The Surprising Power of Regret

Speaker A: So what if the biggest regrets of your life aren't the mistakes that you made, but the decisions that you were afraid to make? Today we're exploring how to make choices you'll be proud of decades from now, using psychology, neuroscience, and a powerful framework that's helping leaders and high achievers make decisions with confidence. Please join me in welcoming our guest, Parul Samani. Parul, thanks. This is your second time on the Will Talk podcast, so thank you for coming back and sharing space and all the new things that you've been doing. So I'm really grateful that you're able to do this with us today.

Speaker B: Thanks so much, Vicki. Thanks for having me back.

Speaker A: My pleasure, my pleasure. Well, let's jump in. I mean, regret is something that we do often live with. I always try to ask myself like, and I will share this with clients like, you know, do things that you don't wake up down the road and go, oh, I wish I had done this. And so living with those. No regrets. So let's talk about if regret is one of those universal human emotions, why do so many successful people still make decisions that they wish later in life that maybe they hadn't done that?

Speaker B: Mhm. Yeah. It's such an important question because you're absolutely right. It is such a universal condition. And there's a reason why the book is also called, you know, not called the Path of no Regret. Right. And it's, it's recognizing that there is this unavoidable aspect of it and that it is human to feel it. And yet so many, so many people suffer from it because they're not necessarily taking that mindful pause in their life to reevaluate whether the choices that they're making still align with who they now are. And when we think about regret in its traditional sense, it is viewed as this backward looking burden of the, uh, what ifs and if onlys that we carry. And yet I believe that if we are in touch with our current values and we're intentional in our choices, then we can actually use regret as, ah, a forward looking compass and help it shape the decisions that we make so that even if things don't turn out the way that we hoped, we've at least minimized our regret because we made that choice in the moment of time with the clarity and intentionality of what mattered to us most in that moment.

Speaker A: Love that. Uh, I love that. And so important, right? Because you know, as we were talking about earlier, you don't want to wake up one day and then say, oh, I Wish I had. But instead it's looking at, okay, I made a decision based on what I knew at that time, and that was my path forward at that time. And here's what I've learned from that. And then how does that help you shape the next choices that you come up against?

Speaker B: That's absolutely right. Because when people generally think about a, uh, regret minimization framework, they often think of, uh, the Jeff Bezos question, um, of what would my 80 year old self want me to do? And the challenge with that though, is that we are actually very bad at predicting what our future selves want. So when we try to project ourselves that far into the future and think about what our deathbed regret might be, then we're actually trying to make decisions for someone that we don't even know. Mhm.

Speaker A: Wow, I love that.

Speaker B: And, well, and this is anchored in neuroscience as well. You know, it's called the illusion, uh, of continuity, where we believe that who we are today is who we're always going to be. But when we think, even 20 years ago, who we were then and how much we've grown and evolved since then, the same could happen in the 20 years into the future.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Uh, and so rather than trying to anchor the, you know, regret that we might feel to someone whose priorities and values we don't yet know, if we can shift our thinking and our mental model to think about minimizing regret not for our future self, but for our present self, and, um, making decisions that are aligned with the reality that we're living today, then even if in the future we hope that we had maybe done something different, tried something different, we can at least find peace of mind and the reassurance and knowing that if we were to have gone back in time and made that decision again based on what we knew, then we actually wouldn't have made a different choice.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I love how you're highlighting that. Because even if we think back to when you were on the podcast the last time, think about how much you've evolved, you've written this book, you've created these frameworks, you know, you've really done much more work on the neuroscience and the psychology of, uh, how we think, how we perform all of these things, and that's very different than maybe how you were thinking even just a few years ago. And that's human nature. For us to evolve. And what worked for us then may work for us now, but it may not work for us now. So I think that's a really important distinction that you have brought up and not being so hard on ourselves to think we have to make the perfect decision because we're not going to, because we do change. Our environment changes. Everything around us is constantly evolving and emerging. And so it's also, how do you adapt and flow with that based on the information you have available to you?

