Stay ConnectedTHE podcast for parents with big dreams who want to create an EXTRAORDINARY lifestyle but feel stuck.
Greg and Rachel Denning are parents of 7 children whom they’ve traveled with to 60+ countries on 5 continents — all while homeschooling and building a multi-six-figure location independent biz.
Let them show you how to finally break through what’s holding you back so you can achieve your biggest dreams — even with a family!
Copyright: © Greg & Rachel Denning
We truly love receiving emails and questions from followers, clients, and listeners because it gives us specific situations and challenges to address. We’ve learned that even though we (as humans) often feel that we’re the ‘only one’ dealing with a problem or circumstance, the truth is, we’ve discovered, if it’s happening to one person it’s likely happening to hundreds of others as well. That’s why we answer these questions in a podcast episode so that it doesn’t just help the person who asked, but the hundreds of others who did not ask who are facing similar circumstances.
Today’s question is very relevant to young mothers and fathers especially. I remember feeling this way when I had four children under the age of four, and five children under the age of eight. But let me share her words:
Where I am: I feel swamped with homeschooling 5 kids age 10 and under (one with severe special needs), have a scarcity mindset about my time like I’ll never have enough time to do everything, and I’m too stressed keeping the home running to connect with my awesome kids regularly. I don’t always appreciate my spouse for his efforts, and I snap when he shows the least impatience or force with the children.
I want to have even more kids but feel I don’t have the capacity. So I’m taking a year off by using birth control which we didn’t really want to do, but I didn’t have the discipline to follow through with NFP last time we got pregnant so this is my way to try to get healthy. Want to get my body and brain both healthy.
I don’t get to play my music enough which usually inspires me.
I want to mentor my kids, but I parent with commands and emotions.
I want to honor and follow God, but I find myself demonstrating before my kids how I don’t trust he will take care of my feelings and their behaviors when I snap due to kids not obeying.
Thinking about putting this program (Family Charts & Systems) in my budget soon and signing up: I have a parenting program from a religious source which isn’t really the influence I want in our home (we’re another sect), but I needed tools to help me be consistent so husband and I went for it anyway. It’s maybe helping but not producing enough softness and grace in me and my husband for my taste
Where I want to go: joy, music, beautiful feelings in the home, smoothness even when a small child is in tantrum mode, trust spouse’s methods with the kids, kids do their school because they want to rather than because I made them.
There is so much here for all of us to relate to. And the vision of where you want to go is NOT a pipe dream. It IS possible to achieve with the right tools and strategies.
So let’s dive into the principles and practices that work for turning this situation around. Listen to this episode now to learn how.
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As a mompreneur and homeschooling, world-traveling mother of seven children, SYSTEMS have played a HUGE role in keeping me sane... and in helping me be more peacefully productive and present.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
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Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
We received another question from a mom who was interested in joining my Family Charts & Systems course and community.
In an email I sent out, it said:
As a mother of seven children, my life seriously changed forever once I learned how to FINALLY get organized.
So when moms tell me they don't have a system for chores or study time, I'm like...
"Say what?!"
I get it. Some of you don't like systems. You'd rather live free-flowing and in the moment. I was that mom too, about ten years ago.
But then I discovered the incomparable power of having family systems and it changed my life and family.
Systems bring sanity. Systems teach responsibility. Systems provide accountability. Systems empty your plate so you can focus on the things YOU want to do as a PERSON. Systems help you be a better parent. Systems help your children learn adult skills.
She responded saying, “This email sounds great about systems, BUT here's the question since I have made TONS of attempts at making systems that work... how does one get one's children on board? It works for a little while, but seemingly not long term or maybe it doesn't work.
I feel pretty tired of trying out other people's systems just to have them NOT work for us.
…does your system product include how to help with motivation/cooperation/etc? Also does it help people who have a hard time following other peoples' plans?!?! lol, because I think that may be why I have struggled.”
If you’ve ever felt similarly to this mom, then you don’t want to miss this.
In it, we explain why SYSTEMS are everything. You are ALREADY using systems, they just might be ineffective ones.
Learning to use effective systems will TRANSFORM your family life. We’ll expound on why and HOW.
How do you get your kids on board — and how do you do it without damaging relationships?
How do you motivate them and get them to want to cooperate?
