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Let's start with something we all feel but don't always know how to say. That strange ache in your chest when you ask, "Why am I here?"

Yeah. Like that 2 a.m. moment when you're staring at the ceiling, questioning everything, even why your socks go missing in the laundry. Carl Jung called this the search for meaning.

He believed humans aren't just driven by pleasure or survival, but by a deep psychological need to discover their purpose.

And when we don't have that purpose, we feel lost. Like a GPS with no signal, or worse, a Grab driver with no destination.

Exactly. Jung said that this purpose is like a north star, a personal compass. It helps us make sense of our lives even during chaos.

Like when you know what really matters to you, every decision becomes clearer, even the hard ones.

Right? In the Red Book, Jung wrote that our true purpose isn't about what we gain, but about what we're willing to give up. He used the term voluntary sacrifice, letting go of shallow desires to grow into our true self. And that self isn't a career title or your follower count. It's who you're meant to become when you stop pretending and start transforming.

Let me quote Jung directly here. He wrote, "The highest truth is one and the same with the deepest suffering. The self is born in sacrifice."

Whoa, that hits deep. No wonder this guy spent years writing in the woods. But he was on to something. And today, even modern science agrees. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that people who report having a strong sense of life purpose live longer, are more optimistic, and recover faster from illness.

Well, it also explains why people with no purpose often spiral into anxiety, stress, or that classic, "What am I doing with my life?" feeling. Jung would call that the shutdown, when your soul rebels against a life that feels meaningless. It often shows up as depression, burnout, or even a midlife crisis. So maybe the real question isn't, "What do I want, but what am I willing to sacrifice for?"

Yes, that's Jung's big idea. Your purpose is revealed not by what you chase, but by what you choose to let go of.

Okay, time to get real. Jung says that if you want to find your purpose, you have to sacrifice. And not like, oh no, I missed a sale on Lazada kind of sacrifice. I mean real gut level stuff.

Yes. And this is where it gets deep. Jung didn't just mean sacrifice in the moral or religious sense. He believed that purpose is discovered through what we're willing to give up, especially when it's something we value like comfort, safety, or ego.

So, you're telling me purpose isn't found in comfort?

Sadly, no. True sacrifice in Jung's view involves giving up a part of yourself or some personal convenience for something bigger than you. It could be time, money, ambition, even parts of your identity.

All right, let me nerd out for a second. In her book, Grit, psychologist Angela Duckworth says that real success comes from deliberate practice. That basically means do hard stuff on purpose for a long time. So, yeah, if you want purpose, you might have to give up relaxing in your pajamas and scrolling through your phone all day.

Exactly. And here's something even deeper. Jung believed that the sacrifice has to be your own choice. If someone forces you to let go of something, it creates anger or trauma. But if you choose it yourself, that's when it becomes powerful. Like choosing to delete Instagram for a month to write your novel versus your mom changing your password and saying it's for your own good. One builds growth, the other builds anger, and maybe a secret second account.

Your mother must have been helpless with your mischief, Leo.

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i can't do this i can handle this pressure, they are exploiting me at this job i quit. i'm very excited this is my first day at work and I'm sure it's going to be a great day.

welcome Alex you arrived early very good today is your first day right?

oh good morning Mr roberts and yes sir i'm really excited to start.

that's the attitude I like to see but let me be honest with you this job is not easy we're working on a big project and we need all hands on deck are you ready to work hard?

of course I'm ready to do my best i am sure I can learn a lot of new things in this job.

good follow me i'll introduce you to your team and explain your task. this is Sara she's in charge of the reports she will show you what to do.

Sara: hi Alex welcome to the team this is my office but you will be working next to this one. you will help us check these documents and make sure there are no mistakes. we have a deadline so we need to work fast i'll explain the rest in a moment. the documents are over here wait a moment i will give them to you there are a lot of them but once you get used to the job you're probably finish it in less time. don't worry if you have any questions please ask Sara or stop by my office anytime we are here to help.

oh nice to meet you Sarah wow you're right there are many documents here but I'm sure I'll get used to the work and little by little I'll do it faster don't worry. so I just check for the mistakes and then what do I have to do or just check them?

