Today, October 8th, 2013 is the first anniversary of the release of Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom, a gripping and humorous memoir that tells my story: a sometimes shocking, always genuine account of survival against all odds, and a celebration of recovery. Since its release, the book has earned critical acclaim and a National Indie Excellence Award in the category of addiction and recovery.

To commemorate this occasion, I’m sharing some quotes about the power of sharing your story:

“Those who do not have power over the story that dominates their lives, the power to retell it, rethink it, deconstruct it, joke about it, and change it as times change, truly are powerless, because they cannot think new thoughts.”    — Salman Rushdie

“Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact.”  — Robert McKee

“The book which the reader now holds in his hands, from one end to the other, as a whole and in its details, whatever gaps, exceptions, or weaknesses it may contain, treats of the advance from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsity to truth, from darkness to daylight, from blind appetite to conscience, from decay to life, from bestiality to duty, from Hell to Heaven, from limbo to God. Matter itself is the starting-point, and the point of arrival is the soul. Hydra at the beginning, an angel at the end.”   — Victor Hugo
 
“Of course that is not the whole story, but that is the way with stories; we make them what we will. It’s a way of explaining the universe while leaving the universe unexplained, it’s a way of keeping it all alive, not boxing it into time.” — Jeannette Winterson, OBE

Okay, you’ve booked a radio spot⎯ an opportunity to talk about your book, your business, and whatever else is important to you. And you’re feeling jumpy. You’ve got butterflies in your stomach, and they’re driving you crazy. Your mouth feels tense, or your knees feel weak, or you’ve got cotton mouth…sound familiar? If your answer is yes, read on. You can turn this completely around.

As a professional speaker and standup comic, I’ve experienced all of the above and some even more dramatic “fear” signals in the course of my work. And I’ve learned some sure fire ways to not only manage the anxiety symptoms otherwise known as “stage fright,” but to reinterpret them as excitement, anticipation, and a sign that events are unfolding as they should!

I’ve accumulated a list of strategies and tips on overcoming public speaking anxiety, that I learned the hard way, by trial and error, through tens of thousands of hours of performing in  front of live audiences. Here are a few steps and strategies that can help you to not only survive, but enjoy the experience:

Acknowledge the fear. If you try to tell yourself you’re not afraid, that creates a cycle of denial, and that’s counterproductive. Gently, calmly talk with yourself about your feelings. Once you acknowledge the fear you can move through it.

Normalize the feeling. Some people multiply the fear when they “awfulize” the experience, telling themselves all kinds of scary statements about how the fear is a sign that doing a radio show is not for them, or it’s against their nature, and they fold. Know that this fear is normal, and very common. Experts agree that public speaking anxiety is one of the most, if not the most common phobias. All the pros experience these symptoms, but the difference is that they go ahead and do it anyway.

Go ahead: move through the fear and into the fun. Now you are free to move on through to the fun, the thrill, and the self-empowerment that come from public speaking. One of my early breakthroughs in standup comedy happened when I realized that the symptoms listed in the first paragraph of this post, which I experienced, can be interpreted as excitement rather that fear. It’s like the feeling you get before diving off a high dive, or running a marathon. The feelings you’re experiencing come from the universal energy building up inside you, preparing you for a challenge and an exhilarating experience. Welcome the butterflies. Realize they’re there to help get you up to a higher energy level.

Any exchange of words and ideas is a relationship, so be a fun participant. This is especially true of public speaking. Think of your radio interview as a really relaxing and fun meeting with a good friend, favorite family member, or fun boyfriend. What are you bringing to the relationship? How can you make your audience, and your interviewer, feel more relaxed and have more fun? Prepare your mind for the meeting: if you’re an author, think about all the things you love about yourself,  your book, your radio audience, your interviewer, your readers, the positive reviews your book has earned already, and why you wrote your book in the first place. Rediscover your vision and passion. And remember, radio is a conversation. You’re talking with friends.

Use positive self-talk. When the butterflies come fluttering in, tell yourself, “I’m so excited. This will be so much fun!” Provide yourself with an inner cheerleading squad. Each time you anticipate the upcoming radio spot, or the thought of what’s ahead crosses your mind, smile both inwardly and outwardly and reassure yourself of how well it’s going to go.

