I'm David, and these are my reflections on life and all things in it. Hopefully by hearing me share what I'm going through, you find some entertainment, clarity, peace or just company. If you'd prefer to watch as you listen, I also upload each episode on YouTube. Thank you for being here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Candid conversations with the big hitters of flow cytometry presented by Dr Peter O'Toole. Brought to you by Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Bitesize Bio. Flow Stars is a podcast from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Bitesize Bio that interviews some big hitters in the flow cytometry world. Your host is Dr Peter O'Toole (University of York), an engaging and energic personality who knows how to throw a few curveballs to keep his guest on their toes. This series takes us through the highs a ...
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Episode 55: Say Something Nice to Yourself! Out Loud!
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12:32It’s important to have a good balance between pushing ourselves and encouraging ourselves. I have found myself wanting in the latter, so recently I have been making it a conscious practice to express positive things about myself aloud at the end of each day, just to remind myself of all I’m doing for my present and future selves. Life is hard enoug…
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Anis Larbi (Beckman Coulter Life Sciences)
1:01:39
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1:01:39In this episode of Flow Stars, we're joined by Anis Larbi, Medical & Scientific Affairs, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. Anis chats about his experience working at the prestigious A*STAR in Singapore, where he led a dual career as both a principal investigator and the head of a core flow cytometry facility. He also shares his advocacy of networking,…
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Episode 54: To Find Perspective, Zoom In or Zoom Out
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12:45Sometimes when I have one too many difficult days in a row (or just one difficult day full stop!), my circumstances seem all-encompassing - that is when I need to zoom out and see that in the bigger picture, this moment is temporary. Sometimes I have so much to do in the grand scheme of things that I feel stuck, frozen - that is when I need to zoom…
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In this episode, Peter O'Toole welcomes Sofie Van Gassen, a Postdoctoral Researcher from VIB-UGent. Sofie explains how a computer scientist can end up working in flow cytometry and sets out her vision for the future of data science in flow. She also sets out her twin passions for developing algorithms and pipelines for data analysis—and gardening. …
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Episode 53: Doing Our Best is the Best We Can Do
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18:12
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18:12The difficult thing about doing our best, other than how demanding it can be, is navigating how different our ‘best’ can look at any given time. To be able to look at ourselves, see our efforts and know we’ve given everything we can to the things we know are important, is no small feat. To do so consistently is something to be extremely proud of - …
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Today, Peter O'Toole chats with Dave Novo-Lake, founder of De Novo Research, a pioneering figure in flow cytometry data analysis, and the creator of FCS Express. Dave shares his journey from developing groundbreaking software in his spare time at a Boston lab to establishing a successful business that transformed clinical flow cytometry. He also ta…
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Episode 52: If You're Going To Do It, Do It Properly
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13:30When I was young I was always told, ‘if you’re going to do something, do it properly’. A phrase which once felt burdensome, is now a huge liberator in my life. Not only does it remind me to choose my responsibilities with care, it helps me to always give my best even when it feels difficult to do so, because the effort I put into things is always i…
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Today, our host Peter O'Toole sits down with the distinguished Mario Roederer, ImmunoTechnology Section Chief and Acting Head of the Translational Research Program at the National Institutes of Health. Mario shares some fascinating insights from his illustrious career, from demonstrating flow cytometry to Presidents Barack Obama and George Bush to …
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Sleepcast: Falling Asleep in the Back of the Car
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17:28Fall asleep to the description of falling asleep in the back of a car, with accompanying gentle ambient sounds. I hope this brings you peace and calm. (Story begins at 05:15) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 51: Be Strict With Yourself, Not Hard On Yourself
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17:06
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17:06There are times in life when we need to push ourselves to do the things we want to do or become the things we want to be. How do we do this, navigate the inevitable discomfort, in a way that’s still kind and healthy for ourselves? For me, the distinction is in being strict with myself rather than being hard on myself - pushing myself in moments to …
