3 Benefits of Using a Knee Pillow

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Some time ago, I mentioned here on the blog that I was severely struggling with back pain. Oddly enough, the pain came back when the global lockdown began. I rationally thought that the problem was probably linked to my mattress, but then my grandad disclosed that he too was having the same kind of pain, which really feels like a needle going through the skin and right to the kidney's area. He was the one pointing out to me, however, that his pain was caused by the fact that both knees were pressuring ahd hurting each other during sleep. Could that be my problem too?

How to Know If Someone Is Just Right for You

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For some odd reason, now it's time to tell you what happens next, once you have done enough for yourself. I can't tell you how much 'enough' is enough, but I can surely tell you that life will let you know when that time has just arrived. At first, you won't even want to believe in it, because will eventually make peace with the fact that finding peace in another human being is just a childish dream.So here are a few signs I think to be important and which can let you know that you have finally found someone worth your time, energy and love.

When I Showed Up For Myself

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It was only when I showed up for myself that I finally realised it had been there all the time, waiting for me to stop running away and stop climbing the highest mountains. It was closer than I could ever guess and all it took was a direction shift. The moment I chose myself was also the moment my dreams chose me.

Becoming The Adult Your Inner Child Needs

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I have slowly become the woman and the adult I wanted to have around when I was just growing up. That has somehow taken away the self-destructive edginess that used to fuel my actions and thoughts. Instead of burning and crashing down, I have managed to give myself space and time to bounce back. It's not yet an easy thing to do but I choose to be present and face my feelings, even if it's still an imperfect version of what it might become.

Just For Today, I Am Feeling

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There's no point in striving. To fight and try to make things work. To please and do anything for someone solely because you are afraid to 'lose' them. In the past, I used to run after the problem, so I could fix it. Even when other people didn't want it fixed. Now I just let myself be, trusting that the universe always holds something better for us, whatever that is. I hope tomorrow it stays the same way, but if it doesn't that's ok too.

Learning To Take My Military Boots Off

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It's time to accept the natural tides of life and give myself a break. Time to live each moment as it is, something I haven't been good at. I love being in the moment with my students, but I'm rarely in the moment when I'm by myself. Instead, I'm always looking for something else to do, because that way I know I won't feel a thing. I'm terrified of painful feelings because, believe it or not, my body has nowhere else to store them. I keep locking those ones down. I bury and hide them deep inside so that they won't come out. The trouble is that they have to surface and I have to make peace with them. In fact, the next step after stopping to put everyone else first is to tell myself that it's ok to be sad and mad at people. I own the right to feel whatever I feel and, if that's too much for some people, then I can't take that as my problem. I need to stop being at war with my own feelings and needs.

The Carnation Revolution: Celebrating Freedom During Lockdown

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Forty-six years ago, Portugal woke up to a revolution that became known as the Carnation Revolution. Dictatorship came to an end and so did censorship and colonial war. At 3 o'clock, our people came to their balconies and played the song that 46 years ago let everyone know that we were about to be set free. In that moment, we were all connected. We were all feeling the same. We were confined and yet we felt like rebels with a good cause: no one shall take our freedom away.

Why I Don’t Want To Catch Feelings

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It's so painful to open my scar tissue to only find out that it was worthless in the end. I know, I know, life is dukkha. I also know I might well be running away from experiencing all those feelings I don't want to feel and which inevitably come with abandonment. Sadness, disappointment, anger. I'm a hurt bitch after all.

Bringing Mindfulness to the Table

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Mindfulness skills are quite handy when it comes to food. Not because mindfulness became trendy over the last couple of years, but because it can nurture your self-awareness and expand your senses. Who doesn’t want to enjoy food even more? By being mindful, you can deepen your relationship with food. Suddenly, you may find yourself more appreciative of the people who work to grow your food, or even realise that you can waste less food.

Top Reasons To Consider Prior To Teeth Replacement

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Oral health as well as oral hygiene, is very crucial. You will not be able to flash your smile while people are around if you have missing teeth or damaged teeth or jaw structure. You will probably feel uncomfortable & embarrassed. If you are an adult & have somehow lost your tooth, this won’t grow back again, and the only recourse for this particular matter is teeth replacement.