Sara: yes but also organize them by category and send them to the next department. we have hundreds to go through today so we need to move quickly. oh also and don't forget to upload the report to your computer. we have an online reporting system. so you review the documents, do what Sara told you, and then upload it to the report.

Sara: yep that's how it is but don't worry you'll get used to it. let's go to your workplace.

oh okay yeah it looks like a lot of work but I will try to do my best let's go.

well let's see let's get to work i don't think it's so difficult after all um she told me to upload the reports so this has to be the program now how do I do it? this is a little difficult but also a little boring there are hundreds of documents wow this is exhausting i've been doing this for hours this is boring and tiring i think we should have a break Sara are you there can we get a break?

Sara: a break? oh Alex we don't have time for breaks today the deadline is coming and we are all working nonstop so no breaks for today.

no breaks? that's crazy i thought work would be more I don't know relaxed.

Sara: relax? not here this is a fast paced job we all have to do our part.

but it feels like too much pressure. well I have to go to the bathroom i can't.

hello i'm new at the company this is my first day on the job where are the bathrooms?

hello nice to meet you my name is Mark. this is the bathroom. uh Alex right?

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Hey everybody, In today's video, I will teach all of you hotel vocabulary at the best hotel in Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Marriott at River Center. I will show you how to check in, what a normal room looks like, different amenities like the pool and the gym, as well as how to check out in a hotel. Now, let's drive to the hotel.

The first thing you do when you arrive is park your car. Many hotels have a parking lot where you park your car yourself or they have valet parking. Valet parking is a special service. Someone who works at the hotel parks your car for you. It's easy because you don't have to find a parking spot, but it usually costs extra money.

Welcome to Marriott. Will you be staying with us today?

Yes.

All right. Would you like to valet the vehicle then?

Sure. Yes

name?

Ariana.

All right, Miss Ariana. Here's your valet ticket. The way this works, all you got to do is just scan that QR code or text that phone number there using your phone.

And how much will it be per night?

It'll be about $42 overnight. 24/7 service, unlimited in-n-out. And so every time you go in and out, there's no extra charge.

Thank you so much.

Yep. My name is Grant. I'll be taking care of your vehicle as well as your luggage today. Would you like any help with your luggage?

Sure. Yeah, I have it in the back.

Ariana, all I need is those keys from you and we'll get you taken care of.

Here you go.

Thank you. The lobby's going to be on the first floor on level L in those elevators there.

Thank you so much.

Enjoy your stay.

Thanks.

I just dropped off my car with the valet and now it's time to go upstairs to the lobby.

Now I'm in the hotel lobby. Yes, this is the lobby and over here is the front desk area where you can check in and check out.

Hi. How are you?

Good. How are you?

Good. Welcome to the Marriott. How may I assist you?

I'd like to check in, please.

Okay. And the last name of your reservation?

Lringa.

Lringa. How do you spell that?

L A G R I N G A.

All right, Miss Lingringa, I have you here for two nights. I'm going to have you in a balcony king room. Let me get a peek at your driver's license and the credit card that you want to provide.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right. Here's that back.

Thank you.

Okay. I'm going to have you tap your credit card on this machine right here.

Okay.

Awesome. Thank you. Two room keys for you.

Just one is fine.

And why do you take my credit card?

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Hey everyone, welcome back to Learn English Daily podcast.

Improve your English day by day.

I'm Max.

And I'm Lisa.

Today we're diving into a topic that's super important: How to speak English with confidence, even if your English isn't perfect.

Absolutely. If you've ever felt nervous about speaking English because you're afraid of making mistakes, this episode is for you.

