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I had no idea I would be writing this weekend about this subject but after getting a very disturbing email from another Psychotherapist this week, who I thought was my friend, I have no choice. When I blog, I blog from my heart, and when something calls me to express my thoughts on an important issue, I have no choice but to blog away about it.
I have used Facebook, Twitter, and my Blog for at least three years to express subject matter related to my field. I have written about subjects ranging from adolescents and the dangers of pain medication, baby boomers and addiction, and finding your life purpose in sobriety, as well as a host of other blogs related to many important mental health issues. It was only in the last few weeks I started to write about my upcoming book, “The Law of Sobriety.” The book is a great resource for anyone new in sobriety and for those who have a secure sobriety and wanting to discover “What’s next?” for them now that they have embraced a clean and sober lifestyle.
My goals for facebook and blogging never was intended to be used like an email to contact friends, although it has been a blast finding old friends from the past. I thought it was a vehicle that college students were using and then discovered us baby boomers could enjoy the many aspects facebook has to offer. Then when twitter came around, I didn’t even hook it up to my phone and still haven’t. I thought how cool it would be to write inspirational quotes and to continue to meet other like minded individuals in recovery and in the mental health arena.
Well, this supposed friend wrote to me that she doesn’t use Faceboook for marketing and that it wouldn’t be fair to her friends. She doesn’t write about work and would not use her personal Facebook page as a marketing tool. She believes talking about herself is “too indulgent” and that anyone who uses Facebook or Twitter as a marketing tool should be embarrassed and expect to be un-friended.
I sat there like a deer in headlights not believing what she wrote on my wall. I was at first hurt, then baffled. For the most part, my Facebook messages have been inspirational quotes, articles and blogs related to addictions, and just recently blurbs about my book. I haven’t tried to get clients, sell products, or anything remotely related to a full blown “Sherry Gaba” marketing campaign. Yes, now that my book is coming out, I hope to reach as many people as I can who will benefit from what I have to share. I work endlessly helping clients day in and day out in one on one sessions helping them getting sober, stay sober, and to live a joyous and free life while sober.
I am so grateful that this book opportunity came up for me and I will proudly share it with anyone who is interested in reading it. Thank you to all my Facebook Friends who have commented on my wall supporting everything I do. You have re-affirmed what I already knew, but to be acknowledged by others who work in recovery or are in recovery, is beyond a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a Psychotherapist and Life Coach who works in addictions in Agoura Hills, CA. She is the Psychotherapist and Life Coach on Celebrity Rehab 2 and 3 with Dr. Drew. Her new book “The Law of Sobriety” will be out in September 2010. She also works with other mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, as well as with adolescents, single parents, couples, and, divorce and co-parenting. She can be reached at sherry@sgabatherapy.com or www.sgabatherapy.com. http://www.sgabatherapy.com/AgouraHillsPsychotherapy.en.html
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Lately I have noticed a theme amongst teenagers as to one of the reasons they are using and abusing drugs and/or alcohol. They they tell me they are “bored.” As someone growing up in the seventies, there were no video games, cell phones, texting, emailing, or computers and the internet. In other words, there wasn’t the instant gratification that there is with today’s youth. We walked to our friends house, we didn’t text, facebook, or twitter them. We had to wait until we got home to call a friend, not while we were driving or shopping. We went to the movies on the weekend. There were no renting or downloading movies. We played games in the streets outside where we enjoyed the sun and nature. We didn’t sit in our bedrooms with the doors closed for endless hours playing video games.
It is no wonder our adolescents are so bored? Everything is instant and the pleasure centers of their brains are being over stimulated. They are needing more and more stimulation to just feel normal that in my day a bike ride could have provided. When the activities die down, boredom sets in and lack of coping skills takes over. Dopamine activates neurons involved in attention and learning and works with the pleasure system of the brain to create feelings of motivation, happiness, euphoria, appetite control and controlled motor movements. This neurotransmitter is central to the creation of reward systems such as food, sex, positive social interactions, even laughter. Nearly all drug abuse and forms of addiction involve dopamine systems. As a result, elevating dopamine levels can improve mood, alertness, libido, yet too much or an imbalance can lead to a tendency towards addictive behaviors.
