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do you know what these are well these
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are my Invisalign aligners for the past
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three years now I've been using these
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small seemingly invisible aligners each
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week I swap out one aliner for the next
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one in the series these simple pieces of
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plastic have been working super hard to
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close the gaps in my teeth and correct
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my bite but of course this video is not
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sponsored by invisaline so why am I even
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sharing this with you because in these
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little aligners lies a profound life
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lesson small steps taken consistently
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can lead to Big results James Clear in
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atomic habits explains that improving by
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just 1% each and every day leads to a 37
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times Improvement by the end of the year
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in just two months you'll be twice as
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good as when you first started it's the
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power of compounding effort a tiny
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adjustment today becomes
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transformational over time embracing
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discomfort for Progress well let's be
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real for a moment change isn't always
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easy at first when I started using the
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aligners the first week and a half we
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downright brutal they were uncomfortable
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even painful I struggled to take them
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off and put them on I was afraid to eat
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I even had a list for the first few
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months but then something amazing
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the discomfort faded over time I teach
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adapted and now I only experience
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discomfort which is actually very
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minimal if I leave them all for several
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hours at a time isn't that just like
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life whenever we make a change
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especially what we've been avoiding it
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can feel uncomfortable at first
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sometimes unbearably so but if we stick
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with it that discomfort often transforms
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into progress and what want themed
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insurmountable becomes second nature
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rethink your options when I first
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decided to straighten my teeth I
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immediately Tau of the traditional metal
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braces it's what I had seen and heard
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about most of my life but then I
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discovered the invisaline liners a
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solution that was better suited for my
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lifestyle and preferences this
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experience taught me an important lesson
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how often do we limit ourselves to the
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first solution that comes to mind
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without explor in any other
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possibilities sometimes we don't even
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realize other paths exist because we're
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so accustomed to thinking within our
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familiar boundaries I want to challenge
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you to ask yourself am I considering all
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the options just because one part is
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common and well known doesn't mean that
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it is the only or Best Way Forward you
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are worth it I won't lie these aligners
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weren't cheap and with my financial
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situation a few years ago I had to make
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a few changes to be able to comfortably
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afford them but I'm happy to say that
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they were worth each and every penny
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because they represent something far
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greater than a cosmetic fix they are an
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investment in me investing in yourself
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whether physically emotionally or
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mentally is one of the best decisions
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you can make it's like depositing into a
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high yeld savings account for your
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future self as James CLA says every
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action you take is a vote for the person
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you want to be maybe for you it's not a
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liners maybe it's committing to working
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on a part of yourself that you're
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unhappy with if you simply hate your
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tummy start working on it day after day
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if you struggle with self-doubt dedicate
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time to strengthening your mindset these
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small daily Investments add of even if
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the results feel invisible at first they
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create a domino effect where one
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Improvement leads to the other
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aggregation of marginal games here's the
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thing I've learned from using these
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aligners if I compared one aligner to
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the next one in the series The CH would
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be imperceptible I wouldn't noticed the
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subtle shifts taking place but when I
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zoom out comparing my teeth now to where
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they were months ago the progress is
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undeniable this concept is backed by
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research in Psychology the aggregation
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of marginal gains shows that small
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consistent improvements compound over
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time to create significant results even
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when progress feels slow or invisible
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trust that it is happening as American
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entrepreneur John's Maxwell Put it small
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disciplines repeated with consistency
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every day lead to Great achievements
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gain slowly over time the key is to keep
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going even when you can't immediately
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see the results change often happens
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beneath the surface in which you can't
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perceive day by day but if you stay the
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course one day you look back and be
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amazed by how far you've come so even if
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your investment in yourself is physical
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or emotional or both know that it is
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worth it you are worth it keep moving
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forward even if the changes are
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invisible because one day you'll zoom
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out and see just how much you've
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transformed start small stay consistent
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you can always see the effects of the
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small changes you make in your life but
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that doesn't mean that the benefits do
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not exist it might not be easy at first
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it might feel ins significant it might
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even be brutal but I promise you that if
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you keep going it will be well worth it
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remember that the Journey of a th000
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miles begins with a single step
