In short
Podcast Notes: On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Episode Title
Feel Stuck, Confused, or Behind? Use THIS Blueprint and Completely Transform Your Life in ONE Year!
Episode Summary
In this episode, Jay Shetty discusses the nature of real change and the common pitfalls that prevent individuals from achieving their goals. Rather than relying on motivation or hope, Jay emphasizes the importance of structured systems and intentional choices to foster transformation. He provides a practical blueprint for change, focusing on the power of small, consistent actions over time.
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Key Concepts and Discussions
- Transformation Requires More Than Motivation
- Change is often perceived as needing motivation or perfect timing.
- True change occurs through consistent, intentional choices rather than sporadic bursts of effort.
- Common Reasons for Stagnation
- Many people fail to change not due to laziness or lack of talent but because they lack a strategic approach.
- The statistic that 92% of people do not follow through on New Year’s goals highlights the issue of relying on hope instead of a structured plan.
- The Blueprint for Lasting Transformation
- Redesigning Your Environment: Make habits easier to adopt by altering your surroundings.
- Upgrading Your Identity: Shift your focus from goal-oriented thinking to identity-based growth (e.g., "Who do I want to become?").
- Learning Skills: Emphasize mastering one new skill per year to increase self-confidence and open new opportunities.
- Improving Relationships: Enhance the quality of your relationships, as they are crucial for overall well-being.
- Facing Fears: Identify fears and take small actions to confront them, which diminishes their power.
- Four Seasons of Growth
- Season 1: Reset - Create a supportive environment and habits.
- Season 2: Learn - Master a new skill that can alter your trajectory.
- Season 3: Connect - Improve and deepen significant relationships.
- Season 4: Expand - Embrace risks and create new projects.
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Practical Steps Suggested by Jay
- Redesign Your Daily Routines: Focus on morning and night anchors to shape your day positively.
- Remove Friction: Make positive habits easier and negative ones harder to engage in.
- Fear List: Instead of a traditional to-do list, create a list of fears and break them down into actionable steps.
- Engage in Service: Helping others can enhance your own well-being and redefine your purpose and identity.
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Quotes to Remember
- “Your life won’t change when you try harder. It will change when you redesign the system you live inside.”
- “Fear becomes smaller the closer you move toward it.”
- “If you want to change your life, change someone else's day.”
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Conclusion
Jay Shetty encourages listeners to take intentional steps toward transformation over the course of a year. The focus should not solely be on immediate results but rather on consistent, small improvements that compound over time. By embracing change through a strategic plan, individuals can look back a year later and find significant growth and transformation in their lives.
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Additional Resources
- To receive more insights and transformative wisdom, listeners are encouraged to subscribe to Jay’s newsletter and tune in for future episodes every Monday and Friday.
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Feel free to use these notes for a deeper understanding of the episode or as a reference for personal growth strategies discussed by Jay Shetty.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Power of Change
0:45 to 2:28
Jay Shetty discusses the concept of transformation and personal growth.
“Talking about trauma isn't always great for people.”
Building a System for Change
2:28 to 4:28
Understanding the necessity of a structured system for effective change.
“What if I told you that one year from today, you could wake up as a completely different person and the only thing standing in the way is the way you're thinking about this year.”
Actionable Steps for a New Year
4:28 to 7:09
Practical advice on redesigning habits and environments to facilitate change.
“A friend's one told me, Jay, I keep trying to change and nothing sticks.”
The Importance of Learning Skills
7:09 to 9:06
Discussing how learning skills can transform identities and lives.
“It's not about the goal, it's about the growth you're willing to undertake in order to achieve the goal.”
Transforming Relationships
11:51 to 14:02
Jay emphasizes the role of relationships in personal transformation and quality of life.
“One decision can separate who you were from who you're becoming.”
Transforming Relationships for Growth
14:02 to 15:10
Explore how to assess and improve your relationships for a better life.