Visualize positive outcome. Professional athletes and entertainers use this all the time, and it really works if you are consistent. Visualize yourself in the interview, being relaxed, brilliant and totally knocking it out of the park. Then visualize the results you want to get from the interview. Do this systematically, on a daily basis. It’s especially powerful when you turbo-charge your visualization with a strong positive emotion. Visualize in present moment only, that is, think of it as if you have already received the things you are visualizing.

Prepare. Preparation is essential and will instill you with confidence and poise. Rehearse the things you want to talk about, and if possible, prepare questions and a bio to send to your interviewer ahead of time, so you can have an inner script to go from. Refrain from rote memorization or you’ll risk sounding wooden. Instead, know your answers so well that you can vary the wording or pace so it’s conversational. Try stretching, doing yoga, praying or meditating before rehearsal and performance. Let your body lead the way, relaxing muscles and sending that message to your mind and emotions.

Live, Breathe and Feel Your Message. Don’t get all hung up on the words alone, but actually practice feeling the emotions behind your answers as you rehearse. Our words have power, but our emotions carry even more weight in this situation because they affect the timber of your voice when you are speaking. If you fill yourself up with positive emotion whenever you anticipate, rehearse, or in any other way prepare for the interview, you are programming yourself for a positive emotional response to the challenge. When you feel good, you sound good, and your radio audience will pick up your wavelength⎯and love you for it.

When it comes to  writing, procrastination can be a formidable adversary. Do not allow yourself to fall for any of the fearful, negative thoughts that enable procrastination. Some procrastination-powered thoughts disguise themselves as cautions regarding preparation, or demands that the atmosphere in the office, your personal mood and other factors to be “just right.” The desire to be perfect, to have the perfect situation, to craft the perfect paragraph, to enjoy “the perfect writing career,” creates a pitfall that should be avoided at all costs. Perfectionism lies at the root of missed deadlines, low productivity, high stress, self-doubt and procrastination.

Writing, or any other worthwhile pursuit in life, calls for fluidity, an adventurous spirit, and the courage to push beyond the comfort zone. This leaves no room for perfectionism. Anyone who arrives at the pinnacle of success has already experienced numerous failures along the way. We learn by trial and error, and if we don’t take chances, we don’t grow. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back from discovering your greatest potential. Here are some strategies for exorcizing these twin demons. They are progress-oriented strategies you can use which will free you from excessive self-criticism and increase your creativity, satisfaction, and confidence:

Go ahead and do it. Yes this is ridiculously simple, but it works. Arrange a time each day, if your lifestyle permits, and commit to writing during that time period. If you can’t think of anything “brilliant,” then write anything…. just write until you hit your flow. You may not hit your flow that day, but you can be sure that if you stay the course, you will eventually hit it. If your schedule is erratic, for instance, if you are a mother with young children you may not be able to commit to a sacrosanct period of time each day, no sweat! You can grab your opportunities as they come. The main thing is that you do it every day, even if it’s only ten minutes at a time.  Baby steps often complete the journey more consistently than leaps and bounds. Focus on progress.

Perfection is not an oasis, it’s only a mirage. You’ll never arrive, because it simply isn’t there. Once you realize that everything in this universe is flawed, you can relax and focus on improvement, or progress. You will find that as your confidence builds,  your freedom of thought increases.  You now have lots of “elbow room” to take on new challenges. Perfectionism can throw you into a cycle of procrastination. There is real reward in accepting your work without judgment, simply enjoying the beauty and fun of creativity and discovery.

Set workable goals and celebrate each accomplishment. Determine your ultimate goal. Then set do-able, measurable goals, at definite intervals on the journey, that you know you can reach.  At each of these intervals you can measure progress, adjust your sights, and make changes if necessary. It’s easy to slip into a self-defeating pattern by setting stratospheric standards. If you tell yourself you can only celebrate once you scale the highest peak, you rob yourself of the joy that comes from celebrating each and every small accomplishment regardless of the result.

