If you're ready to feel strong in your decisions, book your Clear Decision Audit.

We are in the midst of a major era shift — collectively, personally, energetically. In this episode, I explore how Human Design, astrology, and even Chinese astrology all reflect the sense that something big is changing.

I share how these global and generational cycles are happening alongside the cycles that happen in our lifetimes. We explore cycles we go through in our 30s, 40s and 50s, and how understanding the energy of these cycles can help you reclaim your inner authority, trust yourself more deeply, and make decisions that feel true.

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Welcome to the Unfolding Podcast,

a space where we explore what it

2

really looks like to trust yourself,

say no without guilt, and live your

3

life like it actually belongs to you.

4

I am Erica Voell and I'm a decision

mentor and Intertrust guide, and I

5

help women in midlife trust that how

they are uniquely designed to make

6

decisions, reclaim their authority,

and understand their unique strengths.

7

Using human design as a lens, we

clear the noise of conditioning so

8

that their no feels powerful and

their yes feels true and they can

9

move forward without self-doubt,

guilt, or pressure to prove anything.

10

On this show, we have honest conversations

about self-trust, boundaries, energy

11

and identity, especially for women

in midlife who are done living by the

12

shoulds and second guessing themselves.

13

You'll hear stories, insights,

and tools rooted in human design.

14

Coaching and real life.

15

Not to tell you what to do, like

another self-help book, but to help

16

you hear yourself so that you can stop

overthinking and start making decisions

17

that feel clear, grounded, and true.

18

I just got off a masterclass

that I held for two days.

19

And as I was developing this

masterclass, my mind was getting blown.

20

I was thinking a lot about cycles,

and I was talking about cycles.

21

And we're talking about the cycles

we're going through collectively, and

22

we are talking about the cycles we go

through in our lives, and we all go

23

through yearly and seasonal and monthly

cycles as individuals with the moon,

24

birthdays, holidays, the seasons.

25

But we are also in the

midst of a major era shift.

26

We are all feeling it.

27

Some days the news feels like

the world is falling apart.

28

There is a major shift happening.

29

We are in a shift from an old era

into a new era, and according to

30

human design, we are moving from the

31

into the era of the individual, and

32

feeling it over the last few years.

33

We usually feel it for a few years before.

34

I mean, sometimes it feels like the

world is literally blowing up right now.

35

But as we're moving into this new era

in humanity, we are moving into an era

36

that is no longer about the hustle and

the logic and the structured systems.

37

The era of planning started in 1615.

38

It was about tructure structured

systems, government, healthcare,

39

education, gurus, monarchs, celebrities.

40

That's who we aspired to be, and

it was helpful to get us from

41

that place to where we are now.

42

But now we need to evolve.

43

There's this sense of like, we

needed to be logical at that time.

44

We needed to solve problems.

45

Science really started to evolve at this

time, and there was a lot of external

46

expansion, expansion through invasion.

47

I mean, that's what's been

going on for centuries.

48

But there's been this expansion,

especially in the United States of taking

49

over land in a way that was not very

respectful of the land or the people.

50

I myself live on land that did not

have white people on it even 400

51

years ago, and we were building the

world through structure and strategy

52

and expansion, and we are moving

into the last year of this era.

53

We are moving towards the era

of planning, and it started last

54

week, this era of the individual.

55

We've been feeling it for a few years,

but there's an overlap between the

56

old era and the new era, and I think

we're really, really feeling it.

57

This new era is about creating

space for self-expression.

58

But people are pushing against

that old structure 'cause they no

59

longer wanna be told what to do.

60

They're looking for

something deeply personal.

61

And we're moving into that era of trusting

our own inner authority, intuitive

62

decision making, self-expression,

living more authentically, prosperity

63

through alignment instead of

just constantly showing up to

64

make money in a very logical way.

65

We're moving into an era that's very

wisdom based with contemplation and

66

spirit led things, we're going to be

seeing more and more movement towards

67

like-minded individuals, but not in

a way that's like us versus them.

68

In the old era, we needed to

fit in, be part of this group.

69

Here are the rules.

70

That is not the way of the new era.

71

We're creating a future of alignment

and innovation and inner wisdom.

72

There'll be a lot more autonomy and

more resp, self-responsibility, a lot

73

less looking to the guru for answers

and a lot more looking within ourselves.

74

It's about knowing what's right

for you and not what someone

75

else thinks is right for you.

76

I mean, before it was, go to the doctor,

they'll tell you what to do, they'll tell

77

you what to take, and you'll be better.

78

Right?

79

But that's not how it is.

80

Now we know that that's not the

way we need to live our lives.