What do you do if and WHEN the systems stop working (we also explain why this happens and that it is completely normal).
And for those of you who believe you don’t want or need systems because you prefer to ‘live in the moment or go with the flow’ — I get it. I used to be that person too.
But we’ll explain how effective systems actually bring MORE freedom and that you’re actually restricted and limited by your ineffective systems and they’re keeping you from doing the things you REALLY want to do.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the systems or seeming lack of them in your home and family — or have wondered why your systems and charts ‘never work’ — or how to get your kids (and spouse) motivated and on board — then listen to this episode now!
As a mompreneur, homeschooling, world-traveling mother of 7 children, systems have played a HUGE role in keeping me sane and peacefully productive. Great systems reduce stress.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Become a Founding Member of our Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
Welcome to today’s episode, we’re coming to you from Vienna, Austria this time. We just finished leading a WWII trip where we learned about the start of the war with the invasion of Warsaw, visited Auschwitz & Birkenau concentration camps, and explored Krakow and Vienna.
We love to receive questions from listeners, coaching clients, and members of the Extraordinary Family Life Formula.
One question we’ve received more than once in the last month is about misbehavior in young children.
What do I do when my four-year-old acts out? They will purposely interrupt what their siblings are doing and disturb the peace. They’ll lash out, and it’s becoming violent lately. They’re even getting destructive and destroying things and are into everything.
They keep interrupting the home education and family routines, and they’re extremely jealous of the new baby. They won’t listen to either parent and they’re becoming a disturbing force in the family. What do we do about it?
If you’ve ever had a child misbehave, especially if it happens consistently, then you want to listen to this episode.
We discuss WHY misbehavior occurs — in children AND adults. Understanding the crucial framework of the cause of behavior vs. symptoms of behavior (aka the acting out) is crucial in creating a happy family life. It also can help you to understand why your teens or spouse do the things they do.
We also address specific strategies for responding to, stopping, and preventing misbehavior. We explain why what you’ve tried so far isn’t working, and what will work instead.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the misbehavior of one or more of your children and want to put an end to it, then listen to this episode now! It will transform your family life.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
You might not realize it, but as a parent, YOU have a moral obligation to make sure that your child (or children) are NOT annoying.
Why? Because in order for your children to function normally in the world — and to have a healthy, happy life — they need to be able to interact effectively in society.
They can’t do this if they haven’t gained the skills of social interaction. One of the major signs (at any age) that they’re lacking these skills is if they have annoying behavior. If your children are annoying to you, they’re also annoying to others. And that’s a problem.
If a young child develops annoying behavior (we discuss WHY this happens in the episode) they don’t fully understand WHY others find them annoying. And so they grow up knowing that people don’t like them but not understanding why they’re not liked. This is psychologically unhealthy.
If you want your child to be able to develop healthy, long-lasting relationships with others — which is essential for a life of happiness and fulfillment — then they must learn the skills of effective human interaction. And it’s your job as a parent to teach them.
This is not about conforming to social norms and expectations or worrying about what other people think. It’s about developing solid principle-based social leadership skills.
If you have children who have annoying behavior now or might have annoying behavior in the future, then you need to listen to this episode now.
In it, we share specific strategies and principle-based techniques for helping children — and adults — develop healthy self-and-social leadership skills.
If you’ve ever felt the desire to have more influence with your children and their behavior, then you don’t want to miss this!
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If you would like to help your teen or young adult develop holistically — including developing social skills and reducing annoying behavior — then make sure to register them for our Habits for a Successful Life online class.
Because we recognized that the healthiest and happiest people on the planet are well-rounded in their development — mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and financial — we wanted to ensure that our teens would learn how to develop in each of these areas.
We couldn’t find classes that taught them how to do these things — including developing leadership skills — so we created our own based on our decades of research into peak performance and human development.
That is what the Habits for a Successful Life class is all about. And teens LOVE it. It becomes one of their favorite classes — ever! And it helps them to develop better habits and an understanding of themselves, human psychology, and the ingredients for creating a happy life.
Click the link to learn more now and to read the reviews of students and parents.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Welcome to the podcast! We’re coming to you from Warsaw, Poland. Our kids are on the other side of town in an Airbnb and we’re spending the weekend at a luxury hotel to celebrate Greg’s 45th birthday.
(Please excuse any sounds of the city such as sirens, etc.)