At the end of each day, take an account of all you’ve achieved. Remember that progress is not exclusively linear. Be sure to give yourself credit for plucky attitude, positive thought process,  generous thoughts, and acts of kindness. On any given day, you likely have gained character strengths, personal insights, and improved writing skills. As you daily celebrate these small accomplishments, you increase your joy in the process, and that joy will motivate you to crash through the procrastination barrier each and every day.

Embrace your mistakes as learning opportunities. Some of  history’s greatest discoveries were a result of blunders, or were learned by trial and error. If you stop making mistakes, you stop growing and learning. Loosen up—have fun. You’ll find your creative output, skill set,  and personal satisfaction will increase exponentially.

 Never minimize your achievements. Dismiss self-talk such as, “Well, it was okay, but anybody could’ve done that.” That sort of thinking, discounting the positive, can lead to anhedonia, the technical term for diminished ability to find joy and satisfaction in life. Instead, constantly cheer yourself on with inner pep talks.

Try putting these strategies into play on a daily basis and you’ll be amazed at your progress.  Do the exorcism. Cast out excessive self-criticism and inappropriately high standards. Celebrate each tiny baby step. Pat yourself on the back: turn on the self-approval faucet and let the feeling of accomplishment wash over you. This isn’t complacency, this is stamina building. Writing is like a long-distance run. Procrastination and perfectionism are fear-related. If you fill yourself with positive emotion and buoy your spirits with positive self-talk, you’ll find that self-discipline is fun and comes naturally. Focus on progress instead of perfection and before you know it, procrastination melts away, you’re up off the couch and in front of the computer. Or better still,  while we’re visualizing, let’s say you’re off the couch and onto the NYT Bestsellers List. Anything is possible, one day at a time.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been engaging in an experiment. I thought I’d try playing by the rules, conforming to the standards laid down by the herds of advice-givers, experts, and self-declared Cognescenti that inhabit the world of creativity.

Believe in yourself.

I had been searching for guidance, for help in navigating the unfamiliar territory of entrepreneurship/publishing, daily plumbing the depths of Googledom for online articles that could point the way to the magic formula for internet visibility and book sales. I read articles in industry magazines and books by millionaire success gurus. And I began implementing a number of prescribed solutions: I blogged; I created a “social media cloud;” I joined groups and associations and took on a ton of busy work.

I learned a lot from all of the available wisdom, and with each article I read or instructional video I viewed, I came away with a checklist of “dos” and dont’s and “should’ves” and “wish I hadn’ts.” And I began to take action, working furiously to fulfill the ever-lengthening checklist.
The payoff from all this effort is something I discovered, or rather, rediscovered a couple of days ago, after a mild anxiety attack: I’ve got the magic formula for my happiness and success. I can achieve anything as long as I believe in myself, in my intrinsic worth. All the resources at our fingertips exist to support the creative spark, the rebel genius, and the ability to think outside the box.

After researching all the rules, admonishments and exhortations, I’ve discovered the number one rule…there are no rules. Sure, guidelines, signposts along the way are essential, and I’m grateful for them. Rules add structure and backbone to our efforts, however, once you learn the rules, breaking a rule or two or three can produce delicious results. Don’t get bogged down in the “dos” and don’ts” and the “shoulds” and “musts.” Your creative spark will lead the way.

Live, celebrate and embrace your joy and inspiration, and love the journey. Never allow yourself to be intimidated so that you shrink back from the spark and the gifts that you alone can contribute to the human conversation. It’s so easy to go through life thinking that one person can’t make a difference, but that’s a mistaken belief.

I am convinced that the work, the real process, is in accessing the present moment, finding the power, the universal energy, the essence within ourselves. Too much advice, education, training, regimentation or rule-setting will bludgeon the last bit of juice out of any creative endeavor. Believe in your voice, your personal power, and then after taking that stand, thoughtfully review the wealth of advice and instruction and sift out the pieces that most benefit you.

Once we access the power of the present moment and get in touch with our own unique gifts, it is commitment and consistency that drives the Brinks truck to the bank. Hang onto your rebel genius and it will carry you further than you dreamed possible. The emphasis is on finding what works best for you, and then applying it with gleeful celebration, an attitude of fun. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it.

