Time magagement

Archived Posts from this Category

May 1, 2010

Seneca & Benjamin Franklin

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Choices, Decision, Important question, Life, Life leadership, Procrastination, Results, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , , , |
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“It is not that we have a short life to live but we waste a lot of it”

Seneca

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Sometimes we waste our time because we don’t have much control over what is happening to us. In this case, there’s not much we can do about it.

At other times we waste our time because we lack a definite purpose in our lives.
This we can do something about. We must take the time to ask ourselves the important questions, the ones that concern only us.

It may look like a waste of time at first, but in the long run, it will save us time.

Benjamin Franklin used to ask himself these important questions every night before he went to sleep.

What did I do wrong today?
What did I do right ?
What can I improve tomorrow?

Apparently, he did this for most of his life.

If you want to learn more about this, I recommend that you read his autobiography. It will make you realize that even if he had lived more than 250 years ago, he was facing similar challenges like the ones we have to deal with today.

Great weekend to all of you!

 

April 29, 2010

Under which influence are you living ?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Choices, Clarity, Decision, Here, Important question, Life, Life leadership, Results, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , , |
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Some of us live under the influence of alcohol.

The influence is good as long as we are under the influence. The next morning, the influence can be quite different.

Some of us live under the influence of shopping, and the influence is good until as we receive the credit card monthly statement…

Some of us live under the influence of gambling, and the influence is good until as we realize that the house always wins against most of us.

Some of us live under the influence of buying expensive toys to impress others who don’t care at all. This influence is gone when we realize that we become a slave of this habit.

Some of us are under the influence of a new religion, and the influence seems to disappear when that special God of ours doesn’t answer our requests.

Some of us indulge in sexual escapism, and the influence is gone when the temporary thrill is over.

Some of us will study philosophy and believe that they have found the Way, only to wake up later and realize that their particular philosophy can fail them.

Some of us will swear by the world of reason and science, only to discover the actual limitations of our understanding. At least at this point of our evolution.

Some of us will invest in the joy of parenthood only to realize later that our kids will be entitled to their own lives.

Some of us will want to earn a lot of money until they realize that money can’t buy love.

And while most of us live under one kind of influence or another, Time goes by.

Under what kind of influence are you living ?

Is this the kind of influence that you enjoy?

It’s up to you!

 

April 27, 2010

What Is Life?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Choices, Important question, Life leadership, Procrastination, Results, Success, Time, Time magagement, Wisdom | Tags: , , , |
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“Life is just one damned thing after another”

Frank Ward O’Malley (1875-1932)
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It’s true for most of us, at least until we choose to do OUR own damned thing.
I suppose that we feel like this when we lose the balance between how much time and effort we invest for others compared to the time we invest for ourselves.

When we spend a lot of time doing OUR own thing, others may think or say that we are selfish, however, when we invest a lot of time for others, ( I’m thinking of mothers with young children or when we are taking care of family member in need) it can lead us to becoming frustrated or irritable.

Our challenge is to find the right amount of time between what we do for ourselves and what we do for others.

Why is it so important to think of ourselves before we think of others?

The answer is; How can we give to others what we don’t have?

How can you give money if you don’t have enough for your own needs?

How can you give time when you don’t even have time for yourself?

How can you share your knowledge when you are ignorant?

It seems to me that the most generous people of today who are able to give back used to be the people who were thinking of themselves not long ago.

An example? Bill Gates with his philantropy and his Foundation. One of the richest man in the world is becoming one of the most generous in his lifetime.

Do you feel that you invest enough time for others?

Do you feel that you invest enough time for yourself?

Do you ever struggle with these questions?

 

April 24, 2010

Julius Caesar on worrying

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Courage, Fear, Important question, Life, Procrastination, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , , |
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“As a rule, men worry more about what they can’t see than about what they can.”

Julius Caesar

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Why do we worry so much?

What do we get out of it?

What’s in it for us?

It is true that we worry more about the unseen and the unknown.