81

For many of us in midlife, we built our

lives around stability and responsibility.

82

We were the responsible one, but this

new era is bringing in a more feminine

83

energy and it can be really exciting,

but it can also feel a little lot

84

really unsettling like we are losing.

85

Something.

86

The old era was about a very masculine

energy, the structures and the rigidity

87

of fitting into that structure or system.

88

But where you've been in this era,

in this energy for centuries and

89

to move into a more feminine energy

that's not about male or female,

90

it's more of the yin and the yang.

91

This different energy from masculine

to feminine can feel like a real shift,

92

and not everyone is okay with it.

93

I mean, we are seeing that play out in

real time with this grasping of needing

94

to keep things the way they were or

to force people to comply in a certain

95

way of doing th certain things and

being, and while we're moving into this

96

new era, we're not just about making

a big cut and throwing out the old.

97

There are things that are good about

the old era that need to come with this.

98

They need to be preserved.

99

They, there are people that

are bringing that forward.

100

And when we talk about

the new era, there are.

101

People who are locks, and

there are people who are keys.

102

There are, and that's not just the person.

103

There are energies that people bring.

104

There are people who are designed

to bring that good information

105

from the past into the future.

106

And then there are people who have felt

like they don't have a place in the

107

old era, but they will start to see

that they are a key to help us move

108

as a collective into this new era.

109

And there are people like me who

have both lock and key energy.

110

I have things that.

111

I can share that will help us remember

the past and also energies that will help

112

people see and evolve in the new era.

113

This is an area that I am just learning

about from my mentor, Julie Ciardi,

114

and it is freaking blowing my mind.

115

I am so excited to talk

about it with clients.

116

I just am like, I want to know more.

117

But that's so very much like me

with my 5/1 profile in human design.

118

So that's the human design part, and

of this cycles that we're talking

119

about, and you've probably heard

that on February 17th, we're moving

120

into the energy of the fire horse.

121

I'm really excited about this, but

then the more I've dug into it,

122

the more I've looked up things, I'm

like, oh, we are going to be in it.

123

The last time was of the fire

124

precise is when it came in.

125

The energy of the fire horse

is heat speed, movement,

126

rebellion, and independence.

127

And we are seeing this in

real time all over the world.

128

The last time in 1966, there was

a cultural revolution in China.

129

The Vietnam War was ramping up.

130

There was the rise of the Black

Panther movement, and Russia landed

131

its first spacecraft on the moon.

132

The fire horse is about sharp breaks,

social unrest, and old structures

133

collapsing, and we are feeling it.

134

It feels very unsettling, but

it is what needs to happen for

135

us to move into this new era.

136

We're also seeing some major

shifts in astrology, and we've

137

been feeling that for a few years.

138

It started in 2024, which I find

so fascinating because the new era.

139

In human design is in 2027, and we

start to feel it about three years

140

ahead of time, which was 2024, and

that is when these major shifts in

141

astrology also started to happen.

142

In 2024,

143

pluto moved into Aquarius.

144

And the last time it was in Aquarius

145

just after the American Revolution.

146

That was also the time

of the French Revolution.

147

There was a movement from the monarchy

into more of a power of the people.

148

And then this past April, April of

149

traditionally signals major technological

revolutions and shifts, but the last time

150

it was in Gemini was during World War II

151

1941 to 1949.

152

And if you think about the major changes

that happened in modern warfare at

153

that time, the technological changes,

my grandfather was part of that.

154

He was part of the communication,

the secret communication

155

between Churchill and Roosevelt.

156

So that was a huge shift in 19 between

157

cycles of Uranus being in Gemini.

158

I could not help but notice it

was during the American Civil War.

159

It moved in in 1859,

and then it was also in.

160

Gemini in 1774, which was the American

Revolution, so there was a lot of overlap,

161

and then Neptune just moved into Aries

162

. This is really reshaping our

beliefs and how to behave.

163

The last time Neptune

164

Which was when the

American Civil War started.

165

So we have three planets that are

moving into times that were really,

166

really pivotal for the United States.

167

And I can't help but think that

like what we are feeling now is

168

shifting us into something different.

169

It's really uncomfortable.

170

It is really scary.

171

And I keep thinking we have to go

through the dark to get to the light.

172

So all of these things are

happening at the same time.

173

We're all feeling it.

174

We're feeling the collective shift in

human design and how it's showing up.

175

We're seeing it in astrology.

176

We're also seeing it in the

Chinese Zodiac, we, but there

177

are also major shifts that are

happening in the coaching world.

178

And it's really an amazing thing.

179

I'm really excited about it.