Writing is something we all do, every day of our lives. We compose emails, social media posts, write heartfelt letters to friends and family or crisp missives to business associates. Some people are gifted wordsmiths, delighting everyone with their talent, and yet they don’t think of themselves as possessing any special writing skills. Others know they’re writers, because they are published authors or popular bloggers. No matter how⎯or if, you see yourself as a contender in the literary world, you can’t escape the fact that you are a writer. And in the course of writing day to day, you’ve collected valuable tips and strategies for being better at it. If you’re like me, you’re always thrilled to find a new piece of advice, or a tip or technique that you can add to your arsenal. Here are seven of my favorite tips for being a better writer:

Write about what you know, and what you love.

Don’t dream about it, agonize over it, or talk about it. Do it. Writing, like standup comedy or skydiving, is best done by doing. Sure, you want to be prepared and well-informed about the risks and benefits prior to the experience, but don’t hold back and obsess on every little detail of planning and preparation before you get started, or you run the risk of getting bogged down in perfectionism and the resulting procrastination that can block your process. Instead, jump in and go crazy. Really let yourself go, leave your ego in the backseat and don’t let it drive. Your process will guide you, and the process of writing generates new ideas as you go.

Write with an audience in mind. When you write to a potential reader, you automatically become more conversational, flexible and realistic in your dialogue and description. Be intimate. I visualize a friend who knows me well and who would never judge me, but will be honest and call me on my B.S. And this friend is funny; gets my sense of humor. When I do this, it’s easy to get into the flow. Personally, I write to an audience of one at a time. I never envision a collective audience of readers or I tend to be stilted or phony.

Make use of tools that improve quality and work with an editor. Spelling, grammar, correct punctuation and illustrious vocabulary are all available through a variety of channels. The internet has brought all the manuals of style and reference books to within a click’s distance. Word processing programs have spell check and every other possible device to ensure excellence. Keep a thesaurus and dictionary on hand. Beyond that stage, work with an editor. Every writer needs a second set of eyes, or as many sets of eyes as possible to read, proofread and then do it all again.

Write about what you know, and what you love. When you’re writing, you’re communicating your innermost feelings and ideas on the page. You want it to sizzle and reverberate with passion and authenticity. A writing project is intimate, it’s your partner. Choose to write about something you can live with. When I wrote Never Give in to Fear, I had to wake up with it in the morning and go to sleep with it at night. Some of the things I described in my memoir were painful to recount. But I knew my story, and I love the fact that I’ve come back. The telling required me reliving some very traumatic experiences from long ago, but I knew it was necessary to relive those things in order for the description to hit the page, genuine and raw.  I lived in peace with the book, because I’d already gone through a process of forgiving, making amends and creating a new lifestyle, so I felt safe through it all, in that present moment.

Associate with positive people, and get rid of any negative influences. Writing is a work of the soul. You want to take very good care of yourself and be sure that your environment is supportive. Don’t listen to naysayers who speak from their own fear. Instead, stick with the winners: positive thinkers, preferably writers who share the experience and will offer honest feedback, share pointers, and lead by example.

Description and detail, action and excitement are essential. Paint the scene with your words. Let the reader experience the entire moment, hour, day, or year through all five senses. Bring it all to life. The more detailed the description, the better. The character jumped in the car? What kind of car? What was the make, the year, the condition of the chassis, how did the engine sound? Did it sputter, or purr? Action verbs create action in your story. Avoid passive voice at all costs. Keep your description fit and muscular, if it gets soft and flabby it won’t carry your story.

Never give in to fear. Banish fear from your writing environment. Fear, more than any other obstacle, can hold you back from the fun, the satisfaction and the glorious discovery that writing brings. Whenever the scaredy-cat, monster-under-the-bed doubts and negative statements rise up in your consciousness, recognize them for the irrational, creativity-crushing lies that they are and push them aside. Don’t be afraid to write badly, you can always go back later and edit out any parts you don’t like. The main thing is to write, write, write until you find your rhythm, attitude and voice. Just get that first outline down, and paddle it out into the waves of creation, and keep riding those waves till you get your first draft done. After that, you hone and refine and polish and destroy and create some more until you have what you recognize as your work.

Here’s a quote from acclaimed author Frank Herbert’s Dune series: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”  I love that quote. I hope you do, too. And I hope your writing will grow, multiply, amaze, and thrill your readers. Enjoy the process.