Oh, I've seen this so many times. People study grammar, memorize vocabulary, but when it's time to actually speak, they freeze. It's like they suddenly forget everything. And it's not because they don't know English. It's because of fear.

Exactly. So, today we're going to break that fear. We'll share why confidence is more important than perfection and how you can start speaking naturally without worrying too much.

And we have some really interesting stories to illustrate this point.

Oh, I love good stories. But first, let's talk about the real problem. Why do so many people feel scared to speak English?

So, Max, let me ask you, have you ever been in a situation where someone knew English but was too nervous to speak?

Oh, all the time. I remember this one guy, let's call him Sam. We were in a cafe and he wanted to order in English.

Oh, no. What happened?

The waiter asked, "What would you like?" And Sam just stared like a deer in headlights. He turned to me and whispered, "Max, you order for me. My English is not good."

But he knew what he wanted, right?

Exactly. He could have just said, "I want coffee." Super simple. But he was too afraid of making a mistake.

That's a perfect example. So many people have this fear. They think, "If I make a mistake, people will laugh at me or they will judge me."

But the funny thing is, native speakers don't care about small mistakes. We just care about understanding you.

Right. And this fear often comes from school. Many of us were taught that English is about correctness, not about communication.

Ah, that's so true. In school, if you wrote a sentence with one small grammar mistake, you got a big red X. It made people feel like they had to be perfect.

But here's the problem: Real life is not an exam. Nobody is going to give you a grade when you're ordering food or having a conversation.

Exactly. And that brings us to the first big idea: Speaking English is not about being perfect. It's about being understood.

And you know what? Even native speakers make mistakes all the time. We say things like, "Me and my friend went to the store," instead of, "My friend and I." But does anyone care? Not really.

True. I think people forget that language is alive. It's not a static set of rules. It's a tool for connection.

Exactly. And that's why we need to shift our mindset. Instead of focusing on perfection, we should focus on communication. Okay, let's talk about two different ways people approach learning English: The piano mindset versus the gaming mindset.

Ooh, sounds interesting. What's the piano mindset?

So, imagine you're learning the piano. If you play a wrong note, you stop and think, "Oh no, I made a mistake." You feel stressed. You try again and again, but you're so afraid of making mistakes that you don't enjoy it.

Ah, like my cousin. She took piano lessons, but hated them because she was always afraid of messing up.

Exactly. And a lot of people treat English the same way. They think, "I have to get every word right." They're so focused on being correct that they forget to actually communicate.

Okay. Now, what about the gaming mindset?

Think about video games. If you play a shooting game and you miss a shot, do you stop playing? No way. You just keep shooting until you hit the target. That's the difference. When you have a gaming mindset, you're not afraid of mistakes. You're focused on the goal. Just like when speaking English, the goal is to communicate.

Wow, that actually makes so much sense.

I saw this firsthand with a friend of mine. He had terrible grammar, but when he spoke, he was so confident.

What happened?

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Networking marketing, online sales, this is the future! The easiest way to make money! Dad, Dad, I have amazing news! You won't believe what happened today. I am so happy!

Oh, um, what is it, son? You look very excited. Tell me what happened today.

Dad, in just a few months, we are going to be rich! No, wait, not just rich, millionaires! Millionaires!

Wow, son, are you feeling okay? What are you talking about?

I found the perfect opportunity! I got a job where I can make tons of money, work my own hours, and even travel the world for free! I have always wanted to travel around the world, you know that.

Yes, of course I know. And that sounds interesting, traveling around the world. Um, but wait, slow down. What kind of job is this? It has to be the best job ever.

Let me explain everything, Dad. First, let me tell you how it all happened. So, I was walking down the street, just minding my own business, when suddenly... when suddenly, this really well-dressed guy approached me.

Well-dressed guy: Hey, young man, you look like someone with big dreams. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me something, do you want to be your own boss and earn unlimited money?

Be my own boss? Um, what do you mean? How is that possible?