“Which relationship would have the greatest positive benefit in your life If you invested in it more Here are four questions that will change your relationships Who do you need to call more?”
Confronting Fear to Take Action
15:10 to 17:42
Learn the importance of facing fears and taking actionable steps despite anxiety.
“You don't have to just cut people out But recognize what would move the needle And give it some time and energy Truth number four Fear becomes bigger the further you stand from it.”
A Year to Transform Your Life
17:42 to 24:44
Understand the power of setting intentions and taking steps to transform your life in one year.
“One of my favorite quotes that I've ever heard is if you feel afraid, do it afraid.”
Embracing Consistency and Growth
24:44 to 27:31
Discover how to maintain consistency and embrace growth for lasting change.
“so choose one thing today one habit one relationship one skill one decision, one fear, one act of service, and just start.”
The Nature of Goals and Expectations
28:00 to 28:15
Explore the emotional implications of achieving goals and the potential lack of fulfillment.
“You set a goal today, you achieve it in six months, and then by the time it happens, it's almost a relief.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.
0:31podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Radhi Devlukia, and I am the host of a Really Good Cry podcast. This week, I am joined by Anna Runkle, also known as the Crappy Childhood Fairy, a creator, teacher, and guide helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods. Talking about trauma isn't always great for people. It's not always the best thing. About a third of people who were traumatized as kids feel worse when they talk about it get very dysregulated listen to a really good cry on the iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast no one is harmed no death no trauma just a few cells grown in a dish this is david eagleman from the inner cosmos podcast and this week we're tackling a tough question where brain science meets the future lab grown meat is going to force us to confront to the boundaries of our ethics?
1:26And what does this have to do with brain plasticity, social belonging, messed up boundaries between mental categories? What does this uncover about brain science and our calculations of morality? Listen to Inner Cosmos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Who do I want to become? It's not about the goal, it's about the growth you're willing to undertake in order to achieve the goal. Success is quiet mornings, late nights, and a hundred almosts before one yes. Success is choosing discipline on the day's motivation doesn't show up. Success is doing the work when no one's watching and no one's clapping.
2:12Success is walking away from what drains you so you can protect what grows you. The number one health and wellness podcast. Jay Shetty. Jay Shetty. The one, the only Jay Shetty. I was stuck, confused and unsuccessful until I did this. What if I told you that one year from today, you could wake up as a completely different person and the only thing standing in the way is the way you're thinking about this year. Most people never change their lives. Not because they're lazy, not because they're untalented, but because they don't understand this one truth. Your life doesn't change in a year. Your life changes in the tiny decisions you repeat for a year.
3:05We waste entire years waiting for motivation, waiting for clarity, waiting for timing, waiting for confidence. And while we wait, the year quietly disappears. Here's an uncomfortable statistic. 92 % of people never follow through on their new year goals. Not because they don't want to change, but because they're using hope as a strategy instead of a system. But here's the inspiring part. One year is long enough to transform almost anything about your life. Your body, your relationships, your career, your self-worth, your habits, your emotional health. if you understand the science of real change.
3:49In this episode, I'm going to give you a 12-month blueprint that has helped millions of people transform their lives, a framework backed by psychology, research, and real human stories. And I promise you this, by the end of these 30 minutes, you will no longer fear the future. You will feel prepared to shape it. So let's begin. Before we talk about how to change your life, we need to talk about why most people don't. It's not a lack of intelligence. It's not a lack of discipline. It's not a lack of opportunity. It's a lack of a system. Let me tell you a story. A friend's one told me, Jay, I keep trying to change and nothing sticks.
4:34Sound familiar? He'd buy new planners, he'd download new apps, he'd watch motivational speeches, and every year he ended up exactly where he started. exhausted and confused. He wasn't failing, his strategy was failing in moments of temptation. Only three to five minutes. Motivation spikes and crashes. But systems, routines, environments, structures, they keep going long after motivation dies. So here's the first truth. Your life won't change when you try harder. It will change when you redesign the system you live inside. Let's build that system together. If you want a new year, you need a new default.