Life is precious and fragile, so why spend time stressed out and anxious about the future or past when you can be serene and steady, living in the present moment? Make an action plan to counteract negative thinking and resulting negative emotions that can drain you of energy and joy. When you practice any or all of the following strategies, you can build your enthusiasm, sense of purpose, and fun. You’ll notice you’re more relaxed, more productive, and more optimistic as you apply the following techniques:

Exercise Daily. Physical exercise reduces stress, counteracts depression, and pumps up your energy. Design a personal program that works for you. Whether it’s a walk in the park or a fiendishly brutal MMA-type workout, be sure you’re consistent. If your plan is three, six or even days a week, stick to it. And consult with a professional trainer for best results. The point is that when you’re building your muscles, you’re building your brain, and a strong brain and body will result in greater self-confidence, better health, and greater bliss!

Socialize, in Real Time, With Real People. Avoid the tendency to isolate. It’s so much easier to get stressed out when you’re all alone, and trying to connect with others on your phone, i-pad or computer can only take you so far. Humans need social contact. When you attend meetings and parties, go out for coffee, take a fun class, or even stroll around a museum, you get outside your own head and most likely begin to feel more creative, happy and confident.

Do Something Nice for Somebody. This works best if you do the good deed without expecting any credit or recompense. Let somebody go ahead of you in line at the ATM, grocery, or gas pump. In traffic, let another car merge or make a turn. Open a door for someone, hold the elevator, take time to acknowledge someone of lesser status. Give someone a sincere compliment or praise. Pay the toll for the car behind you. These simple acts of kindness can slow your frantic pace momentarily and give you a chance to get centered. And there’s always the “karma” factor: you feel good when you do good.

Set Aside Time to Meditate. Daily meditation is proven to relieve stress and anxiety while promoting both mental and physical health. Mindfulness meditation is simple and practical. Practice your “now” awareness: you do this sitting, lying down, or even while taking a walk in the outdoors. Focus on the present moment, observing your body, mind and emotions. Refrain from judging, but simply observe each thought or sensation. Allow your senses to record your environment as you relax, breathing slowly. A quick way to begin is to close your eyes, then as you slowly inhale, say, “I am,” and slowly exhale, say, “…relaxed.” Try repeating that statement in sync with your breathing.

Engage in Positive Visualization. The conscious practice of positive visualization is a powerful and effective way to lift your mood, improve your outlook, and increase your confidence. Athletes, artists and entertainers utilize this amazing tool to accomplish goals and increase skills and ability. Visualization works best when you’re totally relaxed. When you visualize, picture yourself in the desired situation, and “act out” the scene carefully, paying attention to each desired detail. You can turbo-charge this by consciously allowing yourself to luxuriate in a strong positive feeling as you guide yourself through the visualization.

Use Positive Self-Talk. Instead of allowing a negative inner monologue to influence or even dominate your emotional life, apply layers of super-positive, self-enhancing statements that will effectively counteract the negative default programming. Use mantras — quick, alliterative phrases that will pump you up and keep your focus optimistic. When I quit doing hard drugs and started my journey back from homelessness and PTSD, I used the mantra, “There’s hope after dope!” Another simple mantra is, “Thank you!” Encourage yourself, be your own best friend and keep a pep talk going through challenges and stress.

Remember to Have Fun. Laugh, play games, joke around and make sure you allow yourself plenty of time for celebrating each and every one of your accomplishments, as well as those of your friends. Practice the art of not taking yourself too seriously. Even when you’re working or doing something serious, cultivate a sense of fun and enjoy the moment. Appreciate other people and give them credit for saying something funny or contributing to a fun vibe or experience.

Harness the Power of Gratitude. Make a gratitude list and read it to yourself daily. Take care to acknowledge and thank people around you that you may be taking for granted. Think of all the good things, nice words, help, money and love you’ve received in life up to this point. Who has taught you, encouraged you, made you laugh, listened to you, and employed you? Breathe in and appreciate the fact that you’re alive. Anticipate and express gratitude for all the promise that life holds for you. Gratitude increases exponentially as you use it, and as you find more and more things to be grateful for, you’ll find yourself wanting to pay it forward to others, completing the gratitude circle.