Adolescents ages 12 to 17 who are bored are 50 percent likelier than those not bored to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs, according to a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Boredom is also known to cause eating disorders, compulsive gambling, anger, low school and work performance.
The solution to counter attack boredom is to feel fulfilled. Teenagers need to be involved in activities that make them feel productive with something they know they can master, it should bring them joy, and it should provide personal growth and well-being. Another solution is to give to others. Take your teenager to a soup kitchen and feed the homeless for the holidays. A study of 1500 volunteers found that participating in activities that made them feel they were contributing to someone else’s well-being caused them to feel a greater sense of euphoria, serenity, and energy.
Adolescents need to be kept busy with activities that nourish them such as sports, music, drama, and positive support systems. As a single mother, I was concerned with the statistics that my daughter could be prone to drug abuse. Dance was my daughter’s saving grace. It increased her self-esteem on so many levels. She felt fulfilled and it kept her busy in a positive way.
When adolescents feel gratified and engaged in healthy activities, let’s hope alcohol and drugs suddenly become the “boring” solution.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a Psychotherapist and Life Coach in Agoura Hills, CA. She is a contributing author to the “Conscious Entrepreneur” and her book “The Law of Sobriety: Attracting Positive Energy for a Powerful Recovery” will be out in September 2010. She specializes in addictions, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, single parenting, and divorce, as well as helping her clients find their life purpose. She is the Psychotherapist and Life Coach that appeared on Celebrity Rehab 2 and 3 on VH1 with Dr. Drew Pinsky and worked behind the scenes of Sober House. She can be reached at sherry@sgabatherapy.com. www.sgabatherapy.com.
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I Got My Mojo Workin’… Likely you have heard the word mojo used in reference to virility as in the Muddy Waters’ song with that immortal lyric: “I got my mojo workin’.” You might also remember The Doors’ lead singer Jim Morrison belting out, “gotta keep my mojo risin’…” at the end ofL.A.Woman, repeating the lyric faster and faster to simulate making love. Younger generations may recall the Austin Powers film The Spy Who Shagged Me, wherein the spoof-hero loses his mojo while in bed with Ivana Humpalot. So, to many of us who learned about this word through pop culture we think of our mojo as our sexual power. Yet it means a lot more than that. Although the word “mojo” is defined often as a type of magical charm, its origins can be traced to the African Congo where “moyo” means soul or life force. Another curious connotation of the word comes from Hunter S. Thompson, the American journalist and author best known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Thompson used the expression “mojo wire” in reference to the teletype machine, which he considered the highest form of human communication back in 1972. Variant usages and subtle connotations aside, in general use “mojo” also means that special spark of creative energy between two people. In this article you will discover a very special mojo-wire-one that you can verify to be among the highest forms of human communication in your own experience…your body and the signals it gives you. How Do We Lose Our Mojo? How is it that through time we often lose the spark between people and grow habitual and stale? What causes us to repeat the patterns that degrade our relationships and thir mojo over and over?In the movie What the Bleep Do We Know, Dr. Joe Dispenza asserts, “Some people have love connected to disappointment. When they think about love they experience the memory of pain, sorrow, anger, and even rage. Rage may be linked to hurt which may be linked to a person, which then is connected back to love. We know physiologically that nerve cells that fire together wire together. If you practice something over and over, those nerve cells have a long-term relationship. If you get angry on a daily basis, if you get frustrated on a daily basis, if you suffer on a daily basis, if you give reason for the victimization in your life, you’re rewiring and reintegrating that neural net on a daily basis. And that neural net now has a long-term relationship with all those other nerve cells called an “identity.”My work with couples over the years has convinced me that any two people can connect on any combination of levels or “identities”. Let’s face it: some people form relationships in which the mojo works on all fronts while other pairs have it going on in some areas but not others. Couples that connect on all levels not only share common values, interests andgoals, they are also intellectually compatible, emotionally suited to one another in terms of basic temperament, and physically connected with zingy chemistry. On the other hand, some couples have a fantastic intellectual connection that flows easily, but they are physically disconnected and show little affection toward each other. Some have a strong spiritual connection but no sexual chemistry. Still others have great sexual chemistry but few shared values or visions. And for many couples, the whole question of purpose-both individually and as a couple-has gone un- or under- addressed. Mojo and Consciousness Relationships can work when couples are conscious of why they are together and are content with what they do have. These are the relationships that truly thrive. The goal is not to force connection where there isn’t one, but to bridge the areas where a gap exists and fill it with awareness rather than resentment. What if