5:22Most people try to change their life using motivation. Science shows your environment drives 45 % of your daily behavior, almost half your life. Let me give you a real example. I once worked with someone who could never stick to a morning routine. She tried alarms, apps, planners, nothing worked. Then we changed her environment. We rearranged her nightstand. We moved her phone to another room. We put her journal where her phone used to be. We laid out her gym clothes the night before right next to her bed. We simplified her kitchen counter. Suddenly, her identity matched her environment. She didn't become a disciplined person, she became a supported person.
6:09Here's what I want you to do. Here are some actionable steps for this year. Number one, redesign your morning and night anchors. These two 30-minute windows shape your entire day. If you understand this one thing, you can build discipline. Make the things you need easy to find and make the things you don't want hard to find. You want to work out in the morning? Make sure your gym clothes are easy to find. You don't want to have a midnight stack? Make sure those chips are hard to find. This leads us to number two, remove friction from good habits. Make good habits easier than bad ones. So many of us make good habits hard to do.
6:56We make it hard to stay healthy because our snack drawers are full of bad snacks. We make it harder to work out because we subscribe to a gym that's 30 minutes away. We make it harder to be focused on our work because our desk is full of clutter. Number three, upgrade your identity. Don't ask, what goal do I want? We all go, what goal do I want? Here's what I want you to ask instead. Who do I want to become? It's not about the goal, it's about the growth you're willing to undertake in order to achieve the goal. Success is quiet mornings, late nights, and a hundred almosts before one yes. Success is choosing discipline on the day's motivation doesn't show up.
7:45Success is doing the work when no one's watching and no one's clapping. Success is walking away from what drains you so you can protect what grows you. Success is being patient with the process even when the results are late. Success is becoming the person your future requires, not the person your past expects. Here's the second truth. A year equals four seasons of learning. A year is long enough to learn a skill that can reroute your entire life. Not a hobby, a skill. Skills change identity. Skills build confidence. Skills increase opportunity. Skills compound. Statistics show learning a new skill reduces anxiety and depression by up to 34%.
8:37Adults who engage in continuous learning report significantly higher life satisfaction. Let me tell you a story. A woman once told me she felt stuck in her job and stuck in her identity. We made one shift. She committed to learning public speaking 20 minutes a day. Just 20 minutes. One year later, she was leading meetings, pitching ideas confidently and interviewing for a promotion. The skill didn't just change her career, it changed her self-perception. So here are practical choices that you can make this year. Pick one of these and master it. public speaking, emotional regulation, networking, mindfulness, creative writing, financial literacy, communication skill.
9:27One skill can create 10 opportunities. I think about all the skills I invest in every single year and how they've transformed my life. If you want to change your life in a year, learning one skill could help you accelerate and transform your trajectory in ways nothing else could. Here's what I recommend. Do what I call immersion weekends. Spend a whole weekend attending courses, seminars, reading books, listening to podcasts about that subject. You will know very quickly what you want to invest in and what you want to spend more time on.
10:12We all want to feel better. to have more energy and more focus throughout the day. That's why I co-founded Juni, a sparkling adaptogenic drink made with powerful ingredients like ashwagandha and lion's mane. It's designed to boost your mood, support your focus and give you natural energy all without the crash. A new classic reimagined. We're so excited to officially launch our new lemonade iced tea flavor. When we created Juni, my goal was simple. I wanted to make drinks that help you feel balanced and energized without compromise. Our upgraded take on the classic Arnold Palmer is crisp, refreshing, and crafted with adaptogens to support energy, focus, and mood, all with zero sugar.