Today I took a long walk outside in the sunshine. An intensive work schedule and  many different projects demanding my energy and attention had begun to put a dent in my enthusiasm and focus. I figured a mid-afternoon hike would help, and it did. But when I arrived back at the office to resume working, I felt a heaviness, a sort of dread, which is weird, considering how much I love my work. I took a moment to check in and observe my thoughts, and captured the bummer thought that caused the bad feeling. It was something like, “You have too many things to do. You’ll never do anything well because you’re stretched too thin.”

I realized I’d actually accepted that thought, unconsciously maybe, but still, when I accepted the thought it gave rise to the negative emotion. Immediately I took the opportunity to consciously employ optimistic thoughts and self-enhancing statements. I told myself, “I’m up to this! I can accomplish everything…but I’ll need to do one task at a time. I’ll do everything well because I believe in myself and my purpose.” Of course, the feeling of dread vanished, replaced by a sense of competence and self-assurance.

Responses like that are increasingly automatic for me now, but years ago I bounced back and forth between negative impulses and emotions, blaming outside circumstances and other people for the pain I experienced. I created crises and made dire predictions and self-fulfilling negative prophecies. Then I had an epiphany and my whole life changed.

I realized that the key to a brilliant future resides in the present moment. So does happiness, healing, personal growth and recovery. Whether we realize it or not, our happiness depends upon our positive belief in the future, that is, in a personal tomorrow. Most of what will transpire in our lives tomorrow is a direct result of how we think today. Fear breaks down the fabric of your existence, while positive belief in yourself will build it up.

As we move through the day, we’re constantly bombarded by messages. At home or at the office, the gym, or in the car, there’s a constant barrage of news media, advertising, texts, social media updates raining down on our consciousness. Many of these messages are negative and can adversely affect the way we think about ourselves, the world and life in general.

The self-empowering thing to do is create a buffer against negative thoughts, beliefs and attitudes and to think, act, feel and create from a deep inner well of peace, self-assurance and sense of purpose. When we live this way, we experience a better quality of life, deeper relationships with others, and greater satisfaction with our accomplishments.

You can if you think you can. When you embrace positive, self-enhancing beliefs, you enable yourself to smash through limitations you may have set in the past. Personally, I use mantras and affirmations to reset the way I think about myself, life, and other people. And I find that I need employ tools like that on a regular basis. When we’re not proactive about our good thoughts, negative thoughts will move back in and take over the party, so to speak.

Marti MacGibbon, humorous inspirational speaker and author, delivered the keynote speech and a breakout session at the 2013 Indiana Emergency Nurses Association’s Annual Symposium. Topic of the keynote was overcoming adversity. The breakout session topic was human trafficking, and Marti spoke as a survivor and advocate, providing insights into short and long-term effects of human trafficking on victims, and how to recognize possible victims of this crime.

Marti MacGibbon with Sherri Marley, ENA Indiana’s 2013 event planner.

Positive visualization really does work.

Blog Talk Radio is the largest social radio network with millions of listeners worldwide. Marti spoke with host Lorane Gordon on her show, “Journey into Now.” Marti shared her story of triumph against all odds, and revealed how she used the power of visualization to survive human trafficking, drug addiction and homelessness, and then went on to create the life of her dreams. In the interview, she shares simple, effective strategies and tips to relieve stress, lift mood, and manifest peace and prosperity. It’s no wonder this podcast got over 26,000 listens during the first week!Listen to the show:

Marti MacGibbon is a guest speaker at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. She attended the International Freedom Conductor Awards Gala in Cincinnati in March.This year’s IFCA recipients are the late Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, a courageous civil rights leader who organized the Freedom Rides with Rosa Parks and worked tirelessly alongside Dr. Martin Luther King; and Nicholas Kristof, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who broke the story on the Darfur genocide and has championed causes such as combatting human trafficking, world hunger, and the global oppression of women. The National Underground Freedom Center bestows this prestigious award semiannually to individuals who, by their efforts and personal examples, reflect the spirit and courageous actions of the conductors on the historic Underground Railroad. Previous recipients are Rosa Parks, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Bill Clinton, and the His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.