180

I know that there's a lot of shifts

that are happening that a lot of

181

people are feeling very uncertain, but

I'm just like, Ooh, this is amazing.

182

'cause we're moving from this era

of the guru that they have to fix

183

us, that they can give us, you know,

this quick pill and it'll fix us.

184

But we're moving into a more

cooperative model, and that's where

185

I have really felt called over

the last few years in my coaching.

186

Because we have a trust

deficit in our society.

187

And it's not just in business, it is

not just in government, it's actually

188

in ourselves and in our decisions.

189

We're moving from an era of information

into an era of integration with

190

opportunities to process and integrate

and learn new things that are invaluable.

191

'cause coaching is no longer

hierarchical the way it used to be.

192

And I've seen how walking alongside

my clients in their journey is so

193

much more transformative for both

of us than for me being a guru.

194

I wanna be a guide.

195

I wanna be the person who is there

to support you on your journey.

196

And where I saw this play out.

197

Recently for me was I sent out

a survey to my email list and a

198

number of people responded, and I

was a little bit taken aback by the

199

feedback I got because I had an idea

of how I wanted my masterclass to go.

200

I knew how I wanted my new program

that I was developing to go, but

201

based on the feedback I received.

202

I completely shifted it and it's

going to be a lot more interactive and

203

it's gonna be a lot more cooperative.

204

Like we will have a structure in

place, but it's sort of a, a roadmap.

205

It's not, you know, here's content for

you to consume because we are going

206

through these generational shifts.

207

But it's important for us to lean

on our communities now more than

208

ever, to lean on each other with

what we're experiencing because we

209

can't go through these shifts alone.

210

These are generational shifts that

are huge, and as I was learning

211

more about, in addition to these

generational cycles, I was also

212

learning about these lifetime cycles.

213

Now, I've learned known

about these for a few years.

214

But the more I dug into getting

ready for my masterclass, the

215

more I was like, oh, oh my gosh.

216

So we deeply feel these lifetime cycles.

217

They're part of our design.

218

We are designed to go through them.

219

They're exactly what we need them to be.

220

Our calling, our purpose, it develops

over time because we need wisdom.

221

We can't just go from our

twenties to our fifties.

222

We won't have the wisdom.

223

We won't be able to do that.

224

Our bodies and our

energy can't handle that.

225

I would not have the wisdom that I do

now if I had not gone through some real

226

crap in my thirties and my forties, I

needed to go through those processes.

227

So in our thirties, we are considered to

be going through the experiential years.

228

This is the first Saturn return.

229

This happens around 28 or 29, and then

we move into the next cycle around our

230

forties, which is the Uranus opposition.

231

This is the transformational years,

and we tend to think of the forties

232

of going through a midlife crisis, but

I have started to see that it is not.

233

A crisis at all.

234

And then we move into our fifties,

which are the wise years and the Chiron

235

return, and I will talk all about these.

236

So for me, these cycles brought

up huge changes in my life

237

when I look back at them.

238

I wasn't aware of them until I looked back

and I can look at those dates and I can

239

see that the two years before and the two

years after were major shifts in my life.

240

I became a mom a few years

before my Uranus opposition

241

and I went through a major.

242

Breakdown and burnout right

before my Chiron return.

243

So let's go into the 30 cycle.

244

Most of you who listen here are probably

beyond your thirties, so let's just think

245

about what you felt like in your thirties.

246

Like around 29.

247

You are probably not living your values,

but if you're not living those values.

248

And your personal law, it

can feel really painful.

249

It can feel like a really

powerful transition.

250

This is moving from a

kid to being a grownup.

251

I have a cousin in this stage and she's

like, oh my gosh, Erica, I feel like I

252

have to be a grownup now and I hate it.

253

And I'm like, welcome to real life, Annie.

254

So in your thirties, you're forced

to ask yourself what is important

255

and what is not, and to be really

discerning and maturing and asking

256

yourself, what have I outgrown?

257

You are probably having a

lot more responsibilities.

258

Some people starting a family around

30, maybe they're getting married,

259

maybe they're in a serious relationship.

260

There's also this sense of being more

serious in their career, or they're

261

changing jobs, they're becoming

very matter of fact about life.

262

And when you are going through this,

Saturn return this 30 cycle and you

263

start to talk to 20 somethings, you're

like, oh, they're just so idealistic.

264

They don't know how it really is.

265

And in this 30 cycle,

there's a lot of letting go.

266

There's a lot of.

267

Letting go of the dependence on parents

that can feel like a really hard one.

268

There's also a letting go of past

identities that maybe you held onto.