There is a philosophy in parenting and education (perhaps started by TJED) that states ‘Inspire, Not Require’.
The idea is that instead of requiring your children or students to do things — chores, reading, studies, being kind — you inspire them to do it through your actions and example.
But does that mean that there is NEVER a time to require anything?
As one mom put it,
“While I love the idea of inspiring and think it is the best way in the end, does it mean that there is no room for requirements? Do we not need to set boundaries and expectations (is that similar to requirements) for our youth? If not, what do you do in the meantime when you aren't so great at inspiring?
And if there is a need for both, how do you navigate that field (especially if you are really good at the requiring part)?
This is what we expound on in this episode. We discuss inspiration as a force in your life and the lives of your children to move you to action.
We explain how to feed the fire of inspiration in your family life so that you can take the action required to do the things you want and need to do to create the life you dream of and to become the people you want to become.
Proper inspiration invites your children to decide for themselves to do the work they need to reach their dreams. It’s intrinsic instead extrinsic — and it will carry into their adult life.
But we also explain when and how requiring is needed. We share specific strategies for setting boundaries, expectations, and how to go about ‘requiring’ things in the right way instead of through punishments, manipulation, discipline, or harshness.
If you want your children to be guided by an inner knowing that motivates them to proper action, now and when they grow up, then listen to this episode now.
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If you would like to help INSPIRING your teen or young adult to develop positive habits and better attitudes in a holistic way then make sure to register them for our Habits for a Successful Life online class.
Because we recognized that the healthiest and happiest people on the planet are well-rounded in their development — mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and financial — we wanted to ensure that our teens would learn how to develop in each of these areas.
We couldn’t find classes that taught them how to do that so we created our own based off of our decades of research into peak performance and human development.
That is what the Habits for a Successful Life class is all about.
And teens LOVE it. It becomes one of their favorite classes — ever! And it helps them to develop better habits and an understanding of themselves, human psychology, and the ingredients for creating a happy life.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
We’re coming to you today from the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. We have loved traveling through the Baltic States.
Today we’re going to continue answering some questions (since we were accidentally cut short in the last episode).
We were asked about certain types of activities and whether or not our children participate in them because of our unique lifestyle. For example, ballet, piano, gymnastics, sports, and other activities that require mastery.
In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons — the exchange rate — of the choices we’ve made and how that plays into mastery or skills.
We philosophize about the breadth of exposure versus the depth of mastery.
Is one approach better? Healthier? Lead to greater happiness?
If you study the lives of great masters — in current times and throughout history — you often find a train wreck of broken relationships and mental and emotional disasters. That’s often because their development has been ‘lopsided’ — an emphasis on the ‘one thing’ they’re mastering, instead of a well-rounded development.
Our focus has been on developing holistic mastery of well-being — mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and financial.
We expound on how and why we do that in this episode.
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If you would like to help your teen or young adult develop holistically then make sure to register them for our Habits for a Successful Life online class.
Because we recognized that the healthiest and happiest people on the planet are well-rounded in their development — mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and financial — we wanted to ensure that our teens would learn how to develop in each of these areas.
We couldn’t find classes that taught them how to do that so we created our own based off of our decades of research into peak performance and human development.
That is what the Habits for a Successful Life class is all about. And teens LOVE it. It becomes one of their favorite classes — ever! And it helps them to develop better habits and an understanding of themselves, human psychology, and the ingredients for creating a happy life.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
We spent the New Year in Tallin, Estonia!
We’re keeping the Denning family dream alive with family adventures. In December, we traveled through NYC, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, & Estonia.
We’ve had some questions about the logistics of traveling with a family which we’re going to discuss in this episode. How do we do it? What do we do with our stuff? How do we make it work?
We also get philosophical and talk about how travel has been a tool for helping us (and our children) to become assets (instead of just having assets).
We explain why we believe that travel is one of the ‘non-negotiables’ for becoming well-educated.
Warren Buffet once said that the very BEST investment you can make is in yourself. This episode explains how travel is an investment in the development of yourself and your children.
And along the way, we give tips, strategies, and answers to questions about how we have done it with seven children during the past 16 years.