Well-dressed guy: Imagine this: no more working for someone else, no more boring jobs, no more financial struggles. You can be rich in just a few months! We have a special opportunity for people like you. You just need ambition and the right mindset, and I am sure you could achieve all your goals and dreams.

That sounds interesting, but I don't think this can be real. It sounds too much to be real.

Well-dressed guy: Of course it's real! Look at me. A year ago, I was like you. I had no money, I was broke, I had a lot of debt, and I didn't have enough money to pay the rent, and I was very stressed. One day I was walking down the street, just like you, and suddenly someone told me about it. He told me about an opportunity that would change my life. I couldn't believe it either, but now, just look at me. I have a brand new car, I travel around the world, and I don't have to worry about money. If you join our team, you can have the same life.

Wow, this sounds amazing! You know, I don't have money. I am studying at the university and I have a lot of debt. I'd like to make money quickly and easily. What do I have to do?

Well-dressed guy: Don't worry, I understand you. Just come to our office and we will explain everything. But hurry, this opportunity is not for everyone, only a few lucky ones can join.

And that's how I found this opportunity! They took me to their office and explained everything.

Son, this sounds strange. Are you sure it's not a scam? Because it looks like one.

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Hello everyone and welcome to English Pod. My name is Marco. My name is Katherine. And today we've got an elementary level lesson for you all about getting up in the morning. That's right. Today we're making breakfast. And, uh, well, of course, many people have different things when they're making breakfast. Some of them are very big, others are small. So, but this is what we're going to talk about today. So, why don't we listen to the dialogue and see what they're having for breakfast today.

Dialogue

Smells good. What's for breakfast?Well, since we're getting up so late, I decided to make a big breakfast.Nice brunch.Kind of. So, I made scrambled and softboiled eggs, some French toast, and buttermilk pancakes.Wow, you really went all out. Did you make any coffee?Yeah, just the way you like it. I also put out some cereal and muesli if you feel like having something more light.Looks good. I'll squeeze us some fresh orange juice. Get the jam and butter while you are in there. Oh, and don't forget the syrup.

Okay, we're back. So, a lot of interesting things. A huge breakfast. Way too big for me. I don't like to eat a big breakfast because I feel like it makes me tired and then I don't have any energy. Especially if you just get up, right? Exactly. You need to shower and maybe have some fruit and then go to work. But we can talk about it at the end. There were a lot of interesting words and phrases that we heard that we would benefit from taking a closer look at.

Language Takeaway

Alright. So, on language takeaway today, we're going to take a look at our first word. And it's an interesting word. It's kind of a mix of two things. Brunch. That's right. So, this word comes from two different words. Breakfast. Br... breakfast and lunch. That's right. So, brunch. So, if you have brunch, what is exactly uh brunch? Well, there's two ways to look at brunch. One is the time element. Usually, brunch is later than breakfast, but maybe a little earlier than lunch. So, 11:00 or maybe even noon. Um, but the other thing is size. Because you're putting two meals together, usually brunch is very big. You eat a lot of food. Okay? So, it's a perfect combination of breakfast and lunch. I'm the type of person that likes having scrambled eggs at noon. So, uh this is a perfect solution. Brunch. Right. You don't have to only eat eggs at breakfast. You can eat them at lunch as well. Exactly. This is actually something we do a lot in America for Mother's Day. So, mom wakes up late. We take her to brunch. It's a very big special meal. Very good.