Many people who have written or spoken about worry have told the statistics story. The earliest source that we could find of the story and most probable author was Thomas S. Kepler. He wrote about a woman who realized fears were ruining her life. She began to keep track of what was worrying her and she found:

40% of the things she worried about were about things that would never happen.

30% of the things she worried about were about things that had already happened, water under the bridge.

12% of the things she worried about were about others’ opinion. When she thought about it, she realized that criticisms are often made by those that are jealous or insecure; therefore unjust criticism is a disguised compliment.

10% of the things she worried about were needless health worries, which made her health worse as she worried.

8% of the things she worried about were “legitimate,” since life has some real problems to meet.

If you consider the above as probable statistics, it would seem that only 8% of the things that you worry about are worth the worry. Next time you are worried about something, perform a check to see if the worry is in a category other then the 8% category and if it is, perhaps logic will help free you from the worry.

Will This Matter a Year from Now?

How much quality time do I spend worrying?

 

April 21, 2010

Full Consciousness and full acceptance

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , |
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Only when your consciousness is totally focused on the moment you are in can you receive whatever gift, lesson, or delight that the moment has to offer.

Barbara de Angelis

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It seems to me that we are stubborn students of life.

Life seems to tell us; here is a situation you need to face for your own developpement, and yet, most of the time, we will try to avoid the lesson. Why? Because it’s too damned hard! The funny thing about this is; the lesson we try to avoid seems to come back to us in many unexpected ways. Somehow, we can’t escape it.

When we focus on the moment and accept to face what we have to, it is difficult, but it is one of the best way to grow.

What does this post have to do with time?

The sooner we understand this concept and that we put it in practice, the more time we will save to do other activities that we really enjoy. Have a nice day.

 

April 18, 2010

When killing time can kill you

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Time, Time magagement | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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“Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them”

Dion Bousicault ( 1820-1890)

Irish-born actor & dramatist

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How could anyone in their right mind want to kill time? To want to kill time, in my opinion, is a confession of imbecility because time is what life is made of. Sometimes, we are at work thinking of what we could do on the weekend. However, when the weekend comes, do you ever find yourself doing nothing? So you wasted productive time at work because you were daydreaming, and now you are wasting free time because you did not plan in advance. You are caught off guard at the last minute.

I have a  personal example that happened to my wife and I a few times. We have 3 young children who still need a babysitter when we go out. Sometimes, we had the chance to find a babysitter at the last minute. This was great, but since we had only about 60 to 90 minutes of free time together, our options were limited. By the time we agreed on what we both wanted to do, 20 to 30 minutes had already gone by.

So I asked myself; how can I avoid this kind of situation when our time is so limited and so precious?

Solution: I made a list of dozens of activities that require very little time and that are enjoyable. Since then, we can use these precious minutes in a smarter way.

Exception: Sometimes I choose to relax because I want to, and in this case, it’s not a waste of time.

When we know exactly what we want and what we like, it’s easier to use our time in a smarter way.

Do you often find yourself “killing” precious time ?

 

 

April 16, 2010

A life of quiet desperation

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Choices, Clarity, Complaining, Control, Courage, Failure, Fear, Illusion, Important question, Serenity, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”

Henry David Thoreau

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If this is how you feel, there is still a chance to change it. It’s up to you.

Will you?

 

 

April 10, 2010

Unimportant Things

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Choices, Consequence, Control, Courage, Decision, Important question, Life, Life leadership, Results, Serenity, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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“No matter how small and unimportant what we are doing may seem, if we do it well, it may become the step that will lead us to better things.”

Channing Pollock

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This is encouraging and inspiring ! Why ? Because there is always room for improvement

Don’t you think so?

 

April 9, 2010

Stay hungry , stay foolish

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Courage, Death, Decision, Fear, Here, Important question, Life, Life expectancy, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , , , , , |
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 I really enjoyed this clip and I’m sharing it with you.

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April 8, 2010

Preparation is essential

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Choices, Clarity, Important question, Results, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Preparation is essential, but even more essential is the willingness to let go of a plan in a flash and off in a revised direction.