Speaker B: That's absolutely right. And that's why I think such an important part of, uh, being at a crossroad is not just about what is the decision that we're going to then make. It's first actually stepping back and assessing how do we feel about the crossroad that we're at and actually being in touch with the emotions that we feel around that. Because oftentimes a decision is triggered because perhaps an acute situation has occurred. Right. Like a curveball, like a diagnosis or a layoff or a breakup. Or maybe it's this, you know, inertia based change that has just accumulated over time as we realize we're in a job that's no longer serving us. But, and we're questioning, you know, what's next and do we need to make a change. But regardless of the context of the situation, there's these deep emotions that are wrapped up in our sense of self, our identity, how the situation is making us feel. And if we don't take the time to actually honor those emotions, show ourselves that self compassion, that it's okay and human to feel those emotions and also be able to do the hard work, uh, of separating what are the, the big emotions that just need to be honored and processed versus what are mental roadblocks that are actually holding us back from creating the change that we want. Until we can do that work and clarify that for ourselves, we may struggle with being able to make a choice that is truly aligned. If we haven't even clarified for ourself what our own aligned life would look.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And most of the time, I mean, not most of the time, but a lot of the time we haven't even stopped long enough to think about what that looks like. Right? Like, I mean, you and I both do similar work and you know, you're talking to clients and, and usually it's when a layoff or a termination happens and somebody says, oh my gosh, I've never even thought about what I want. I just happen to fall into it. And what you're talking about is like, how do you, how do you be super conscious about what you are choosing and working towards something that isn't is in alignment with you. So one of the things you Talk about too is about how to turn regret into an advantage. So can someone actually become or can. Can we look at things like regret and, and have it be one of our greatest leadership tools to help us navigate success instead of something that we potentially might avoid. Like failure is a bad word in most professionals language. And so how do we start to embrace that and use it to our advantage?

Speaker B: Yeah, you know, so I shared earlier that regret is, is not just a backward looking burden, but it can also be a forward looking compass. Mhm. The, the benefit can come from both sides of it. So when we do think of it as this backward looking burden, instead of it just serving as this emotional anchor, if we view it as a data point, if we view our past regrets as signals of what are our values, what is important to us, what is the life that we hope that we could lead, then there's this opportunity to turn those past regrets into learning opportunities and into clarifiers for when a similar situation happens again. When a uh, new opportunity comes up to inform how you might want to approach it differently, how you might want to make a different choice because you are looking to minimize that future regret on the second hand of it though, of it being a forward looking compass, that's another way in which regret can turn into an advantage because the active nature of trying to preempt that regret, of being clear on what is it that I'm m solving for, what is it that I'm valuing, what is it that is going to matter to me and making our decisions in the present with that level of clarity and intentionality allows us to preempt our regret in a way that we're using it as a tool for decision making as opposed to only this backward looking anchor. Mhm.

Speaker A: Yeah, love that. And if, and that again requires intentionality and slowing down enough to actually think about, you know, how it shapes or how it has shaped where you are. Um, you know, I find it fascinating when we do take those moments of, you know, space where we can think about like how did I get where I am and where do I want to get to where I'm going and what's going to help me leverage that and get me there. And we experience a lot of things in life that help us, you know, navigate those different choices. So I'd love us to kind of switch gears a little bit and just talk about the science behind even how we make decisions. And so what have you learned that neuroscience tells us about why our brains make either poor decisions under pressure or how leaders can you know, interrupt those patterns so that you're feeling really good about the decisions that you are making.

Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And there's several aspects to this as we think about just that journey of uh, decision making and you know, I call it the emotional roll up. The emotional journey of change in decision making in, in my book, where I actually map out how our emotions change over time and how our neuroscience affects that is in those very early stages of uh, just that awareness that like something is not working for us is that what we tend to do is just think about the stressor. Right. We tend to think about the curveball that's occurred or what's going wrong. And when we only think about that part of it, we're actually lighting up our amygdala. We're triggering our stress response and essentially freaking out. Mhm. And feeling more stressed. And feeling exactly right. Feeling more stressed out. And the part that we're missing is step of then taking the thought of the stressor and from there actually identifying and naming the emotion that we're feeling. Because when we can actually name the emotions that the experience is making us feel, we're lighting up a different part of our brain. We're shifting from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex. We're shifting from reactive to proactive. And we're allowing ourselves to understand how we're feeling, but by naming it and really narrowing in on it, have this opportunity to use that emotion as a data point, as a uh, signal to what isn't working for us. What is it that that needs to be changed. And so allowing ourselves to recognize the importance of pausing, of naming the emotions, of not recognizing or viewing them as weaknesses or something that need to be brushed aside or brushed past or you know, not fully processed, but recognizing that they're human, recognizing that they're okay to feel and recognizing that they're actual. Valuable. Deep.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: As, um, we continue to think about like uncertainty and change though, we also have a very strong negativity bias. And we tend to, you know, think that if something bad has happened that that is, then what we tend to see is, is the bad that might come from it.

Speaker A: What you focus on becomes more vivid.

Speaker B: Uh, absolutely. And uh, I mean it's a survival mechanism, right? Negativity bias. And that awareness of what we need to fe of why humanity has evolved to still be here today. And so it's not that it's something that should be eliminated, but it is something that we should be aware of and be able to try to interrupt when we recognize that our mental narrative is no longer serving us. Mhm. If all we're seeing is the negative, if all we're envisioning is the negative thing that could happen. And to be able to disrupt that pattern and ask ourselves to imagine what could be or what opportunity has actually arisen from this, and seeing the good and the bad and recognizing that grief and gratitude can coexist, that that can be a very important neurological pattern to interrupt.

Speaker A: Yeah. Well, and what you're speaking to is so important, especially for busy executives. Doesn't matter what sector you're in, because we're typically in these high stakes, high noise environments. And even being able to carve out that space can be challenging. Right. Like you called it proactive. I call it being conscious of your response and so really paying attention to are you knee jerk reacting because so many things are coming at you and that is your amygdala for sure, or are you being thoughtful? And in that present state of that prefrontal cortex and consciously deciding what is the best way to respond in this particular situation, it's a tough one to navigate when you're in the, the fire, so to speak. And so it's also, and I think you said this earlier, um, PUL is having that grace with yourself, that compassion with yourself, that, you know, sure, maybe it didn't happen this time, but what did you learn from that? How did that play out? And how do you change it the next time? Because speed is not always the answer. I love the, you know, the turtle and the hair. Sometimes being the turtle can really be advantageous versus, you know, jumping out there, front of the line, ready to go.

Speaker B: Yeah. And you know, I think if we take this lens of, uh, wanting to minimize our regret. Right. Wanting to optimize for our peace of mind, then part of it also is understanding what is more likely to drive regret. And when we think about decision making, there's two ends of the pendulum. We might have. The people who are feeling the pressure are rushing into decisions. Maybe they're just wired to want to be overly efficient and, and move forward and, you know, make the choices quickly. But if they're not allowing themselves that pause and that intentionality that we've talked about, then regret is more likely to grow from those decisions because they'll realize that, oh, if I had just taken that moment to pause, if I had just taken that moment to ask myself what do I really want? If I just taken that moment to explore other options, then maybe things could have been different.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And similarly, the other End of the pendulum also applies the folks who are so paralyzed by the thought of decision making, they're so mired in analysis paralysis, they keep just looking for more data because they're hoping for this analysis to show that like, okay, this is the certain answer with this guaranteed outcome, that they just never end up taking action in the first place. And eventually that indecision becomes its own decision.

Speaker A: Yeah, very true.

Speaker B: Because that window of opportunity passes by.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And so it's about finding that moderation in between where you're. And recognizing like where your own struggle is. Some people are, they struggle more with the intentionality and some people struggle more with the action taking. And so it's, it's more about how do you clarify your intentions and be proactive with your actions hand in hand.

Speaker A: Yeah, love that. That's very true, very true. So you've written this great book, the Path of Least Regret, and I don't want you to give a lot away here, but you know, if you can give us maybe some examples of what the frameworks look like and explain how if someone's facing a really difficult life or career decision, how could they begin to use some of those frameworks to help them, um, navigate that moderation or the balance. I hate using the word balance. It's not a, not my favorite word because it's never equal 50 50. But how to find the path forward, I guess is the best way to say it.