And talking about eggs and um and the types of eggs that we can have, I mentioned scrambled eggs and in the dialogue we also heard softboiled eggs. Okay, these are two very important kinds of eggs. Usually if you're in a restaurant, they will ask you how do you want your eggs cooked or done. And uh my answer is always scrambled. Scrambled. This means someone mixes the eggs before they are cooked. And then when they cook, they are hard. They're yellow. Okay, there's no white. It's just yellow and it's it's a little hard mixture. Um, but softboiled eggs are very very different. That's right. Soft boiled eggs, you actually don't break the egg or open the egg to cook it like in scrambled eggs. You actually put the entire egg in boiling water. Uh, I think it's for 2 minutes and then you take it out and then you open the shell. And the eggs are kind of cooked. It's kind of hard in some parts, but it's also kind of uh liquidy in other parts. That's right. So the outside, the white part is hard, but the yellow part, the yolk, is is liquid. It's not hard. That's right. And actually, if you want the whole egg to be hard, you can ask for hardboiled eggs. That's right. Those are cooked for much longer. That's right. Okay. So, we have scrambled eggs, softboiled eggs.

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No way. Is that you, Marco? Oh my god, it's been what, 4 years? At least you haven't changed a bit. Still got that sharp look in your eyes. How are you?

I'm good. Life's been busy. What about you? You disappeared after university.

Yeah, life pulled me in all directions. I'm working in digital marketing now. Remote job with lots of screen time. What about you?

Wow, that's cool. I'm teaching English at a private school now. Also trying to finish my masters on the side. It's chaotic but fulfilling.

Wait, my friends, whenever we hear a new word, we should learn it right away, right?

Exactly, Marco. So, friends, did you catch the word I just used?

Yeah, it's chaotic but fulfilling. Now, what does chaotic mean? Do you know, my friends? Let me help you out. Chaotic means completely disorganized or full of confusion. For example, imagine your room after you've thrown all your clothes on the floor and your books and maybe your cat's running around in circles, too. That's chaotic.

That's literally my room every Monday. So chaotic means messy, out of control, full of confusion.

Exactly. And the word fulfilling means something that gives you deep satisfaction. Like when you help someone or achieve a goal, it just feels right.

Wow. So chaotic but fulfilling means it's messy and disorganized, but it makes you happy in the end.

Exactly. You know, a good example would be when you're planning a big event like a wedding or a birthday party. It's chaotic. You have to manage so many details like the cake, guest list, and decorations. And it feels like everything's all over the place.

Ah, I get it now. It's like when I tried to renovate my apartment. I was running around picking paint colors and finding furniture and nothing seemed to fit together. The whole thing was a mess. But when I finally finished, it felt so fulfilling to sit back and enjoy my new place. So, I used chaotic and you used mess. Both are right, but the mess is more common. But hey, we'd learn both.

Yeah. You know, Zara, at this stage in life, we really start to feel how fast time flies, right?

Absolutely. Years pass are like months and suddenly we realize we're not kids anymore. We're adults now. One day the young people around us will be parents and we'll look back wondering where did all that time go.

Exactly. And the sad part is many people still don't realize how precious time really is. They spend hours gossiping, watching pointless controversies and scrolling social media all day, but not learning anything new or not doing anything productive.

Yes, it's like we all have time, but we don't use it wisely. We waste it like it's unlimited, but it's not. And then one day we look back and say, "I wish I had done something meaningful."

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Hello Jason, can you lend me your charger for a moment please?

Hello Mark, sure. It is next to my laptop, you can take it. Don't worry.

Oh, thank you so much. I forgot mine at home and I can't work without it.

Yeah, I guess so. You can borrow mine whenever you need it. That's okay.

Thanks Jason. Are you okay? You look really tired, man.

Yeah, I mean, the typical day, you know, work stress. I don't know. I mean, not really. I feel like I'm carrying the whole world on my back. I'm always thinking, always worrying. I'm exhausted, Mark. That's the truth.

That doesn't sound good. What's going on?

Work stuff? Work, yes, but also my life. I mean, my life outside work. Honestly, it's like I don't have a break anymore. I wake up already tired. My head is full of worries. That's why I feel very tired, I suppose.

Oh, I see. But tell me, bro, what's making you feel this way?