Tom Peters  ( perhaps influenced by John Boyd United States Air Force fighter pilot and military strategist)

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If you want to use your time in the most productive way, it is important to plan and prepare, then start and finish.But you have to keep your eyes and your options open to new opportunities when they arise. Your biggest opportunity could turn out to be life changing and life enhancing.

How do you make sure to keep your eyes open so that opportunities don’t pass you by?

 

April 5, 2010

Buddhist Wisdom …

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Here, Life leadership, Now, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , , |
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In India, Buddhist aspirants used to visit burning grounds and watch the corpses of those whose families couldn’t afford a cremation rot away. They did this to terrify the GREED and POSSESSIVENESS out of themselves. After that, they changed their perspective about life, death and what was the most essential things in their lives.

As of 5 April 2010, the human population of the world is estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6,812,400,000.

It is estimated that 156 000 people on this planet are dying everyday. One day it will be our turn.

I don’t care how rich you are, I don’t care how smart you are, I don’t care how proud you are, because, ultimately, your only real earthly possession is : TODAY.

 

Can you always tell the difference between your needs and your wants?

When we become too possessive, doesn’t it remind you of little kids who refuse to share their toys?

 

 

April 2, 2010

The thief of time

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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“Procrastination is the thief of time.”

Edward Young (1683-1765) British poet

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A lot of people are afraid to lose their health.

In most cases, we can and will regain our health.

A lot of people are afraid to lose their friends.

We can always make new friends.

A lot of people are afraid to lose their money.

But we can always earn more money.

Very few people are conscious of the time they are wasting

Procrastination robs us of our time, life is short.

In which area of your life are you procrastinating?

Why ?

 

April 1, 2010

Now is the time!

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Courage, Life leadership, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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“Now is the time”

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

American civil rights leader & Noble prize Prize winner

 

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Martin Luther King died at 39 years of age. When we look at everything he accomplished in such a short period of time,

I think that he fully practiced what he preached. He was totally focused on his task.

What fascinates me is that with so little time, he produced RESULTS that are timeless.

Doesn’t it fascinate you that he accomplished so much in so little time?

How focused are you on YOUR tasks , on YOUR projects, on YOUR life passion?

What will be YOUR legacy?

Do you even care?

 

 

March 30, 2010

Excerpt from “The Law of Clarity” from Brian Tracy

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Choices, Clarity, Consequence, Life leadership, Results, Time magagement | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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I’m sharing with you some passages from the text “The Law of clarity” from Brian Tracy.

Here it is,

The Law of Clarity
By: Brian Tracy
Clarity accounts for probably 80% of success and happiness. Lack of clarity is probably more responsible for frustration and underachievement than any other single factor. People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.  Your success in life will be largely determined by how clear you are about what it is you really, really want.

The more you write and rewrite your goals and the more you think about them, the clearer you will become about them. The clearer you are about what you want, the more likely you are to do more and more of the things that are consistent with achieving them. Meanwhile, you will do fewer and fewer of the things that don’t help to get the things you really want.

I have nothing more to add.

 

March 29, 2010

Why are they kvetching all the time?

Posted by stephenlafond under Choices, Complaining, Important question, Kvetching, Life leadership, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , |
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It seems to me that some people are complaining and complaining and do nothing else.

If only they would realize how short life really is, they would come to the conclusion that their complaining is a waste of precious time, time that will never come back.

Since our time is so limited, doesn’t it make sense to figure out what we really enjoy and try to spend as much time as possible doing it? Again, I know, it is so obvious, so why are there so few people doing it?We all have responsibilities, but we also have spare time, and it is in that spare time that we can improve our quality of life.  

 Shouldn’t we all try to find a way to make a living while having fun?

Do you find yourself complaining too much?

Do you think it’s a waste of time and energy?

 

March 27, 2010

Advice from the great Socrates

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Control, Important question, Socrates, Time magagement | Tags: , , , , , |
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Socrates said many years ago “A life unexamined is not worth living”

Well, why is it that most people don’t take the time to quiet their minds and take a look at their lives?

Why don’t they don’t ask themselves some important questions like;

Who am I?