we could tell the truth about that instead of hurting each other with it? One of the many pitfalls I’ve watched couples fall into is a tendency to propagate negative thoughts such as: “he doesn’t meet me on an intellectual level,” or, “she isn’t as affectionate as I am.” We all tend to create stories in our heads that are full of assumptions about our partner’s feelings and behavior.The following series of questions is designed to help you discover and decipher what may be keeping you from boosting your relationship mojo.The key question for me is: In relationships, when there is any conflict, Do you want to be right or close?Do you try to control conversations? Sometimes? Often? Never? If you do, are you aware of it in the moment? What feelings come up in you when you meet a new person? How comfortable do you feel with others in general? Just reflect for a moment on any such dynamics in your interactions with others. Do you tend to hold back in conversations, or take a passive role because you lack confidence or don’t know how to fully participate? If you do, are you aware of this in the moment? What are the feelings underneath your holding back or being reserved? Do you “dump” your feelings, opinions and upsets on your spouse, family, friends, co-workers, boss? If so, are you aware of doing this in the moment? Do you withhold your feelings from your spouse, family, friends, co-workers, or boss? If so, are you aware of doing this in the moment? Pick three important people in your life. Now, think of feelings or of anything you would like to share with them, but don’t. Do you know why you hold back? Do you habitually cover up your feelings in front of others, whether by being serious, withdrawn or shut down, hyper and chatty, or by makingjokes and being flippant? If so, are you aware of doing what you are doing in the moment? Are you aware of what your body is doing when you talk? Do your hands move? How congruent are you, meaning, do your face and body language match what you’re feeling and speaking? Having examined your level of awareness in your relations, do you see patterns you would like to change? Do you have a clear sense of situations where you are generally inhibited, uneasy or passive; or where you are relatively confident, uninhibited and dynamic? Do you see “stuck” places you would like to move beyond?Do you see how you can get your Mojo working? Work it baby. Steve does phone and Skype relationship counseling for individuals and couples and can be reached at 415 302 5922 http://www.Steve Sisgold.com ——————————————————————————–
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A woman comes in depressed and anxious after a recent divorce; another woman comes in after a divorce but is more hopeful and eagerly wants to move on with her life. Should these women see a therapist or life coach or perhaps both? Hopefully, this article will clarify the differences and similarities and how each profession provides its own unique gems.
In terms of more personal issues, individuals many years ago before the birthing of psychotherapy, might seek guidance from their church or synagogue. Once Freud and Psychoanalysis emerged, psychotherapy became the place to go for one on one support. In terms of employer employee relations, there was a time in the workforce when an employee might seek counsel from a manager. With the downsizing of middle management, many employees found themselves without support. What have replaced them in the corporate world is independent consultants. They help the employee to deal with morale, relationship building, and employee absenteeism among other employer-employee issues. Now, with the onset of virtual technology, e-mail, wireless office technology and an increase in home offices, guidance can now come from an individual’s own home. Although psychotherapy has its own guidelines state to state, life coaching can be facilitated anywhere. It is a global community. Life coaching can keep individuals and employees motivated and accountable as well as move them towards finding a more fulfilling and purposeful life,
Now you might be asking where does psychotherapy come in. Although there are therapists that are more goals oriented and solution focused, life coaches and therapists serve different purposes. The therapist is the person who is sought out for healing old wounds, focuses on past issues, and deals with personal problems that need to be analyzed and solved. The life coach, on the other hand, is a mentor or guide. Coaches focus on the manifestation of one’s future making their dreams come alive now with accountability and action steps designed both by the life coach and the client. Life coaching is not about fixing a problem but rather helping a client get out of the comfort zone. It is the transformation of creating a future self. A life coach believes a client is already whole. Being coached is consciously choosing a preferred future and living life fully and purposefully now. Coaching does not focus on what needs mending but rather clarifies what the client wants to improve upon whether it is their career, their relationship, their health and well-being, or even their spirituality. Coaches ask clients “What is it they really want out of life?” The Coaches Training Institute sees coaching as an alliance between the coach and client together. In other words, there is a “co-creation” or partnership of equals in the process of coaching. They use what is known as a “co-active” model and believe the client is already “naturally, creative, resourceful and whole.” Therapy, on the other hand, treats a client’s diagnosis. Coaching demands the bringing forth of a client’s brilliance of who they are and have always been. Coaching puts the brakes on when will the client finally be fulfilled, but rather we have these gifts inside us already and coaching helps give birth to it. positive plan for my future.