10:55Be among the first to try it. Available exclusively at drinkjuni.com, where you can use the code ONPURPOSE20 for 20 % off your first order. Cheers to your daily mood boost. It brings me so much joy to share this with you and to give something back in the process. Juni is now available at Whole Foods Market nationwide, and I'd love for you to try it for free. Head to drinkjuni.com forward slash J and get a complimentary can of Juni on me at any Whole Foods Market. Radhi and I created Juni with a simple intention, to help you feel better from the inside out. It's a sparkling adaptogenic drink crafted with ashwagandha, lion's mane, and green tea to boost your mood, support your focus, and give you clean, natural energy that stays with you throughout the day.
11:45So go to drinkjuni.com forward slash J and run to your nearest Whole Foods market for your free Juni. I can't wait for you to try it. Cheers.
12:01Here's the truth. One decision can separate who you were from who you're becoming. One decision can end an old chapter and begin a better one One decision can change your confidence forever And one decision can rewrite your entire story All it takes is one decision Truth number three Fix the relationships that matter Because connection equals quality of life The Harvard study of adult development conducted by Robert Waldinger, who I've had the honor of interviewing on On Purpose twice. This is the longest happiness study ever done. Found the quality of your relationships is the strongest predictor of your future well-being.
12:52Your life doesn't change alone. Your life changes through better conversations, better boundaries and deeper connections. So here's what I want you to do in 2026. Repair one relationship this year that matters. Release one draining connection that has expired. Deepen one meaningful bond for more support. Schedule one weekly connection ritual. Here's the harsh truth. Loneliness is not the absence of people. It's the absence of understanding. Loneliness is not the absence of company. It's being surrounded and still feeling unseen. Loneliness is not the absence of conversation. It's talking without ever being heard.
13:44Loneliness is not the absence of relationships. It's the absence of someone you can be honest with. Loneliness is not the absence of someone. It's the absence of safety. Ask yourself which relationship is worth improving Or which ones do you need to distance from Which relationship would have the greatest positive benefit in your life If you invested in it more Here are four questions that will change your relationships Who do you need to call more? Who do you need to talk to less? Who do you want to spend time with? who do you need to distance from if you focused on transforming your relationships this year it will transform your life you know what truly holds you back relationships that drain you people who misunderstand you no matter how clearly you speak conversations that take energy but give none back connections that make you doubt yourself instead of support yourself It's not your potential that's limited It's the people who keep pulling you backwards While you're trying to push forward Take an inventory of the people in your life this year You don't have to make big changes You don't have to just cut people out But recognize what would move the needle And give it some time and energy Truth number four Fear becomes bigger the further you stand from it.
15:24Fear becomes smaller the closer you move toward it. Action reduces anxiety. Avoidance amplifies it. Here are some practical steps for this year. Create a fear list instead of a to-do list, right? We all make to-do lists, but I want you to make a fear list. Break each fear into five micro actions. and then I want you to reward action not outcome because here's the mistake we make. You don't have to overcome fear before you do something. You have to do the thing whilst you're still feeling the fear. You don't get over your fear then start a business. You start a business, feel scared, nervous and anxious and still move forward.
16:10What the fear list does is it makes you face what you're actually struggling with. The reason you don't do your to-do list is because you're scared. The reason you cancel that meeting is because you're scared. The reason you don't send your resume is because you're scared. The reason you don't ask for a promotion is because you're scared. We're so scared of rejection. We're so scared of failing that we don't take action before we can remove that feeling. What we don't realize is that life is all about doing things even with the feelings that you think are holding you back. Please don't let your fears ruin your future.
16:49Please don't let your fears keep you stuck in places you've already outgrown. Please don't let your fears make you walk away from something good before you've even tried. Please don't let your fears turn temporary uncertainty into a lifetime of regret. and please don't let your fears talk you out of the future you know you deserve. It's fascinating to me how many of us set goals and don't meet them, not because the goals aren't right, but because we haven't addressed the fear. If we don't face our fears, we can't move forward toward our goals. So instead of just looking at your goals every year and wondering why you're not there yet, Make this the year you face your fears, address them, focus on them, break through them by taking action even when they exist.