What do I want to do with my life?

What are my natural talents or skills?

What makes me happy or unhappy?

What am I afraid of and why?

Who do I like to spend time with?

Do I like my job and why?  Why not?

Why am I afraid to change my job?

What can I do to improve my circumstances?

What do I control and what don’t I control?

How much time do you invest trying to answer YOUR important questions?

 

 

March 26, 2010

Sweet illusion, disappointing results

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Choices, Illusion, Life leadership, Results, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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One of the great illusions in our life is to be addicted to busyness, it gives us the feeling of being productive, but are we really?There are so many demands in our life that it becomes very easy to lose focus.Our attention is requested by family members, people who depend on us and friends who want to spend time with us.Then there is the information overload or all kinds of other activities. It’s not always easy to SAY NO to less important activities when we should  SAY YES to our most important projects. It requires constant vigilance.

The time that we waste will never come back. I repeat; the time that we waste will never come back.

It is a sad reality but it is also a great wake-up call.

How do you make sure that you don’t waste too much precious time?

 

March 25, 2010

We are so busy…Oh yes? Busy doing what?

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From the moment that I know what I want, I should increase the amount of time that I invest on what I really care about and reduce or eliminate the time that I spend on non-important things. I should try to be aware as often as possible. I mean COMPLETELY AWARE.

The intensity of my desire on the project will influence how long it will take me to accomplish it.

Most people are busy, some are very busy, the question is ; Are they busy doing what they really care about?

 

March 23, 2010

Why do so many people waste so much time?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Choices, Life leadership, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , |
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I’m astonished how so many people in so many fields of activity and from different backgrounds are wasting so much time. Think of all the kids who are wasting too much time on video games instead of learning practical and useful skills. Think of all the adults who are wasting too much time watching television or surfing aimlessly on the Web. Think of all the people of all ages wasting time on the phone or chatting on the net. What a waste of resources. Of course, we need to relax once in a while and it is good sometimes to do some mindless activities. But how much is too much?

 

What do you think ?

 

 

March 23, 2010

Don’t Take My Word, Read This Book!

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My life is the result of my hourly and daily choices. My number of days is limited and this is why I must make the choices that I really care about.

A good book to read that illustrates this point of view is CHASING DAYLIGHT by Eugene O’Kelly, a story of a successful executive who learns that he has brain cancer and about 100 days left to live. His priorities turned upside down and he explains to us in his own words that what used to be his “KING VALUES”, commitment to his family, job and responsabilities became, after receiving his diagnosis awareness,complete awareness of the time left. 

Shouldn’t we review our values and priorities before Life forces us to do it?

 

March 15, 2010

What Control Do You Have Over Your Daily Choices?

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I must figure out what I have control over and what I don’t have control over.

So what do I have control over?

I have some control on the choices that I make here and now.

In every 24 hour period, I try to make the best choices possible with the knowledge, the resources and the opportunities that I have.

Every minute, well not every minute but as often as possible, I try to become aware of my thoughts and my decisions. When I try to choose correctly at every moment, I should have a good and productive hour, when I try to choose correctly every hour, I should have a good and productive day, when I try to choose correctly every day, I should end up with a good and productive week, and month, and year and decade ….

What control do you have over your daily choices?

 

February 16, 2010

No More Time To Waste!

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This is when I decided to calculate the approximate number of days that I had left to live. I took the life expectancy of the average male in Canada in 2005 and it gave me approximately 15600 days left to live.

This is when I started to count mine 15600,15599,15598,15597.

It made me realize that I had already lived 14326  days. I had lived about half my life already …….behind me , bye bye …..I will never see those days ever again.

I WISH I HAD KNOWN THIS EARLIER…

This was a  shock to me because there was so much more I wanted to accomplish.

Who wants to have regrets on their deathbed?

My first reflex was to see how I could influence the number of days I have left. So I decided to invest more time in exercising and eating better. I made a list of things and places that I wanted to see, visit and do before my life is over. I checked how I could incorporate my list of dreams and projects into my  personal dashboard.