In essence, there is always room for life coaching or psychotherapy. When issues are more serious or are out of a coach’s scope of practice, a life coach will refer a client to outside psychotherapy. They are highly trained to deal with mental illness, suicide, addictions, abuse, and other more difficult problems. A client in these instances needs to be properly evaluated and treated for these issues. Psychotherapy is about eliminating problems and making changes to live a more functional life and life coaching is about calling forth the magnificence that has always existed in the client so they can breathe into the life they are truly meant to live.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW is a Life Coach and Psychotherapist in Agoura Hills, CA. She works with adolescents, adults, and couples. She specializes in addictions, trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. She also helps her clients find their life purpose. She is the Psychotherapist and Life Coach on Celebrity Rehab 2 and 3 with Dr. Drew Pinsky on VH1. She services Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, Calabasas, Malibu, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Newbury Park. Her new book, “The Law of Sobriety” will be out in September 2010. She can be reached at 818-756-3338. www.sgabatherapy.com or sherry@sgabatherapy.com. http://www.sgabatherapy.com/CalabasasPsychotherapy.en.html
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“Purpose is the most important quality for every life to possess, experientially, consciously, and with words. It tells us what we want most to be about.”
–Frederic M. Hudson, Ph.D.
Purpose in the American heritage Dictionary is defined “The Object toward which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or goal…” or “A result or an effect that is intended or desired; an intention” or “Determination, resolution.” So what is your purpose in recovery? Is it to stay sober? Is it to attend three to five 12 step meetings a week? Is it to find a job or start a business that resonates with who you are or who you are becoming? Is your purpose more existential such as “Why am I here on this planet?
Do you ever have the thought, “There must be more than this?” This internal nudge may be more than just middle age approaching, being in a rut professionally, or feeling antsy in your present relationships. Yes, a purpose is much more….it is a calling, a deep feeling within that there is a reason you are here. It doesn’t take crises such as a death, divorce, or job change to figure out what that purpose is either. Right now you can determine what it is that makes your heart sing.
Finding your purpose is much more than just defining what your goals are. A purpose is much richer and gives your goals a foundation to build upon. Goals can be defined much easier when you know what your are passionate about.
So how can a purpose help keep you sober? When you first got sober, your goal was most likely to attend as many 12 step meetings as possible and the purpose, of course, was to stay sober. Than your goals morphed into other important goals such as paying off your bills, finding a decent place to live, or clearing away people, places, and things in your life that were triggers that could cause you to relapse. Then you moved on to perhaps finding a job or career so that you could re-build your life. Your goals might have been to find people in your life that were in recovery and who you could have “sober fun” with. These were all absolutely necessary in early recovery to keep you grounded and focused. However, as time passed, you found yourself maybe stagnant, restless, or maybe even irritable. You were promised that if you just stayed sober, these feelings would not occur.
I know for me I have felt impatient or agitated knowing there is something more for me to be or to do, not having a clue what that something is. I eventually learned that the fidgetiness is really the universe calling me to perhaps reinvent myself, make new friends, reflect on my intimate relationships, and spiritual longings. These are the things that have made up my purpose over the years.
Life is much more than getting by. It is time to turn off your cell phones, take a break from twitter, face book, voice mail and your computer and breathe your purpose in and breathe your goal out.. Maybe you can take small steps by defining what your purpose is just for today. I know I can become easily burnt out when I don’t take those sacred pauses throughout the day to just be still and be with me and the beauty that surrounds me. It is so important to hold sacred space to look deeper within to reflect on those existential questions as to why you are here and what is next?