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accepting your unique journey I
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mentioned that I've been using these
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aligners for a whole three years that's
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a very long time most of the people I've
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talked to have only been using deer
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liners for a much shorter period maybe a
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year and a half at most I guess I didn't
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win the teeth lottery I needed a a lot
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more help to get things right on the
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flip side I've never struggled with
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being overweight something that many
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people face it's fascinating how
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different we are one person's quick and
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easy fix might be another person's long
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and arious journey and that's okay our
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unique challenges are part of what makes
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us human when you accept that your part
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might require more effort than someone
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else you free yourself to focus on what
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really matters taking consistent action
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Studies have shown that effortful
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persistence often leads to Greater
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satisfaction on long-term success as
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Angela duckor the author of grit the
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power of passion and perseverance States
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enthusiasm is common endurance is rare
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yes some things may come easier for
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others but your journey is Uniquely
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Yours instead of lamenting the work lean
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into it every bit of effort you put in
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strengthens not only the outcome but
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also your resilience and character
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remember that the only way out is
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through even as you notice the lotteries
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you've lost also acknowledge the ones
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that you've won the things that come
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easy to you your blessings and your
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victories maybe you're naturally blessed
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with beautiful hair athletic abilities
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or a sharp mind maybe you have a
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supportive family a wonderful spouse or
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a resilient spirit that has helped you
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overcome from past challenges these are
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your wins and they matter just as much
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as the ones you're working towards let
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me know what lotteries you've won in the
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comments below the importance of course
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correction throughout my tri year
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invisiline Journey I've had to course
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correct a few times getting a whole new
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set of aligners to make further
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adjustments or shift Direction this
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process is essential to make sure that
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you get the desired outcome just like
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with life sometimes the path we start on
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doesn't lead to our desired outcome and
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we need to change course what's crucial
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here is to remember that we are never
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starting from scratch and I want to
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encourage you to not be so paralyzed by
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the thought of having to course correct
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that you refuse to even start the
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journey in life course correction is not
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failure it is a necessary step in
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ensuring that we are moving towards our
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goals the power of collateral benefits
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for those of you who've watched some of
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my other videos you know how much I love
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talking about focusing on collateral
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benefits the unexpected positives that
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come from working towards a goal and
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even with using these aligners I've had
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a few collateral benefits for one my
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teeth are noticeably whiter why well
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because the process has forced me to
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build the habit of brushing my teeth
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after each and every meal but even more
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impactful is how it made me more
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disciplined with my eating habits and
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here's why before eating or drinking
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anything else other than water I have to
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remove the aligners and let me tell you
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my laziness has surprisingly worked in
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my favor here because there's no way I'm
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going through all the effort of removing
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the aligners just to eat one cracker
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then brushing my teeth and brushing the
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liner before putting them back on the
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meal has to be worth all that effort
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this small shift has taught me to be
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more intentional about my choices
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instead of mindlessly snacking I know
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pause to consider what whether it's
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truly worth the work so think about your
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collateral benefits what unexpected
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positives might arise from your efforts
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sometimes focusing on these hidden
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rewards can motivate you even more than
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the original goal Embrace technology and
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evolve with new information several
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years ago in my early 20s I considered
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getting braces at the time the dentist
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told me that braces wouldn't fix my bite
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and that surgery was the only option
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with some of my teeth having gaps and
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others not having any gaps I thought
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that it was a lost cause and that I
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would just have to live with it I even
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went so far as getting a mold for my
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teeth a process that was cumbersome and
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timec consuming back then fast forward
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to today and the same mold process is
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done in a matter of minutes digitally
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thanks to the advancement in technology
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this shift serves as a powerful reminder
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of how much technology has improved Our
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Lives offering us Solutions we once
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thought were impossible it also
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highlights how advice can evolve over
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time what one seemed like the only
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option is often replaced by new better
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Solutions this lesson can be applied to
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any aspect of life technology knowledge
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and perspectives are constantly evolving
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and being open to them allows us to
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adapt find better Solutions and make
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progress where we once saw limitations
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always remember that what seems
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impossible today May EAS eily be