7 Genius Ways to Beat those Sunday Blues

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The Sunday Blues is a phenomenon that many people experience. Out of the 7 day week – most people will have 2 days away from work and time to themselves. However, for many of us, the later part of Sunday is filled with dread and fear. Nervous anticipation builds as we ready ourselves for yet another working week to begin. But does it have to be this way? Or are there some little tips and tricks we can use to avoid this weekly ritual? Here are 7 ways to Upswing your life and beat those Sunday blues.

Upcycling Coffee Caps: DIY Coffee Face Treatment

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Using coffee has been a great experience so far. It smells wonderfully, it gets the job done and it's easier to remove. There is also a ton of benefits of using coffee as a face treatment. It is said to prevent inflammation, improve blood flow, remove dead skin cells and reduce puffiness. All these benefits are key for a healthy and glowing skin. Now let's get hands on it!

How to Remain Sane During COVID-19 Isolation Measures

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Besides the need of focusing and practising patience towards ourselves and others, I believe there are many positive lifestyle changes we can embrace. In this post, I'm sharing three behavioural strategies have helped me a lot: healthy eating, physical activity, and alone time. Yes, alone time is extremely important when you are sharing your house with your family or mates, 24h a day!

Physical, Psychological & Spiritual Benefits of Bodybuilding

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I can confidently say that bodybuilding has changed my life thanks to its physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. Did I just say spiritual? Yes, I did! People may think that bodybuilding is rather superficial or vain. It can be, but so can Yoga or Pilates. The way you live through a physical activity is always a personal decision and choice, because the meaning you attach to it depends on your values and impressions. To me, bodybuilding goes way beyond the physical aspect, so I will save the physical benefits of it for last.

Menstrual Health: A Brief History Of Periods

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I think the future history of periods needs a new, more creative direction. We need to make sure that girls and women have access to menstrual health and wellbeing information, but we also need to counteract the taboo, myths, social stigma and religious beliefs associated with menstruation. Last but not least, we also need to look after the impact that period-related products have on female health and on the environment.

Creating a New Lifestyle Based On Who You Want to Be

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Although my normal routine is totally different from the routine I'm having right now due to the pandemic we are experiencing worldwide, I feel tempted to change a couple of things so that I stop feeling like every day is just the same as the day before. In fact, it's like I went back to that 'life draining mode' in which I was about a year ago: sleep, eat, drool, eat, sleep. That's no way of living. At least for me.

Choosing Kindness Over Madness

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This is a place for kindness. Gentleness. If you don't agree with my opinions, that's perfectly fine. You are welcome to present your point of view with kindness and humanity. You are not allowed, however, to come here and pollute my space. You are not allowed to humiliate me or any of my readers in public. We are living times of madness. We are all vulnerable and we also have too much time on our hands now to read and comment blogs. Let's just make sure we keep being kind and cordial to each other, because that's what we need to base our future on.

Quarantine: A Worldwide Lesson In Patience

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In order to complete or master this lesson to some extent, we need to train our mind. For instances, I have trained and developed my body, but my mind remains scattered. I do understand now I must train this aspect as much as I have been training and conditioning my body. Otherwise I won't be able to achieve my goals and manifest my life's vision. That part of the puzzle has been missing and I think it is about time to take mind training more seriously now. According to buddhist scriptures, there are at least six conditions we must meet beforehand, if we want to train the mind. I will eventually talk about them in a future post.

COVID-19: What You Need to Know

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Coronavirus is a family of virus that leads to illness or aggravation of respiratory problems. It can be transmitted between animals and people, a phenomenon called spillover. COVID-19, a particular strain of this family of virus, has been massively found in humans. Official sources have reported that the virus spread from a group of people with pneumonia who were connected to a seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, China. The virus has since then spread between people in China and to other countries all over the world.

5 Offline Activities You Must Add To Your Wellbeing Routine

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A 2015 study by Silentnight concluded that people nowadays spend more time on their mobile phones and laptops than sleeping. This means people are not only more exposed to several electromagnetic frequencies, which can negatively impact our health and wellbeing in the long run, but they are also depriving themselves of important healthy habits such as sleeping enough, having quality time with others or keeping an active lifestyle. To counteract this mindless tendency, in this post I'm suggesting you 5 different activities that will not only contribute to your wellbeing but also help you stay offline more often.