Well, where do I start? First, the mortgage of my house. It's huge. Every month I have to pay a big amount, like hundreds of dollars, bro. Then I bought a new car for the family last year. It was supposed to be a blessing, but the monthly payments are killing me. I didn't think of that when I got it. And that's not even the worst part. My two kids go to a private school. I mean, the education is great and I want the best for them, but man, the monthly fee is more than what some people earn in a month.

Seriously? Wow, that's a lot already. House, car, school, that's a lot.

And that's not all. Also, we have our annual family trip coming up. We always travel outside the country. My wife loves planning vacations and I don't want to disappoint them, but it's so expensive. A lot of money, flights, hotel, shopping, food. It's a big bill. That's the thing.

That's a heavy load, my friend. But there must be something you can do about it.

And it doesn't end there. My wife wants new furniture for the living room. Our sofa is fine, but she saw something online and now she wants it. Then it's clothes for the kids, new shoes, new jackets, new backpacks. And of course, we only buy organic food, so our grocery bill is crazy high every week, man.

No wonder you're stressed. That's a mountain of responsibilities.

Exactly. I work extra hours, weekends, even skip lunch sometimes, just to catch up. But no matter how much I earn, it never, never feels enough. I just want to give them the best life, but sometimes, sometimes I feel like I'm not really living mine. That's what I'm feeling.

Listen, Jason, I'm really sorry you feel this way, seriously. I can see you're a good father and a great husband. You love your family and you want to give them the best. But can I say something?

Of course, please. I need to hear something different. Just tell me.

I think maybe you're giving too much, and not just giving, trying too hard. You're trying too hard to give things instead of experiences. Maybe, maybe it's time to ask, "Do they need the best of everything, or just more of you?"

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When someone mentions the word "beginning," what is the first thing that comes to your mind? It is the first step we take when we start something new. The first step is often considered the easiest step, right? When you start doing something new, you do the easiest things, then gradually it gets harder. That's why I guess some of you have heard sayings from people around you like, "The first steps are extremely easy, why can't you do it?" or "Why do you feel discouraged when you just start to do it?" You may quickly feel sad and disappointed because of those words, then don't want to continue doing it because of the thought, "If I don't know how to do the first steps, it will be difficult to do it later." But don't worry too much. The truth is that everything is difficult at first. Those words from people around you are not right or wrong. The right direction for you is to know and accept that it is hard at the beginning.

Why is it so difficult? Because we are entering a new space filled with unknown things. When we start something new, our brains have to work harder to understand what it's all about. It's like when you're going down a road you've never been on before or when you want to pursue an attractive girl or a guy. This challenge is very important; it helps us grow, learn, and become better. When we start something new, we often want to be perfect right away, but that's not how it works. Everything good takes time and patience. Think about a plant: you plant a seed, water it, give it sunlight, and wait. It doesn't grow into a big tree overnight. So the first thing to do is set realistic expectations.

Let's take an example about learning English. At first, it's just small words and phrases. It feels slow, so you want to learn more as much as you can. But the more you try to learn new words, the more difficult it becomes day after day. This will cause you to lose track and feel tired. Now let's look at some ways to keep going even when it's hard. One great way is to set clear goals by writing them down. Depending on the amount of work you do each day, you will have different small goals. Maybe today you want to learn five new words; tomorrow you want to practice speaking for 10 minutes. This shows that you are moving forward, even if it feels slow.

Also, it's important to build good habits. Make a study plan and stick to it. Maybe you decide to study English for 30 minutes every day. Make it a part of your daily routine, just like brushing your teeth or having breakfast. Approaching something new becomes something you do without thinking too much about it. Another important thing is finding support. We often have the common thought of not daring to tell anyone when we start doing something because we are afraid of being judged or questioned too much by others, or we simply want to share it when we have done it successfully. But learning something new can be lonely if you do it all by yourself. Talk to your family and friends about your goals. They can cheer you on. Join a group of people who are learning the same thing. This could be a class, a club, or even an online community. When you have people to share your journey with, it becomes easier. They can give you advice, share their experiences, and help you stay motivated. Having people around you who understand and support you can make the hard parts easier.