269

Like we all have these identities

we've carried on with us throughout our

270

lifetimes, but in the thirties it's like

there are these kid identities that we

271

had, like the tin cans on the back of the

car when people were getting married and

272

they're we're just dragging them along.

273

And some of us are like,

that's not me anymore.

274

I don't want this.

275

It's really about it being in an integrity

with yourself and knowing that there

276

are things that are ready to shift.

277

This can be really painful for

some, A lot of people talk about

278

the quarter life crisis, but this

is also time, a time that can feel.

279

A relief for others when they're

moving past that transition stage.

280

There's this questioning of

why am I suddenly like this

281

and why have I become this way?

282

We see a lot of people in their

thirties start to get involved

283

with personal development.

284

And then the next stage that

we go through is what so many

285

people term the midlife crisis.

286

It's the Uranus opposition.

287

It happens around 43, 44.

288

Maybe starts around 40.

289

A lot of women start to wake up and are

that somewhere in the back of their mind

290

that says, I have done all the stuff I was

supposed to do, but they still feel lost.

291

And they're wondering

like, is this all there is?

292

But I find it so fascinating that that's

around the time that perimenopause

293

tends to come in and that they

coincide so beautifully together.

294

And in human design, the 40 cycle

is about the roadmap to get back

295

on track and to open you up and to

allow you to become that elder that

296

you want to enter in your fifties.

297

I can trace back when I felt like I

was really in the wrong profession.

298

It was really when I started to feel

a shift towards where I am today.

299

I wanted to feel more connection with

my body, with the earth, the seasons.

300

I was a sponge for everything I

could get my hands on, which led me.

301

To meeting my first

coach about a year later.

302

The forties are transformational years.

303

Like think about it as the caterpillar

transforming into the butterfly,

304

but you're in the cocoon, and if

you're not living your true values,

305

this can feel like a crisis.

306

It's about shutting what is not

you any longer and about making

307

new discoveries for yourself.

308

I've seen clients at this stage and

they're like, oh my gosh, I just feel

309

like I've got something bubbling up.

310

I can dream about this.

311

I can do it.

312

It's also about coming to terms with

where you are in your life and assessing

313

what you have accomplished in your life.

314

You're reevaluating your life, your work,

and your relationships, , and we find that

315

so many women tend to get divorced between

40 and 45 'cause they're like, I'm done.

316

This is not the relationship I want.

317

And my mentor, Julie Ciardi says

that this 40 cycle is your new

318

direction in life until death.

319

If you're not operating correctly, it's

gonna feel like this major speed bump.

320

You've reevaluated things times.

321

If we're not living correctly,

it becomes that crisis.

322

We have women who have breakdowns

because there's this sense of

323

urgency that time is running out

and I have to fix this problem.

324

But it can also lead you to acting

really impulsively and even disruptively.

325

Because the bill of goods, we were sold

by the patriarchal soci society, had

326

no consideration of our inner being.

327

Except to follow this chosen religion, and

if most, if not all religions right now

328

are male dominated, it was all external,

all outside of ourselves, the idea that we

329

needed these gurus, these experts, these

politicians and these religious leaders to

330

tell us what to do, we're moving into this

new direction in life until death and that

331

direction, the forties are preparing you.

332

For your Chiron return,

which is so beautiful.

333

The Chiron return happens around 49 to 50.

334

For me, it was 48, and the

Chiron is the wise years.

335

Chiron is a minor planet that

orbits between Jupiter and

336

Neptune, and it's not a moon

337

and in astrology, it tends

to be the wounded warrior.

338

In human design.

339

It is not.

340

It is a cycle that comes at

that time coming into your own.

341

This is a true maturity

of life, a new flowering.

342

This is about living out your purpose.

343

This is when there's a fulfillment of

your purpose that starts to take place.

344

And what happens is the

first part of your life.

345

Before 30, before 40 and the forties

start to meet together and mesh

346

into something absolutely amazing

and something completely different.

347

When you start to leave behind the

constraints of the past and operate

348

as an example of your purpose.

349

I mean, we see it in real time right now.

350

If you think about all these people,

these Gen Xers who are like F this,

351

I'm not going with that anymore.

352

They're just done.

353

They're like, I don't care what you think.

354

If you have not looked her up, I want

to introduce you to somebody that

355

makes me laugh almost every single day.

356

Her name is Melanie.

357

If you follow her on Instagram.

358

She has the Do Not Care Club.

359

It is about what we do

not care about anymore.

360

And it makes me laugh every single day,

every single time I look at it and I'm

361

like, if I'm having a bad day, I am

like, what is Melanie bringing up today?

362

And I think, oh, I hadn't

thought of that one.

363

Oh, this one's, this one is great.

