⁠⁣
𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆?

I'm really vibing with this second draft stage.⁠

I'm really vibing with this second draft stage.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Developing, outlining, and writing the first draft were all fun in their own right (with ups and downs, of course). What I'm loving about this second draft stage, though, is that the foundation has been solidly laid.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Everything that was in my brain for this story has been put down on paper and explored. It's been fleshed out.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Now, with all that space cleared up in my brain, new layers, perspectives, and ideas are free to emerge.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I'm enriching the story. Deepening it. Expanding it. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 is the stage I've been most excited to get to because I can see my story finally taking shape into what I've always wanted it to be.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I love developmental work. When I'm first developing a project with the seed of an idea, it feels like magic. This stage feels like a return to that magic.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I love looking for the problems and weak areas and figuring out how to strengthen them.⁠⁣ I like molding and polishing.
⁠⁣
For me, the first draft was a messy, chaotic (but necessary) experience. It felt like a chore a lot of the time that I was pushing through to get here.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Now, I feel like I'm back to playing and having fun. (My kind of fun, anyway, lol.) Sure, there have definitely been some frustrating moments (I haven't experienced a stage yet that didn't have them 😅) but damn, it's nice to be back in my element.
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔?

I started this year off wanting to get back into r

I started this year off wanting to get back into reading personal development books regularly again (I notice a big difference in my overall mindset and quality of life when doing this) so I began with one I've had my eye on for a while: 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 by Greg McKeown.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Everything has felt so chaotic this past year that one of my focuses for 2021 has been to simplify my life and reduce overwhelm. I thought this book would be a great starting point.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
And I was right — this easily became one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books.⁠ It's one I think 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 would benefit from reading. (An 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 read, if you will. 😅)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
❝Essentialism: only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.❞ — GREG MCKEOWN⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This book is full of wisdom and practical advice you can start implementing right away in all areas of your life. Here are just a few of my favorite takeaways from it:⁣
⁠⁣
𝟹 𝚃𝙰𝙺𝙴𝙰𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙼 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Don't commit to anything that isn't a clear, definite "yes." Since our time and energy are limited, focus on going big on the things you feel completely aligned with and get comfortable with saying "no" to the rest. Keep in mind that whenever you take on something you're not that into, you are agreeing to siphon that time/energy from the things with a higher return.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ Don't let the investment you've already made in something keep you from moving on when it's no longer serving you. ⁠Holding on will only make you waste your time even further when you could be shifting your attention to something more beneficial.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⇢ It's easy to forget that we're empowered with the ability to choose. What is important to you right now? What will have the highest return and be most aligned with where you want to go?⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌?

𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐍𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐓⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I've seen a lot of people sharing story snippets from their WIP today for #thewritercommunity so I thought I'd jump into the fun since it's been a long time since I've shared anything from my project!⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This is from the first draft and hasn't been edited yet (I'm working through revisions now) but it's from one of my favorite scenes, so I thought it'd be a fun one to share.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Also, I always want to barf a little bit when I share these things, so it's also a little "eff you" to that comfort zone. 🥂⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙼 𝙼𝚈 𝚄𝚁𝙱𝙰𝙽 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 "𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴":⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"You’re leaving already? We’ve barely had a chance to catch up."⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"What would we need to catch up on?" she asked, expressing genuine curiosity.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"You know, once upon a time, we were what some people may call 'friends'"⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"We were never friends," she corrected, almost laughing at the idea. She gave him a passing glance and was surprised to see hurt flash across his expression. He recovered quickly.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"You and I both know that’s not true." His tone had slipped back into easy flirtation.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"We were kids. Well, it looks like some of us might still be."⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"Growing up is a scam. The Alexis I knew would never fall for such a thing. And she sure as hell knew how to have a good time." His dark eyes egged her on over the rim of his glass as he took a slow sip.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
"Who says I don’t anymore?" She cocked an eyebrow, draping her arm over the back of the chair.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
He responded by leaning in closer to her, a smirk dancing on his lips. His voice dipped low. "Prove it."

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘, 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒⁠ 😽⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I love the clean slate of a new month. It's a great time to celebrate your wins from the past month and reflect on what you would like to do differently (or invite more of) into this next one.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
If things didn't go as you'd hoped in January, that's okay. It was your warm-up month. And you can 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 start fresh and realign with your intentions whenever you want to.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
For me, my focus in February is to continue the “expansion and consistency” intention I set for 2021. In part, that means remaining consistent with my health/fitness and the work I'm doing on my novel (I started second draft revisions in January), my blog, and my business.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
As for the expansion, I'm going to venture into video and podcasting — two things entirely out of my comfort zone. Yes, I'm stating it here so I can't back out. You all can hold me accountable. 😅⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝙵𝙴𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝙵𝙾𝙲𝚄𝚂⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Start showing up on video⁠⁣
× Start recording for my podcast⁠⁣
× Continue working on the second draft of my novel⁠⁣
× Launch more printable planners for writers⁠ (so excited for the new ones I'm working on — some of which were requested!)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝑭𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒚?