How To Turn Off Your Inner Critic

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As soon as you begin to spot your inner critic, it becomes easier to invite it out of your life. You need, however, to feed your mind and body with more positive programs. For instances, you need to feed your mind with positive affirmations about yourself and your body with nourishing foods. You need to tell yourself that you are deserving of love, no matter your circumstances in the present moment or your past actions.

Taking a Break From Online Dating

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The worst part is that these cycles of infatuation followed by almost instant devaluation take a toll on my wellbeing. I no longer generate high hopes and I do my best to keep myself aware of any sort of illusion. I keep myself at bay as much as I can, meaning that I don't want to jump to conclusions or give into impulses that will lead me nowhere safe. However, I can't avoid being sad or upset when it happens. I lose energy and focus from the work I need to be doing. Today, for instances, I accomplished very little because I felt I needed closure from yesterday's date. So that's why I'm deciding to stay away from online dating. It always sabotages what I cherish the most: inner peace and happiness.

Stepping Away From The Drama

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I think stepping away from unnecessary drama is very important to keep good mental health and wellbeing in the moment. I can't control what people will do or not do, say or not say. The conscious decision of choosing where my attention goes, however, is mine. Right now, I can make a decision on whether I keep, or not, focusing on and feeding what has brought me confusion and restlessness.

7 Mindful Questions To Ask On A Date

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What out of the box questions could you potentially ask? I did a quick search and I found some really interesting ones. Not all of them rang a bell, but there were definitely some that I felt I could use. I also create a few other ones, so I strongly encourage you to let your imagination flow and come up with questions that you feel you would like to ask. Find out what questions are on my list of mindful dating questions in this video.

From Love Addiction to Mindful Dating

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We lost the art of growing our human connections. We have grown up used to the idea that everything is ready-made and waiting for us on some supermarket shelf - or at a finger's swipe between left and right. Why bother yourself with learning the ingredients you need to make mayonnaise from scratch if you can buy a bottle of Hellmann's, right? I think we need to dive deeper though, if we want to connect with better matches and have more mindful dating experiences. I think we need to be more mindful and make better questions when on a date. I honestly believe that it's not so much about whether your match takes you to a fancy restaurant, comes dressed in gold, or pays the bill for you. It's more about whether you can, or cannot, feel seen, heard and safe to be yourself while also pursuing your romantic feelings. And to know that, you need information from the other person. Here are some questions that I label as mindful dating questions. Here are some suggested questions, which I label as mindful dating questions, that you can perhaps use on a future date.

The 5 Most Important Lessons I Learned in 2019

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Pursuing or fighting for something is not a linear process. We must envision, create a plan, prepare, challenge any resistance, act, but we also need to learn with the consequences of our actions and decisions. Going for it is always better than sitting in the dark corner of our house, but better than that is to learn and be able to adjust our course of action based on the consequences of our decisions. My aim for this post is to share with you 5 lessons I take from 2019 and which I think might be useful for those who stumble upon this entry.

How Bodybuilding Has Transformed My Life + Beginners Workout Plan

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Besides helping with grounding and reshaping my body, bodybuilding has also given me many other benefits. These include increased health and energy, better posture, greater self-esteem as well as increased self-confidence and happiness. I honestly bless the day I decided to start and commit myself to a 12-Week bodybuilding training regime. On average, I worked out four days a week for about half an hour. I call it 'Round 1' because it's a basic package of bodybuilding exercises in which my main goals were to 1) build a first good layer of muscle and 2) create a consistent routine. In this round, I didn't worry about changing my nutritional habits or being too strict with what I can or cannot eat. I simply conditioned myself to show up as much as I could and I kept increasing the weight. I'm sharing below my workout plan of 'Round 1'.

Are You Our Very First Intern? Wellbeing Media Volunteer Needed

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We are currently seeking a volunteer for a media intern position at The Wellbeing Blogger (thewellbeingblogger.com). The blog was founded by Vanessa Dias, a wellbeing expert now based in Lisbon, and it shares both personal and professional information about all things-wellbeing: from tips to be the best version of yourself to how to lead an active lifestyle, and create a more meaningful life on a daily basis. We are truly passionate about inspiring people to do their best with what they already have, and we always encourage to aim for more in life. If this rings a bell, we might well be a good match. Check out the details in this blog post.