Although one of the most important purposes is to stay sober, there may be other goals around your sobriety that have needed a tune up. Maybe you need to try some new 12- step meetings to get energized again. Perhaps it is time to get into psychotherapy or find a life coach to help you clarify your changing goals or to develop a purpose statement that encompasses other aspects of your life such as family, career, spirituality, or improving your relationships. Your purpose is your vision for your life today, tomorrow, and in the distant future. Maybe start with your distant future and work backwards creating goals that resonate with what you want to do, where you want to go, and what you want to leave behind.
One of the best ways to re-evaluate your purpose is to look first at your values. Have your values changed? Are you living up to your values? Values shift throughout our lives. There is no need to judge your values, but maybe it is time to tweak them to resonate with where you are in your life today. For example, I am learning I can only see so many clients a week. If I see more, it is a sure recipe for burn out. When I first started my private practice full time, I did not put a cap on how many clients I would see a week. The greater goal is I want more time to meditate, exercise, and spend more time with friends and family. The value is I want to be more at peace so that recovery can be peaceful and effortless.
Step back; notice what you are feeling right now. Does it resonate with your true purpose? Or do you feel angst at the thought of what is ahead of you today? Tomorrow? Or in the distant future? The answers are an inside job and will come to you when you take the sacred time to discover them.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a Psychotherapist and Life Coach in Agoura Hills specializing in addictions, depression, anxiety, trauma (PTSD), divorce, and single parenting. She also sees adolescents. She is the Life Coach on Celebrity Rehab 2, 3 and Sober House with Dr. Drew on VH1. She is a contributing author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tough People.” She can be reached at http://sgabatherapy.com/AgouraHillsPsychotherapy.en.html
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A woman enters my office disheveled, thin, mid forties, with hollow eyes. It is as if the sparkle in her eyes ceased to exist a very long time ago. She tells me she has been drinking and is using methamphetamines. I am not surprised to hear this because lately my practice has been filled with middle aged baby boomers seeking help for their serious addictions. Whether it is alcohol, cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, pain killers, heroine, or smoking marijuana, many have crossed the line into addiction. Their lives have become unmanageable and they have lost their ability to control their use. Some believe they can just cut down, but as addiction specialists, we know it is impossible once you have crossed that invisible line into dependency. One of their defense mechanisms is “denial” so they can still continue their love affair with drugs or alcohol. Addiction is the only disease that tells them in the most insidious of ways, “I don’t have a problem or disease.” It can be very difficult treating someone who doesn’t think they have a problem. However, on some level this particular woman who landed in my office may already know an issue exists, but can’t bare to admit it.
There are many professionals out there to help. Just like the women who entered my office confused and ambivalent, a first step was taken in her battling the disease and beginning the recovery process.
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If you are like most people, you are feeling the effects of the economy. The fears of a failing economy, fallen house prices, banks going out of business, and high gas prices cannot be alleviated by an “economic rescue package.” What most people are needing is instead, a “mental health rescue package.” My private practice has never been busier and the issue du jour is anticipatory anxiety over an uncertain financial marketplace. Perhaps our parents and grandparents can remember days gone by of soup kitchens and people throwing themselves out of tall buildings because of the depression. I don’t know if we are not that far off from similar desperate measures due to desperation in these frantic times. . Certainly, my associates are seeing more depression and signs of helplessness and hopelessness with their clients. If managing stress was the buzz before the economic downturn, it is most definitely needed in today’s financially disastrous times.
Some people get confused with the differences between pressure and stress. Pressure is what is happening to you, while stress is how you react to those pressures. Stress is composed of the thoughts that we believe are happening, although there is not always any reality related to those thoughts. For example, you may have a boss that is in a bad mood but you instantly believe he is going to fire you and that may not be necessarily true. Therefore, be careful what you think because that may be what is causing you unnecessary stress in your daily life.
There are various different types of stressors such as financial stress, marital stress, mental, and physical stress. The following are tips to help you cope with the various stress plaguing your serenity and peace of mind.
FINANCIAL STRESS
Try to do an assessment of where you stand financially. Ask yourself where is your money? Do you need assistance from a trusted financial advisor?