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If you're not already, make sure to follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/worldschoolfamily
https://instagram.com/greg.denning
Come stay with us for a Family Study Abroad Program at our home base in Portugal: https://instagram.com/worldschoolfamilyresort
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Greg and Rachel are still in Norway leading two trips. The first took place in Tromsø, 225 miles north of the Arctic Circle where they fed reindeer, went dog sledding, and saw the Northern Lights while cruising the harbor.
The 2nd trip spans from Oslo to Flåm to Bergen and back where they're cruising fjords, taking spectacular train rides, and learning about Viking and Hanseatic history.
Because of these trips, this week’s podcast is a special treat -- an audio taken from an exclusive presentation they did for a paid summit. It discusses the strategies they have used to create a truly ‘happily ever after’ marriage.
Many people don’t know that extraordinary marriages are possible because they have never been exposed to them.
But living ‘happily ever after’ is possible. That doesn’t mean you’ll be free from challenges or obstacles. But you can learn how to use them to bring you closer and to strengthen your relationship.
In this episode, Greg and Rachel outline some of the ingredients to creating a happily ever after marriage. What does it actually take?
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the 28-Day Challenge for Moms
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Greg's Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth
Join the Formidable Family Man Masterclass and Tribe
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/extraordinary-family-life/message
Hey everybody! Greg and I are in Oslo, Norway with our family, recovering from jet lag. In a few hours, we fly to Tromsø, 220 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Tomorrow begins our first Norway trip where 18 other people will be joining us for reindeer sledding, dog sledding, and the Northern Lights.
(Check out our 2023 travel schedule and join us here!)
This week’s podcast is audio taken from our most recent coaching session for the Extraordinary Family Life Formula. We discussed why boys and men (young and old) turn to video games and virtual worlds — and what to do about it.
We discuss why gaming addictions are a problem for all of society — and specifically for your family — and the long-term consequences they can have.
We explain how technology has improved as well as the understanding and use of human psychology to make them increasingly more addictive.
We share specific strategies for preventing and overcoming gaming addictions.
We also review the unique human needs boys and men have that are not being fulfilled at school or in the community, which results in driving boys and men even more to virtual worlds.
If you have boys or men, young or old, in your life, or daughters who will date and marry men — then listen now to this episode regarding a crucial topic that is a growing epidemic.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
2:20 "If you haven't played video games in the last 10 years, they have become more addictive. The people who create games, and other media, are strategically using their knowledge of psychology and neurology in their favor. In schools, competition is being removed and discouraged and many boys are turning to video games.
7:17 From your experience, being married, raising boys, and working with boys, what have you perceived boys want and need? Tony Robbins teaches every human being has 6 basic needs. Boys and men turn to video games to try and fulfill one of them! As moms, we must remember boys have different desires and motivations. Allow boys to be boys without giving them a pass to be barbarians.
12:34 Boys are turning to video games for a reason. As mothers you need to remember they’re doing it to fulfill a drive or desire we may not understand. Boys will often prefer to be alone, or with other boys, playing video games more than engaging with girls.
19:55 What keeps evil at bay? If your needs are being met you won’t seek out unhealthy or immoral vehicles. The sheep hate the sheepdogs as much as they hate the wolves.
24:50 Certain men have this "will to power." Those types are more likely to be addicted to video games than to engage in a useful career. Video games give a dopamine hit where you feel you achieved so much, but really you just sat on your butt! The REAL price of greatness in the real world takes far more effort than in the virtual one.
32:10 Violent video games affect ADD, risk-taking, obesity, personality, and dehumanizing. There’s also a connection with pornography. Non-violent games too. "All we can think about is Minecraft, we don't even want to go outside and play anymore." Not every boy gets addicted, but for those that do, it is critical to watch out.
42:40 We want our boys to put in the effort to become REAL men! We NEED to create environments that let them develop those skills! Make their lives more fulfilling, adventurous, stimulating, and competitive than video games!Examples: martial arts, sports, trips, adventures, races, camping, fishing and more!
46:40 It can be tough to get kids to do those things when they have the option of video games. The kids who spend all day on games are the ones you must worry about and invest in the MOST! Control the headgates until your children can manage it themselves! When you take away games you need to FILL that void with something meaningful.
55:24 Support the working energy wherever your boys are excited, as long as it's good work! As they get older you’ll need new strategies! You NEED to invest in your family in BIG ways! Start today with the small things and plan today for the big things!
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
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