When Work Takes Over Your Blog

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Sooner or later, a blogger reaches this phase. It's not the lack of ideas or emotions to write about, but our daily jobs that just take us over. We fail to keep the ritual of sitting down and of pouring our hearts out. Thankfully, this time my daily jobs has brought me incredible amounts of happiness and wellbeing. It hasn't been like before, where I work and work but I don't know where I'm heading or why what I'm doing is even relevant for the human kind. I have been busy with the kids at school and my writing has fallen behind. Yes, there has been a blog post here and there, but they haven't been personal. They haven't been about exploring the darkest and lightest places of my writer's soul.

Our Remedy CBD Oil: Led by Women, For Women

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In my first experience with Our Remedy I learned that CBD oil may work differently for different people. Because I record my periods on my calendar, and I can easily tap into the first warning signs of a menstrual migraine, I have since taken half a pipette of CBD oil in the morning and the other half at night on those more delicate days. And guess what... so far, I have done this four times and it has helped me with pain management. The discomfort doesn't go away completely, but I can at least function properly and finish my working day without feeling strongly nauseated and sick. That is already a massive big win, because menstrual migraines are incredibly horrible and debilitating!

A Book Exploring Coercive & Abusive Relationships: Mine by Emily Merrill [Book Review]

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Mine is Emily Merrill's debut novel, recently published by Salad Pages. Emily wrote it when she was 18 years old and now, at age 21, she saw her dream of being a published author come true - and what an incredible way to kick start a writing career! Mine is a novel that raises awareness of how 'perfect relationships' may hide the darkest truths and realities. In this two-part blog post, I will first share with you my honest review of the book and then an exclusive interview with the inspiring young author, Emily Merrill.

My 3 Favourite Date Spots in London

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In the space of 3+ years, I didn't visit London that often to be honest. When I did go to London, however, it was probably to meet someone for a date. What? I might be single for 5 years now, but I had my good share of dates. Too many, if you ask me, but I have been looking for The One, you know? *laughs* Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share with you my three favourite date spots in London. Let me know what you think about them and, please, do share your own favourite spots to date in London.

Our Fifth Break-Up Anniversary

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My mind already knows that but my heart misses the comfort and the intimacy of being on a relatively balanced relationship. Worse, it misses that person who is not going to complete me but who is going to be there to be my partner in crime. Someone whose presence and silence are enough to soothe my spirit. I crave that kind of connection and reality. And when I think that five years have past since my last glimpse of that, I do wonder if I will ever be allowed to share those feelings again. Right, I forgot this time of the year is our break-up anniversary. Maybe that's why I dreamt about him last week and why I have been avoiding to write all-along. Maybe tomorrow I will be just back to normal.

Positive Male Mind by Dr Shaun Davis & Andrew Kinder (Book Review)

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I have to say that Positive Male Mind offers us not only a straightforward approach and language, making complex information easy to process, but it adds on by giving us a unique and more detailed perspective over mental health issues among men, and on how to better support this group. While reading it, I thought many times how great it would be if we could provide Positive Male Mind in every clinic waiting room and library, because talking about men’s mental health remains a difficult task for both men and the wider community.

Start Living Today: How One Decision Has Changed My Life For the Better

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The workbook I had built gave me the structure, while the desire of being truly happy with myself gave me the motivation I needed to be disciplined. It's an everyday job, I can't lie, and it was hard work to sit down and face my own demons. It still is whenever I have to overcome an old or new false belief. I'm thankful, however, for the fact that I changed my mindset on the moment I decided to start living instead of simply letting the days go by. That decision is what allowed me to feel how I feel today about my life and the future.

The Strengths Workbook by Sally Bibb [Book Review]

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The Strengths Workbook, written by Sally Bibb, is a fully packed and very practical book that I truly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about their strengths, motivations, and values, because learning about why we feel so good when we engage in specific tasks or activities, and how we can create more of that in our daily routine can do wonders for our wellbeing.