𝐈 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
When I was a teenager, I felt overwhelmed whenever I did any studying on technique because it put me in my head and made me overly critical about everything I wrote. It reminded me of how far away I was from measuring up to truly "great" writing, and all of the technical stuff hindered my creativity because I got obsessive about doing it "right" and including all of the things I "should" be including.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
But the more I tried to push through writing without studying the craft, the more aggravated I was that my writing was falling short of what I knew it could be.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
It was like taking the longest route possible and getting lost all of the time because I didn't want to stop and ask for directions or consult a map I didn't yet know how to read.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I felt like I was working with basic, mediocre tools when I could be working with an entire arsenal of magnificent things if I'd just take the time to learn how they all functioned and practice using them.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This was my impatience and fear taking the wheel.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Instead of looking at studying writing as something that made me feel inadequate and placed limitations on my creativity, I began to look at it as something that SUPPORTED my creativity and gave me the tools to become a stronger writer so my stories could reach their greatest potential.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
❝𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒐, 𝒔𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕.❞ — PABLO PICASSO⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Now, I absolutely love taking classes and reading books on writing/storytelling.⁠ Here are three books that I'm planning to read next:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺𝚂 𝙾𝙽 𝙼𝚈 𝚃𝙱𝚁⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× STORY GENIUS by Lisa Cron⁠⁣
× THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING by Lajos Egri⁠⁣
× THE ANATOMY OF STORY by John Truby⁠⁣
⁠⁣
You can see more of my favorites on the craft under 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵 via the link in my bio. ✨⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I used to be one of those people who made a long list of goals with deadlines and then would wonder why I always felt like I was chasing a moving train that I could never quite catch up to, or would only catch up to only for a moment before it raced ahead of me again.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This past year really made me stop and think about how I wanted to approach life differently. I knew I needed to be more grounded in the present, but how could I balance that with the forward momentum I also crave?⁠⁣
⁠⁣
The shift, I realized, needed to be toward 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Every goal we set is fueled by a desire for a specific feeling we think it will bring us — happiness, freedom, love, security, creativity, etc.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝙰𝚂𝙺 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂𝙴𝙻𝙵:⁠⁣
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⇢ What do I want to feel?⁠⁣
⇢ What do I want to experience more of (and less of)?⁠⁣
⇢ What are some deeper purposes I want to fulfill?⁠⁣
⁠⁣
It opens up your options and keeps you rooted in the present also while maintaining a forward-thinking focus — because it's not about only reaching one external goal post but instead, cultivating an ever-flowing experience that can manifest in a multitude of ways, both small and large.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Check out my other 4 tips on this topic in my blog post 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸 & 𝘍𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. (Link in bio!)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓?

𝐌𝐘 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇 (𝐒𝐎 𝐅𝐀𝐑) 𝐓𝐎 𝟐𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒⁠⁣
⁠⁣
After I finished the first draft of my WIP on 12/31/20, I was going to avoid touching for a month to get some distance from it.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
My plan was to let it sit for a month so I could get a completely fresh take on it and then do a read-through before I started on the revisions.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
... but I felt called back to it after only a week so I began the process of reading through it. (#oops)⁠ 🙃⁠⁣
⁠⁣
My intuition was telling me it was time, though, and I'm big on listening to my gut.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I did take my time going through it, though. Sometimes, I'd go days without touching it and this low-pressure approach allowed things to percolate in the back of my mind. When an idea popped up, I'd write it down but not rush to work on it any further.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I took notes on what stood out to me on a large scale that I'd want to change in the second draft. I looked for:⁠⁣
⁠⁣
× Plot holes that sprung up⁠⁣
× Character inconsistencies⁠⁣
× Anything that generally felt "off," that I straight-up didn't like, or that I thought could be improved (story-wise)⁠⁣
⁠⁣
⁠For me, writing the first draft was strictly focused on getting the story down so I had something to mold. The read-through was the final step before I start digging into the details (dialogue, descriptions, prose, etc).⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I finished the read-through last week and then worked out a couple of plot holes that had sprung up, along with some character development work. So now, I’m working on some new scenes that will be added to the draft before reshaping the old ones.⁣
⁠⁣
As I go, I'll keep documenting my process on how I'm tackling the second draft. Like any other stage of writing, it's different for everyone. My main goal is to cut down on the overwhelm as much as possible, so I'll be continuing with my “layered” approach – focusing on one step at a time to avoid burnout and (hopefully) maintain what's left of my sanity after the first draft.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏?

𝑴𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄

𝑴𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍-𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈...⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Usually, my New Year's Eve ritual is to visualize what I want to bring into the new year, write it down, and then set goals that will help me bring that vision to fruition.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
This recent NYE was the first one where I didn't do that. I binge-watched Bridgerton instead.⁠ 🤷🏻‍♀️⁣
⁠⁣
I'm someone who gets really excited about setting goals. But like many of us, the trauma of 2020 totally changed how I want to approach the process of goal-setting.⁠ I had to give myself some space to figure out what that new approach would be.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
What I ended up with is nothing revolutionary. It's actually what I had already been moving toward but this past year brought more depth and clarity to it.⁠⁣
⁠⁣
As someone who is very ambitious and goal-oriented, one of the things I wanted to focus on last year was getting better at going with the flow. Man, did 2020 deliver on that lesson. Talk about baptism by fire. 😅⁠⁣
⁠⁣
I didn't really know how to manifest that balance of flow and focus. What did it look like for me? What were the mechanics of it?⁠⁣
⁠⁣
Here's how I'm approaching things now:⁠⁣
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𝙶𝙾𝙰𝙻-𝚂𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙸𝙽 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟷⁠⁣
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⇢ Focusing on intention. What do I want to feel? What do I want to experience more of (and less of)? This is flexible to any situation because it's rooted in the feeling, which can manifest in a variety of ways.⁠⁣
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⇢ Prioritizing what truly matters to me and consistently checking in to make sure my choices are aligning with those priorities.⁠⁣
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⇢ Setting only a few "big" annual goals (like publishing my book and growing my business this year) and focusing mainly on intentions that I'll set smaller goals for every month just to give me some targets to focus on without being so rigid.⁠⁣
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𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓?

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