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achievable tomorrow think about ways
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that you could use technology to your
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own Advantage whether it's your fitness
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journey where apps and different gadgets
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can track your progress such as
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personalized workout routines or even
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provide realtime feedback on your
11:14
performance technology can help you stay
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accountable measure your improvements
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and motivate you to keep going even when
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progress feels slow overcoming unhealthy
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beliefs honestly I didn't even want to
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I thought I'm too old to be walking
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around with braces I'm not a teenager
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anymore looking back I realized how
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often we let unhelpful beliefs hold us
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back what stories are you telling
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yourself about why you can't make a
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change even one that you desperately
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want maybe you think that you're too old
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to start lifting weights or to learn a
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new skill some of you may even feel too
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ashamed to go to the dentist or the gym
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fearing judgment and feeling selfcon
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conscious about where you are in your
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journey but what you believe about
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yourself shapes your reality the
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spotlight effect plays a major role in
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this it's a feeling that everyone is
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watching you judging you or noticing
12:13
your every move but chances are they're
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more concerned with their own workouts
12:18
or their own challenges what we often
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fail to realize is that the only
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judgment that truly matters is the one
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we pass on ourselves that's why it's so
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so important to embrace vulnerability
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and take action despite our fears
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progress not Perfection at the same time
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it's important to acknowledge that we
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can't change everything about ourselves
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there are parts of who we are that make
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us uniquely beautiful and deserving of
12:45
love just as we are but that doesn't
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mean that we can't focus on the things
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that we can change or do want to improve
12:53
in our lives it's not about being
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ungrateful it's about realizing that
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both truths can Co exist for me those
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little plastic aligners are a daily
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promise I've kept to improve something I
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dislike even when it feels uncomfortable
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and today I'm not just more confident in
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my smile I'm more confident in my
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ability to embrace change no matter how
13:16
daunting it may feel at first as Dr
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Kristen nef explains self-compassion
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involves acknowledging that imperfection
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is part of the shared Human Experience
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while still striving to improve the key
13:31
is to focus on progress not Perfection
13:35
and myet often says self-confidence
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comes from keeping the promises you make
13:40
to yourself every small step you take
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every little promise you keep builds
13:47
self-respect the cost of indiscipline
13:50
it's a little frustrating when things
13:52
don't go as planned right I remember the
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time I was cooking Curry and I just put
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a tiny taste on my tongue and somehow
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that little moment of indulgence
14:03
completely stay in my invisaline
14:05
aligners it's a reminder that even the
14:07
smallest actions can have a big impact
14:10
sometimes in ways we don't expect but
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here's the life lesson it's okay to make
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mistakes and it's important to be kind
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to yourself when things don't go as
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planned for the aligners it just means a
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little extra cleaning on my part and of
14:24
course being more mindful next time in
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life it's the same principle when we
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face setbacks the key is not to give up
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but to reset adapt and keep moving
14:33
forward find your community it's also
14:36
important to recognize that part of
14:38
overcoming self-consciousness is going
14:40
to places where you feel comfortable and
14:43
supported whether it's the dentist the
14:45
JY or any new environment choosing the
14:48
spaces where you feel welcomed and
14:50
encouraged can make the world a
14:52
difference I found a dentist who made me
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feel at ease with the process and give
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me the support I needed to keep moving
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in the same way finding a Jame or
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fitness group that makes you feel
15:04
accepted whether it's a class that suits
15:06
your level or a friendly gym environment
15:09
this can transform your entire
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experience supportive environments are
15:13
crucial to your success because they
15:16
provide both accountability and
15:18
encouragement whether it's a group of
15:20
friends a mentor or a healthcare
15:21
professional who listens and encourages
15:23
you these are the people who will help
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you stay on track when challenges arise
15:29
and don't be afraid to leave places or
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situations that don't make you feel
15:34
empowered or motivated achieving
15:37
long-term success in just a few short
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weeks I'll be completely done with my
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Invisalign treatment and the dentist
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will remove all these Hooks and buttons
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from my mouth but even though the
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treatment will be over I'll still have
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to wear a retainer at night likely for
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the rest of my life and hopefully it's a
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long life it's a small ongoing
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commitment but it's necessary to
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maintain the progress I've worked so
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hard to achieve and this is my next life
16:07
lesson sustaining progress often
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requires long-term effort we put in the
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work to make a change but to truly
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maintain that change it requires
16:18
consistent small actions over time just
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like with the retainer you must be
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willing to put in the ongoing work to
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keep the results you've achieved
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remember start small stay consistent and
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keep the faith in your journey your
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efforts will pay off and the results
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will be well worth it there are so many
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life lessons from seemingly mundane
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moments in our lives that we often
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Overlook life has a remarkable way of
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teaching us if we're willing to listen
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and reflect now I'd love to hear from
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you what's the biggest life lesson
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you've learned from an unexpected place
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or experience maybe it was a struggle
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that turned into something amazing or a
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small hobit that led to big change leave
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a comment below and share your story if
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you're interested in some more life
17:08
lessons you'd want to check out this
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video where I discuss the life lessons
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I've learned after migrating to Canada
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if you enjoy this video be sure to like
17:16
And subscribe thank you ever so much