Lyonne: Singer/Songwriter Who Moved From Argentina to Denmark to Follow A Dream

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I usually turn to song writing when I sense there are emotions that need to come out. It is a gut feeling. It’s paying attention to how I’m feeling. Most of the times, I cannot name these emotions precisely, but I know they are there. Other times, there’s a particular trigger or subject that I know is affecting me and I go deeper to try to understand it better, and again, let it come out. For the specific case of Rain of May, I wrote it at a particular time, when I decided to leave Buenos Aires and find a new home in Copenhagen. I was a turmoil of emotions: it was a very happy decision but at the same time I was confronted with having to deal with some kind of loss, if you will. Having to say goodbye to people and places, and a chapter of my life.

3 Signs That You Might Be Dating a Narcissist

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These may seem silly examples or superficial details but in my experience they can speak loudly of how the other person will treat you in the future. They show the extent to which someone actively listens and pays attention to what you have to say. The major problem is that, more often than not, we fall for the narcissist's initial charm and we fail to see the obvious signs. We let ourselves be driven by their apparent good deeds and inspiring conversations. Although we may feel that something is off, we never second guess their real intentions. Knowing a few signs or red flags beforehand can prevent us, however, from getting involved with someone that seems great for us at first sight but who will eventually become our worst nightmare. I'm sharing three of these signs below.

Positive Thinking by Neil Francis (Book Review)

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I would like to say this was one of those books that I absolutely devoured as soon as I could because it has a refreshing approach and a language that is clear and yet thought-provocative. Positive Thinking makes the topic easy to grasp and understand. It's also a book that will inspire you to think and take action in a way that is down-to-earth, without losing sights of your creative and intuitive self.

Good Guys That Turn Out To Be Bad For You

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It's not a guy's fault that we ignore the redflags. We play a part in this dynamic and we are equally responsible for depositing hope on someone whose heart is actually full of pain, confusion and misunderstanding. Our hearts are often filled with the same energy and that's why we attract such type. Like many of us, it's not their fault either that they were brought up in a messy and painful home environment. The worst part is, nonetheless, our tendency to project on them what we really want to see in a partner and what we try to nurture within ourselves: compassion, empathy, sensitivity, self-awareness, kindness, understanding.

Owning The Body I Once Hated

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My journey towards self-love has been made of trial and error and, although I always hate to face a setback, today I'm thankful to each one of them, because they brought me not the lessons that I wanted but the ones I needed to evolve and embrace a higher understanding of what self-love is. Today I know that self-love includes owning, honouring and loving the body I have, and more specifically the body parts I used to hate: arms, chest, hips and legs. It's about being proud of them as they are instead of wishing they were different.

To Live A Dream Or Die Numb

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I still do long for that beautiful and blissful place inside people's hearts which can only be awakened by pure magic and free-thought. That's what make me tick! I dream with heart-warming nights and long-lasting hugs. I crave a love deeper and bigger than me... and I'm not going to give up until I find it, because that's what gives my life a purpose.

Positive Mental Health by Dr Shaun Davis & Andrew Kinder (Book Review)

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The structure, its straightforward language and the very useful content of Positive Mental Health allow me to confidently say that this effectively is one of those books that not only informs, but also educates and guides people’s towards better mental health and wellbeing by providing both accurate health-related information and practical suggestions on how to eat well, exercise regularly, improve social interactions and other equally important wellbeing aspects throughout different areas and life events.

3 Wellbeing Tips For Highly Sensitive Teachers

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Having a job and a place I need to go to every week day has made wonders for my wellbeing. Also, now that I have freedom to just be myself at work, I'm happy. I'm genuinely happy about it. I don't have to put a mask everyday and pretend I'm not struggling. I don't feel I have to act like a smartass in order to survive on a day to day basis. This is a must when you're an empath or a highly sensitive person, since faking is very energy depleting. There are, however, a few other wellbeing tips I would like to share with you in this post, especially if you're teaching or an educator and you know to be highly sensitive.

11 Reasons Why I Might Not Succeed… & 11 Reasons I Will

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When I jumped into the shower this Monday, this title came to my head. Eleven reasons why I might not succeed (in life) and eleven reasons I will. I thought this was a good opportunity to talk about resilience and positivity, because everyone's daily life is made of ups and downs - the magic happens when we know what's the best way to deal with it all. Although Positivity alone doesn't solve anything, retrieving lessons from the less positive aspects of our life is a wellbeing protective measure. So let's dive in, first into the reasons why I might not succeed and then into the eleven reasons I will.