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Let's shift our focus from just the people behind the science to the technologies they're using. In this special episode, we dive deep into spectral flow cytometry with a panel of leading experts, featuring: • Tamar Tak, Coordinator Flow Cytometry Facility, Leiden University Medical Center • Domenico Lo Tartaro, University of Modena and Reggio Emil…
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Episode 50! Half a century of episodes! Thank you for every second of the time you’ve spent here with me. Thank you for your encouragement, support, understanding and feedback at every stage of this creative journey. I love making these episodes and will keep doing so as long as they are wanted. Happy listening, and here’s to 50 episodes of Mindful…
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Episode 49: You Don't Have To "Have It All", All At Once
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12:38
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12:38Life isn’t perfect - a fact I accept in theory. In practise, however, I’m quick to be hard on myself when I feel like I’m not meeting my own standards in every area of my life all at once. What’s most important during times like this, is understanding that I can’t always apply 100% to everything at the same time. It’s okay to simply stay within tou…
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Episode 48: Gradual Change is the Kind that Stays
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13:35
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13:35Change is not easy - to make, or to maintain. Knowing this, it’s important that we make changes with patience and care for ourselves. Doing so means we will gain all the benefits of that change, with the reassurance that we have are well equipped to make those changes stick! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Episode 47: Feeling Better Takes Practice - Keep Practising
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13:40When we enter a space of feeling better after a long time of feeling down, it can take effort to stay there - an effort that can feel unfamiliar and difficult, especially if we’ve grown used to feeling down. In the same way as any new skill, practicing the things that make us feel better is something that takes time and effort. Give yourself time a…
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Episode 46: There Are Always Choices & There Is Always Hope
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16:00Sometimes, when doing the things I have to do, I feel like I have no choice. Feeling that way makes me feel resentful and powerless, so I try to remind myself that though I may not like my options sometimes, I always have some kind of choice. If I’m not happy in a situation and feel like the options I have aren’t good ones, all I can do is make the…
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Episode 45: What It's Like to Write a Book
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30:20I have written my first book! I wasn’t able to talk about it during the process of writing, so this episode has been a long time coming. From writing the proposal to finishing the book itself, I wanted to share the whole journey with you. My book is called ‘Frequently Happy’ and you can find it wherever you buy your books - you could even type ‘Dav…
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Episode 44: Though You May Struggle, You Are Strong
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12:56
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12:56I’ve been struggling a little bit recently. Nothing dramatic, no cause for concern, just one of those periods where everything feels a bit much and I feel myself coming up frustratingly short in areas I’ve worked hard at being better in. It’s important during times like these to remember that the lessons I’ve learnt and strength I’ve built hasn’t g…
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Episode 43: Start Thinking of Obstacles as Dominoes
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12:54Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 42: Give Your Ideas a Chance to Become Real
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14:01Sometimes it can be easier to sit in the safety blanket of a perfect idea and let the intrinsic pleasure of imagination keep us warm. It takes work and courage to bring ideas to life in their fullness, but that’s an effort worth making. Ideas become even richer when we bring them to life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Episode 41: Sometimes We Need to Help People, Help Us
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17:27
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17:27Welcome back! I took an unscheduled and unexpected break from the podcast for health reasons, but I feel rested, recovered and very, very happy to be back with you. During the past few months I’ve really had to rely on my support network and rely on some of the things I find most challenging - vocalising my needs and asking for help. This year has …
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In this special episode of Flow Stars recorded live at CYTO 2024, our panel of esteemed guests, representing a cross-section of cytometry users, discuss the biggest matters in flow cytometry. They explore the capabilities of current cytometers and what future developments should focus on. They also consider the importance of making cytometry equipm…
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Episode 40: 'How Do You Deal with Criticism?' Answering Your Questions!