364

I hadn't thought of that.

365

And then I'm like, oh,

but what about this one?

366

This is what I no longer care about.

367

The Chiron is your time, your

wisdom potential coming up, you are

368

becoming a role model for others.

369

You are becoming this wise woman

and for so long as women, we put

370

ourselves on the back burner and

over 50, you're no longer done.

371

You're no longer washed up.

372

We are seeing that in real time.

373

We're like, Nope, we are not done.

374

We're not washed up.

375

We are just beginning.

376

We are taking our power back and

we are becoming that wise woman.

377

We're no longer going to be seen

as this old crone, this old woman.

378

We are going to be powerful.

379

And you can see this every single day.

380

And I saw this yesterday and I just, I

had to bring it up because it just really.

381

Oof.

382

I was so excited about it.

383

Research shows that after

menopause, women's brains hit

384

the prime of their life, and I

was like, Ooh, I am ready for it.

385

I mean, right now the brain fog

is real, but I am looking forward

386

to being in the prime of my life.

387

The cycles really invite us to assess our

patterns that we've carried for years.

388

And one of my mentors, Julie

Ciardi, said something that

389

really shifted things for me.

390

I was listening to a podcast about her

human design and business, and she was

391

talking about the cycles, and what she

said on the podcast really stopped me.

392

She says, "midlife is not a crisis.

393

It's a calling."

394

I had to rewind.

395

I was like, wait, what?

396

What'd she say?

397

And as soon as I listened to it

again, I was like, oh my gosh.

398

And I have followed her ever

since because I i'm here for it.

399

We are here for it.

400

But when we start to move into

this Chiron stage, we can also

401

start to feel some rockiness.

402

These shifts help us see

where things are not working.

403

The old way is not working anymore, and

we decide when we're done of doing things.

404

The old way.

405

The Chiron return is really when the

soul review happens 'cause you're

406

coming to terms with your mortality.

407

You know that you have fewer

years left than you have lived.

408

And what happens during your Chiron return

is your personal development and your

409

growth roadmap for the rest of your life.

410

You don't change.

411

It tells you what you are here to learn,

who you need to be around the skills and

412

the perspective that you need to develop.

413

In order for your purpose to flourish.

414

So as we enter the stage of our

lives, as women, we decide to

415

make conscious decisions that

we are in charge of our lives.

416

And part of that taking charge is

understanding why things in your life

417

have unfolded in the ways that they have,

and also understanding that our minds and

418

our bodies trusting them more and knowing

that others don't have the answers for us.

419

So you might be wondering, okay,

so Erica, what do these cycles

420

have to do with decisions?

421

Actually, they have a

lot to do with decisions.

422

'cause when we lean into these energies,

we can see what gets activated in our

423

human design chart and what energies

may be influencing us in the background

424

to bring a deeper sense of our inner

knowing and trusting ourselves more fully.

425

In midlife, we are more conditioned now

than at any other time in our lives.

426

This isn't a bad thing.

427

We've just had decades of practicing.

428

Practicing all these old patterns in

an old way, and somewhere along the

429

way those old patterns get in the

way of us making clear decisions.

430

We feel stuck or we have a breakdown

because we don't know what to do

431

when the ketchup we buy at the

grocery store for our kids is out.

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I mean, there are 35 different

varieties to choose from, but that

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decision fatigue can just break us.

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And we're ready for a shift.

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We can feel it within ourselves.

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We can feel it within our society.

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We're feeling this new era shifting

and it feels really unsettling.

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But as bad as things feel, I know

that we need to go through the dark.

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To get to the light.

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I absolutely hate that people are

losing their lives in these dark

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times, but I know that my job in this

time is to be a light for others.

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So please know that there are

reasons we're going through this.

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We just can't see the why.

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We can't see where we're going.

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I am not trying to sound airy fairy,

but there are larger forces at play.

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We're seeing them in human design.

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We're seeing them in astrology

and in Chinese astrology.

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Changing the cycle to the fire horse,

the more I learn about the cycles.

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About the greater year cycles, the season

cycles, the generational cycles, the

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more I want to dig in and to learn more.

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So this episode is just a tip of

what probably will be coming in,

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just like that last episode where

I talked about the energies of

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the first few weeks of January.

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From a human design perspective.

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I'm gonna be bringing to my client's

weekly energy weather report.

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So don't think I'm done talking

about it on this podcast.

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There's probably going

to be a lot more coming.

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So thank you for being

on this journey with me.

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If this episode resonated with

you, I would be so grateful if

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you would click the plus sign to

subscribe or share it with a friend.

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I will see you next time.

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Be well.