These are the kind of things I could change quickly without much thinking.

What do you intend to do with your time left?

 

February 5, 2010

What’s Next?

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I started to identify my most important goals that I really cared about. The kind of things that if I were on my deathbed, I would  regret not doing.

So I made a list of all the activities and projects that I really cared about.

My original list had 114 projects and goals to accomplish.

Now with a wife, young children and a business to run, where would I find the time to accomplish all these goals?

This is when I started to count how many potential days that I had left to live. When I fully realized that my time is limited, that is was impossible to do it all, that’s when I fully grasped the concept of priorities. Before I would prioritize some minor tasks and would fail to prioritize some significant goals.

So I decided to set some goals that I have been procrastinating about for too long and set a deadline with a clear and measurable objective. That was the easy part.

Then I had to find a way to measure the results and the progress.

So I created a spreadsheet and built myself a personal dashboard. I was already using a dashboard in my business and I was measuring the desired results. So I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try it in my personal life.

That was another easy part.

But how was I to be certain to accomplish my goals? I had to create a sense of urgency. To remind myself constantly of the brevity of life. The fear of not being able to accomplish my most important goals is a strong motivator. I also tried to set a deadline to get myself to move it.

When was the last time that YOU asked YOURSELF ;

“WHAT DO I REALLY WANT?”

                       and

“HOW BADLY DO I WANT IT?”

 

February 1, 2010

Mid-life Crisis Or Valuable Question?

Posted by stephenlafond under Choices, Life leadership, Time magagement | Tags: , |
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I started to really think about this subject in the summer of 2005, I was doing fairly good in each area of my life. (a happy and balanced life)

I was on my holiday and I started to think about what I have accomplished so far.

I had a good quality of life in every way, but it dawned on me that something was missing.

At first, it wasn’t clear what it was.

I realized that I could accomplish much more, not to impress others anymore, but for my own personal satisfaction.

Some of the first questions that I asked myself were:

What more can I do?   Or     What else can I do?

What would I have fun doing?

The answer was …..a lot more.

Then came another question …

How much time do I have left?

At 39 years of age , it was a bit too late to want to become an NHL player or a baseball superstar . Even at 18, the odds are extremely low.

Nor was it realistic to become a rock star even if I love music.

I mean, it’s not impossible but the odds are extremely low.

What are my strengths, my natural abilities and my favourite interests?

What can I start at this point in my life and with the time that is available to me?

What can YOU start in YOUR life?

 

January 27, 2010

How Long Do You Expect To Live?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Choices, Consequence, Important question, Life expectancy, Life leadership, Results, Time magagement, Wasting time | Tags: , , , , , |
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How many days do you or I have left to live on this planet?

Life goes quickly and the clock is ticking.

Time is life’s most precious asset.

A human life has a potential of approximately 36525 days to live. (100 years)

Did you ever stop your daily activities to think about that?

Every night when I go to bed, when I fall asleep , I have one less  day to live.

Yes I know, It sounds obvious, but when was the last time  you really considered that? Were you ever aware of this?

This is what it looks like.

36525,36524,36523,36522 if I am a newborn.

27395,27394,27393,27393 if I am 25 years old

18263,18262,18261,18260 if I am 50 years old

9131,9130,9129,9128 if I am 75 years old

1826,1825,1824,1823 if I am 95 years old

365,364,363,362 if I am 99 years old

This scenario is based on a perfect life potential, in a perfect world.

Now, in reality, my life expectancy will be influenced by which part of the world I am born in. It also depends on whether I am born a male or a female.

Life expectancy may vary between 35 and 85 years old depending on which country I am born in.

For example if the life expectancy in my country of origin is 35 years old , I should expect to live 12780 days as a potential.

If the life expectancy in my country is 85 years old , I should expect to live approximatively 31046 days.

Next comes the hereditary factors on which I have very little control over, like an unexpected and unforgiving cancer and other uncontrollable circumstances such as car accidents, sport accidents, plane crashes …….I’ll let you meditate on this matter until next time.

How long do you expect to live?                         

 

 

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