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21:37
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21:37Another Q&A Episode, as is tradition every tenth episode! As ever, I chose the questions that I feel best positioned to answer according to life right now - I hope my answers are well-received and of value. As ever, thank you for being here and thank you for listening. Here’s to the next ten episodes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
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When it comes to tackling tasks I know will likely bring discomfort, I can find it difficult to get out of my head and into gear. Sometimes, though, that’s all that’s left to do. We can only think so much before doing, and sometimes difficulty is far greater in the hypothesis than in reality. It’s up to me to act, then deal with any difficulties as…
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Episode 38: Responding Differently to Familiar Difficulties
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14:09
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14:09When encountering familiar difficulties which we’ve overcome before, it can feel frustrating that we’re finding the same things difficult once more. It causes me to question my own growth and progress. Some things, however, are simply difficult in nature. To struggle with the same things does not mean we haven’t grown, it’s simply indicative of lif…
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Episode 37: Some Good Things Come To An End
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14:08Sometimes, good things come to an end. Things being fleeting can make them precious; good things don’t have to last forever for them to have the impact they need to. They still resonate into the future, and are always worth experiencing even if they don’t last as long as we hoped. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Episode 36: Working Hard and Working Smart
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14:19
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14:19I’ve been making a conscious effort to occupy my time wisely. If I’m not careful, I give in to my need to constantly feel as though I’m actively working hard and doing something all the time - in other words, sometimes I busy myself needlessly. Being more intentional about my time is much better for my health, and something I am doing my best not t…
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Episode 35: It's Okay to Think About Quitting
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14:12When things are difficult, I think about quitting. It’s a logical thought process, and one I no longer take any shame in. To understand and explore my desire to quit is to give my feelings credibility and make a decision I can truly stand behind, and continuing when I know I could have given up is when I see how strong I can be. Hosted on Acast. Se…
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Episode 34. Can't Be Bothered, Might As Well!
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15:25
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15:25The thought, “I can’t be bothered to do this” happens at the time when I could, in fact, conveniently do this - I just don’t feel like it. Getting over that feeling and deciding more often to think “might as well” and do it, is something I never regret. It’s not the biggest deal in the world, but the more I decide “might as well”, the better my lif…
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I’ve been working for a long time, years, on being consistent in many areas of my life. I’m in a place now where I can see progress even as I look to improve, which feels really nice. Building consistency isn’t easy but the principles are simple, and it’s something we can all do! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Episode 32: Forgiving Ourselves for Our Mistakes
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14:07
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14:07When I mess up, I find it hard to forgive myself and let go. The problem with this is it that I then miss the opportunity to be present, understand my actions, move forward and heal. Forgiving myself is a practice I am working hard on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 31: Separating Achievement and Self-Worth
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15:27If I’m not careful, I find it all too easy to equate my self-worth to how productive I’m being and what I’m achieving at the present time. Building better self-esteem comes from understanding that I have value no matter what I’m currently achieving, and productivity and achievement are useful but should not be my only validation. Hosted on Acast. S…
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Episode 30: 'Do You Have Any Major Regrets?' Answering Your Questions!