What if you have tried everything but still fail? Actually, failure is not a bad word; that's part of the process. When babies learn to walk, they fall many times before they can walk properly. When you make a mistake, don't be too hard on yourself. Learn from it. Ask yourself, "What can I do better next time?" Use failures as lessons. So how can you do it? Determine the reason you fail. Is it because you don't try your best, or did you try your best but others do better than you, or is it not just lucky enough, or simply because you have not found the right direction for yourself? So you will always hang around in failure and sadness. Write these things clearly on paper instead of thinking in your mind. It will help you know what you are making and what you need to do next. Every failure you face is an opportunity to learn and grow. It's easy to say but very difficult to do, which is why starting and maintaining a habit for something new is not a piece of cake. Staying motivated is very necessary.

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Welcome back to the Hot Sip with Nathan.

Today we're going to be talking about drinking water. Seriously, look at how you guys are taking care of yourselves. Your skin is as dry as the Sahara Desert in June. If I squeezed you out, I bet you wouldn't even have enough water to water a tiny little cactus. Well, spoiler alert, you're probably dehydrated. According to studies, about 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. That's right, three out of four of us are basically dried apricots with anxiety. So, today we've got two amazing guests. First up, Grace, 27, a paralegal from Chicago who's working so hard she forgets to blink, let alone drink water. And helping her and maybe you is Anna, a 45-year-old hospital admin boss lady. Get ready, because we're about to spill the tea and then drink some water. Let's dive in.

Hey, Grace. How's the paralegal life treating you?

Honestly, I haven't even had time to breathe today.

Grace, sweetheart, slow down. You're going to give yourself a stroke.

Strokes happen to people who don't hustle. I've got billable hours to hit, Anna.

Right. Because those billable hours are going to matter when you're lying in a hospital bed.

What do you mean?

You look like you haven't had a sip of anything but coffee all day.

Coffee is a liquid. I've had a lot of it. So, technically, I'm hydrated.

Uh-huh. And I'm guessing you've also got a headache, feel tired, and can't focus.

Yeah, but that's just because I've been working on this big case.

Or maybe it's because you're dehydrated.

How do you even know that?

Because dizziness, fatigue, and brain fog are classic dehydration symptoms. And you're checking every box.

Look, I'm fine. I've had headaches since birth.

Grace, seriously, chronic dehydration is no joke.

Why? It's just water.

Your body needs water to function. When you're dehydrated, your blood thickens, your brain gets less oxygen, and bam, you get headaches, fatigue, lack of focus.

Fine. I get it. But I've got deadlines.

Deadlines are temporary. Your health isn't. You know, not drinking enough water can mess you up in ways you don't even realize.

Great. Now, you're about to paint a lovely picture.

I'm painting a realistic one. Long-term urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

It can't be that bad.

It can, sweetheart. Studies show it increases kidney stone risk by up to 50%.

Ugh.

It also affects your memory and focus.

You're kidding, right? It can't be real.

It's real, sadly. Just 1% dehydration can cause a 5% drop in cognitive performance. And if you're active, a 2% loss can tank your performance by 10 to 20%.

That's not ideal.

Not even close. And if you keep pushing like this, you're setting yourself up for serious problems down the line.

Like what?

Kidney damage, premature aging, even heart issues.

Premature aging. Okay, now you've got my attention. That's a hard no.

Believe me, a few years back I was in the same boat. Overworked, underhydrated

and then

one day I collapsed. Ended up in the ER of my own hospital. It was my wake-up call.

Really?

Yep. One minute I was presenting the annual plan, the next I was being rushed to the ER.

Oh my god.

I thought it was something serious like cancer. I'd been feeling so exhausted.

So, what was the problem?

Believe it or not, severe dehydration.