Limit your exposure to media coverage about the failing economy.
Make sure that all your bank accounts are covered by the FDIC – Federal Deposit Insurance insures deposits up to $100,000.00.
Be extra wary of financial scams that promise instant high returns.
Talk with your creditors if you are having trouble making your monthly bills and ask if they can be made into smaller payments.
Learn if there are financial assistance programs available to you such as Federal and state programs.
MARITAL STRESS
Before you get married, made sure you share similar values around financial issues such as investments, vacations, keeping a budget, and standard of living goals.
Decide if it is more conducive to have separate or joint accounts. For marriages later in life, separate accounts can protect the assets you have accumulated before you got married.
Figure out who is going to pay the bills and how you want to divide them.
Don’t make impulsive decisions without communicating with your partner. Remind each other you are in this together.
Don’t do the escape and avoidance tactic because most likely you will incur more debt.
Don’t keep secrets about how you both are spending and earning your money because this will erode trust.
Stop bailing out your grown children because this only enables their irresponsible behavior.
MENTAL STRESS
Don’t use buying something new as a way to improve your mood. Ask yourself if you really need the item?
Try to get perspective on your thoughts and beliefs around money so that you have more clarity.
Avoid compulsive and addictive behavior to cope with your financial problems such as substance abuse, compulsive shopping, gambling, or sex addiction. If you find yourself in trouble with any addictions, seek the proper help.
Don’t compare yourself to what others have. You really don’t know what is going on behind closed doors.
Learn to let go of what you cannot control. Freedom begins when we begin to understand what we can and cannot control.
PHYSICAL STRESS
Take brisk walks.
Meditate focusing on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Laugh. It does wonders.
Tense and relax various muscle groups.
Use guided visualizations to invoke all your senses.
Take a personal day off from work to just get out of the “doing” and get into the “being.”
Although we are powerless over what goes on in certain outside aspects of our financial lives, there are some things we can control when it comes to our financial success. Remember most financial crises are temporary and that when we are in deep fear, it is most likely un-founded, but only feels real in the moment. If we can reframe our negative thoughts to positive ones, our fears lessen allowing us to make better financial decisions today for a more thriving tomorrow.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW is a Psychotherapist in Agoura Hills and does Life Coaching in her office or by phone. She is the author of the upcoming book, “The Law of Sobriety” in September 2010 and contributing author to “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times and Tough People” and the “Conscious Entrepreneur”. She is the Life Coach on Celebrity Rehab 2, 3 and Sober House with Dr. Drew Pinsky on VH1. She specializes in addictions, trauma (PTSD), depression, anxiety, single parenting, divorce, and somatic experiencing. She can be reached at sherry@sgabatherapy.com or http://sgabatherapy.com/AgouraHillsPsychotherapy.en.html
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You may be a single woman by choice, a single parent, a single woman who has just been dumped or has done the dumping, or just someone that enjoys being a singleton. Whatever your circumstances are, being single is a time to celebrate and honor who you right at this very moment. It is a time to honor all of the opportunities that await you such as finding who your authentic self is. That’s right, take the mask off and enter the place of the un-known without being in fear. Only the un-known offers us infinite possibilities for future love if that’s what you want or maybe a trip to India, or perhaps taking that yoga class you keep putting off. Anything and everything is possible when you are single. Here are the 10 reasons why being single can be satisfying.
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Another solution to this growing epidemic might be getting to know our neighbors more closely to feel part of a community rather than having to look outside our neighborhoods for a sense of belonging. Creating deeper bonds within our own circles might alleviate the need to search outside for validation. If your teen does, however, show signs such as isolation, eating habit changes, depression, excessive sleep, or new acting out behavior, seek the professional help you need. This could be signs of an addiction or eating disorder and a professional can assess if there is truly a serious problem erupting. Celebrity addiction is not nearly as dangerous as a drug or alcohol addiction; however, it is another way your teen may be avoiding what is really going on in their life. Celebrity addiction can prevent or delay your teen from forming his or her own identity and instead emulate a false self of one of their favorite idols never developing a true core self, which we all want to develop.
Sherry Gaba Psychotherapist and Life Coach 