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37:25Welcome to another Q&A Episode! I meant to answer 20 and realised I accidentally fell one short - let’s say I owe you one! 30 episodes is quite a few, and I only grow to love this more the more I do it, so thank you so very much for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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I often find myself wishing time away over small inconveniences and the type of general difficulty that comes as a part of life. It stops me being present and appreciative, and it’s something I want to work on doing far less of! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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‘Self-sabotage: behaviour or thoughts, especially of an involuntary or unconscious nature, that are harmful to one’s own interests or development.’ Self-sabotage, as the name suggests, is deeply personal and everyone has their individual reasons for engaging in it. I’m very much a work in progress, but I’ve really become much better at understandin…
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January is underway, and I’m feeling different to how I was this time last year. I’m in a rest period, which feels strange at a time when it seems as though everybody is hitting the ground running and building momentum. It’s hard not to feel like I’m missing out on something or doing something wrong, but this is an excellent opportunity for me to a…
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Happy New Year! It feels wonderful to be back after my short break, in perfect timing to welcome in a new year. Today we’re talking about resolutions and the way I enter a new calendar year. A year is a long time and though we can’t know what to expect, there are wonderful moments ahead that we can’t even begin to anticipate. Here’s to 2024! Hosted…
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In the last episode of 2023, before I take some time off, I’m thinking about being more present. It was something I tried to work on throughout this year, but it’s still very much a journey! Thank you for all your time this year - I can’t wait to see you again in January. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Episode 24: It's Okay for Plans to Change
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24:40I love to plan. I love it when plans go to plan. I struggle when I have to change my plans, for many reasons - I feel like I’m giving up, like I’m “failing”, like I’m letting myself down in some way. Being flexible and knowing when a plan isn’t working anymore isn’t failure, it’s pragmatism. Resetting and redirecting our steps can feel like a setba…
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Episode 23: Leading with Love, Acting with Passion
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25:14
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25:14Following last week’s episode, a listener drew a really interesting comparison between something I said in Episode 22 about the differences between motivation and discipline. They said that these differences sound similar to the differences between love and passion, and asked me to expand on those thoughts. It felt right to do so this week. Love an…
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We talk a lot, correctly, about how discipline is better to rely on than motivation. That doesn’t mean that motivation isn’t extremely valuable. In fact, in these past weeks I’ve been making the most of the moments where I feel motivated to help me get through difficult times. Motivation is a wonderful thing when we use it well! Hosted on Acast. Se…
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Africa Special with Karen Hogg (University of York) and Margaret Mbuchi (Kenya Medical Research Institute)
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1:03:07#S4:E6 — Karen Hogg is a Technical Specialist at the University of York, and Margaret Mbuchi is a Principal Research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute. In this episode of Flow Stars, Karen and Margaret join Peter O’Toole to celebrate the achievements of flow cytometry initiatives across Africa and discuss some of the logistical chal…
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Episode 21: Jealousy Is Okay, Acting On It Isn't
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18:15Jealousy is one of the most complex emotions to feel. It often exists in direct conflict with other emotions, brings us guilt and shame and gets in the way of our own gratitude and progress. It’s often easier to pretend we don’t feel it than confront it, for these reasons and many more. However, feeling jealous is not a moral failing - it’s all abo…
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Twenty questions for twenty episodes! To celebrate this mini-milestone I’m answering 20 questions, asked by listeners. Thank you for being here, and here’s to many more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Alexis Perez Gonzalez (University of Melbourne)
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1:03:20#S4:E5 — Alexis Perez Gonzalez is the Melbourne Cytometry Platform Manager at the University of Melbourne. In this episode of Flow Stars, Alexis joins Peter O’Toole to discuss how academic progression works in Cuba and how much fun he had working with Andy Riddell. They also chat about his magnificent collection of spices and cookbooks. Watch or li…
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When I last spoke about completing the 75 Hard, I had just finished it under a week prior. Now that over three months have passed since then, I feel I can talk more about the lasting effects of completing the challenge, positive and negative. The short answer to the episode title is a resounding ‘yes’, but I definitely have a more measured perspect…
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Ryan Brinkman (British Columbia Cancer Agency)
1:02:23
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1:02:23#S4:E4 — Ryan Brinkman is Professor Emeritus at the British Columbia Cancer Agency and Chair of the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry's (ISAC) Data Standards Task Force. In this episode of Flow Stars, Ryan joins Peter O’Toole to discuss generating data without a wet lab. They also discuss bioinformatics' clinical and translational …
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We have so many ways to connect with people. I feel like I’m always seeing people, being seen, talking to people, being talked to - yet I can so easily feel like I haven’t been checking on people, or like people haven’t been checking on me. I’m trying to be mindful of this and show up for my people in ways that are truly felt and really matter to t…
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This episode comes out on October 9th, which is the day before World Mental Health Day. On a visit to Meta (Instagram), I was given the opportunity to use their studios to record and film, and I thought there was no better time and place to talk about mental health: my own, our progress, my and our collective responsibility to those around us and t…
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