17:46One of my favorite quotes that I've ever heard is if you feel afraid, do it afraid. If you feel scared, do it scared. If you feel anxious, do it anxious. And if you feel nervous, do it nervous. It's better to do the thing, even feeling that way, than to hope you will get over that feeling so you can finally start.
18:26I'm Iva Longoria. And I'm Maite Gomez-Rajuan. And on our podcast, Hungry for History, we mix two of our favorite things. Food and history. Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells and they called these ostracon to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the ostracon. And because we've got a very mi casa es su casa kind of vibe on our show, friends always stop by. Pretty much every entry into this side of the planet was through the Golfo de Mexico. No de América. No de América. El Golfo de México continúa siendo así forever and ever.
19:10Pese a quien le pese. It blows me away how progressive Mexico was in this moment. They had land reform. They had labor rights. They had education rights. Mustard seeds were so valuable to the ancient Egyptians that they used to place them in their tombs for the afterlife. Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. No one is harmed, no death, no trauma, just a few cells grown in a dish. This is David Eagleman from the Inner Cosmos podcast. And this week we're tackling a tough question where brain science meets the future.
19:50Lab-grown meat is going to force us to confront the boundaries of our ethics and our imagination. It invites us to question why we draw lines exactly where we do and whether those lines are drawn in ink or in pencil. And what does this have to do with sanctity, brain plasticity, social belonging, messed up boundaries between mental categories, flesh copyrights, and the future of personhood? What is the table we're going to set for ourselves? What does this question uncover about brain science and our calculations of morality? Listen to Inner Cosmos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
20:58to the call. This episode dives deep into how Oprah turned pain into purpose and what it really means to evolve with everybody watching. Every decision I have ever made has come from sitting with the Spirit and asking God, what would you have me do first? Whether you're rebuilding, reimagining or just trying to hold it together this one will speak directly to you listen to next chapter on the iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast episodes drop weekly.
21:49Truth number six, the power of service. Service isn't just charity. Service is identity. It's meaning. It's medicine. Neuroscience shows that helping others activates the brain's reward pathways, the same circuits that light up for purpose and joy. There's even studies that show that when people are experiencing depression, if they help others with depression, theirs goes down. So sometimes we also say to ourselves, I'll help when I have more, not realizing you'll have more if you help now. If you help someone now, you feel greater self-esteem. You count your blessings. You realize what skills you have I learned about the skills and talents I have Because I started using things in the service of others Even before I knew I had them Here are some practical ways you can do that You could volunteer one hour a week You could help one person quietly You could use your skills for someone else's benefit or the community Pick one issue you worry about and get involved If you want to change your life, change someone else's day.
23:04If you want to change your year, change someone else's week. If you want to change your month, change someone else's hour. You can transform your life by transforming someone else's. So here's your year redesigned. Break your year into four 90-day seasons. Season one, reset. Redesign your environment and your habits. Season two, learn. Master two skills that change your confidence and direction. Promise you will make a big difference. Season three, connect. Repair, deepen, and rebuild relationships. Season four, expand. Face fears, take risks, and create something new. You don't have to do everything I said in one season.
23:56A year has four seasons. You don't see the weather trying to snow, rain, sunshine, and everything else all in one day. That's not what the climate tries to do. Move in seasons. Remember this, a year isn't 365 days. It's 52 chances, 12 chapters, and four seasons. Your life can change this year. not because the year is magical but because you are capable you don't need a perfect plan you don't need certainty you don't need confidence you need momentum you need one decision you need one step and you need to remember this one year of intention can undo 10 years of drifting so choose one thing today one habit one relationship one skill one decision, one fear, one act of service, and just start.
24:59A year from now, you will look back and barely recognize the person you used to be. Because your life doesn't change someday. It changes the day that you just start. The insight and advice that I've shared with you today will truly make a difference. I've had the fortune of having incredible years in my life where I have changed my life in a year. And when you look at it that way, you actually give yourself the opportunity to transform. Sometimes we wanna change our life in a day. We wanna change our life in a month. Give yourself a year this year to really make a difference. See, we think consistency looks like this.
25:44Real consistency looks like this, right? If you think to yourself, I'm gonna work out five days a week, every week for the rest of the year, The one week where you only do three days, you'll feel like a failure. So what do you do? You recognize five's the average. There'll be some weeks you do seven. There'll be some weeks you do three. There'll be some weeks you do four. And there'll be some weeks you do six. When you give yourself that flexibility and adaptability to hit the average, not the ideal every single week, you finally give yourself an opportunity to make a huge difference. I've seen so many people try to put too much pressure on themselves.
26:26I've seen so many people who've been so harsh to themselves. If you really want this year to be the year that everything changes, follow these steps, stay accountable, find someone you can share these goals with and move forward together. Your goal doesn't get you to the goal. It's the growth that gets you to the goal. How are you willing to grow? Who are you willing to become? What are you willing to change? If you focus on transformation over the destination, you will get there quicker. Often we keep looking at the goal and thinking, it's so far away, it's so hard to get there, I don't know when it's going to happen.
27:10If we just focused on the next step, the next step forward, just one step at a time, you'll be at the destination in no time. Please know that you can change your life in a year by changing the few things that I laid out. And remember, I'm forever in your corner. I'm always rooting for you. And I wish you all the best. Thank you so much for watching this video. I'm so grateful for your support. 2026 is going to be the best year yet. I want you to subscribe to my channel so you never miss a video. Thank you so much for listening to this conversation. If you enjoyed it, you'll love my chat with Adam Grant on why discomfort is the key to growth and the strategies for unlocking your hidden potential.
27:57If you know you want to be more and achieve more this year, go check it out right now. You set a goal today, you achieve it in six months, and then by the time it happens, it's almost a relief. There's no sense of meaning and purpose. You sort of expected it and you would have been disappointed if it didn't happen. What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream, and one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time? You get Desi Arnaz. On the podcast starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you on a journey to Desi's life, how he redefined American television, and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like ours on screen.
28:36Listen to starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your buckets. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro. We were in the car, like a rolling stone came on, and he said, there's a line in there about your mother. And I said, what? What I would do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is choose an identity that other people can't have. I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened. These are just a few of the moving and important stories on my 13th season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
29:41Network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart Radio app, search work in progress, and listen now. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.
From the publisher
Real change doesn’t happen all at once, It’s built through quiet, repeated choices most people never notice. In this episode, Jay challenges the idea that transformation requires motivation or perfect timing, revealing instead that lasting change is created through systems, structure, and intentional design. He explains why most people stay stuck year after year, not because they lack discipline or talent, but because they rely on hope when what they need is strategy.
Jay walks us through a practical blueprint for lasting transformation, beginning with reshaping your environment so the right habits become your default. From upgrading your identity to mastering one skill that can reshape your confidence, career, and self-belief, he shows how small improvements compound over time. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and real human stories, Jay reframes success as consistency over perfection, choosing discipline when motivation fades and stepping into who you’re meant to become.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to Change Your Life by Redesigning Your Environment
How to Make Good Habits Your Default
How to Use Fear as a Signal to Take Action
How to Break Big Goals Into Four Powerful Seasons
How to Transform Your Life by Serving Others
This year isn’t about becoming someone else, it’s about becoming more of who you already are, with better systems, healthier boundaries, and stronger habits to support you. Progress won’t be linear, and that’s okay. What matters is staying committed to the direction, not the speed. Every effort counts, even the ones no one sees.
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
00:41 How to Change Your Life in One Year
03:29 #1: Start With Redesigning Your System
06:35 #2: The Four Seasons of Growth
08:57 #3: Fix the Relationships that Matter
11:50 #4: Fear Grows the Longer You Avoid It
14:48 #5: The Power of Service
17:58 Give Yourself a Year to Make a Difference
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