Speaker B: Yeah. So there's two aspects to the book. The, the primary aspect is the introduction of the Path of Least Regret framework itself. And that is introducing the language of the emotional journey of change and helping people understand what is that roller coaster that we go through and that within each of those five phases of the roller coaster, how can we actually approach them with grace, with self compassion, with intentionality, and with clarity so that we're moving through it in a way that honors our human emotions but also helps us overcome the mental roadblocks that we might struggle with and move us forward in a values aligned way. The second part of the book is actually around resilience building strategies more broadly because we can be aware of the roller coaster, we can be working to get through it, but it's when we do that daily practice of strengthening of our resilience by building and nurturing and strengthening our friendships and the community that we have by celebrating our wins, by nurturing gratitude. That type of daily resilience building then actually helps us move through the emotional roller coaster. When we do hit crossroads more gracefully, we're able to Move through those hard, uncomfortable phases more quickly. We are able to bounce forward from like the depths of sadness and anger and frustration a, uh, little bit faster as well. And so to me, it was important to cover both components of the book because, or in the book because they really do go hand in hand as we think about how do we navigate uncertainty, how do we navigate change, how do we make the hard choices in life? In terms of the application of the decision making framework itself, it applies in parenting and caregiving and career and layoffs. And I actually open every chapter with a personal story that was the experience of my own that inspired the need for this type of framework, this type of book, uh, and deconstructed from my personal experiences what worked for me, what didn't. And then I couple it with the actionable strategies. So what are those tools that someone, the reader or listener, can apply in their own life? What is the science that supports it? And then over the years I have all of these stories of, um, people that I've coached or have attended my workshops and have applied the path of least regret to their own lives and have proven out how it can help them move forward in different capacities as well. But I want the readers to also feel like they're engaging with the content in a way that applies to them. So each chapter concludes with self reflective questions and uh, prompts to help them, you know, ask. Ah, so if they are, let's say, recently faced with a layoff, right, Instead of what might be the knee jerk reaction of, um, okay, I need to start recruiting and look for the next job right away. It's allowing yourself the self compassion to feel the hard feelings that come with a layoff. Maybe it's, maybe it's, you know, sadness, maybe it's disappointment, maybe it's grief and betrayal. Like there's a whole spectrum of emotions that, that can result from a job loss like that. But then also following up with the question of, um, what am I solving for now? Is the next job that I'm looking for just another version of the same job that I had before? Or as I've evolved, as my values have evolved, as what I'm seeking out of life has evolved, does job and career look different? Does the impact that I want to have look different? And is this layoff actually potentially an opportunity to change course in a way that I might not have chosen for myself if it was less left up to me?

Speaker A: Great example.

Speaker B: And so there's, there's various, you know, uh, examples and applications, but the stories that are included in the book do cover all of these aspects of life and leadership.

Speaker A: Nice, nice. Well, and that's a great example and very relevant in our world today because we're seeing lots of layoffs happening. And you know, people have a variety of emotions that come with that. And to your point, it could be regret, it could be disappointment, it could be sadness, grief, because maybe you have a very strong, uh, community of peers that you work with that you really enjoy. And you know, it's like, uh, will I ever find that again? And so being able to navigate that is very real. And to your point, it may be the best opportunity that's ever happened to you to put you in a place where you're going to have the highest and most rewarding impact for you. So I love that. And so, you know, one of the things that has been, I would say highlighted, trending, what, however you want to call it lately is are we listening to our intuition or are we listening to fear? And I'd love to hear your thoughts on how, how you see the distinction between the two, um, and what you're hearing from clients. Like, is that intuition being disguised by fear? What is that? What does that look like in the way you're working?

Speaker B: Mhm. I think it can be differentiated based on the impact it has on your energy.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: When you're choosing and moving forward from intuition, it's should feel more energizing because it should feel values aligned. It should feel like hopeful and promising. And if you're choosing based on fear, it's more likely to be depleting your energy. It's more likely to feel like a sense of being held back from what you truly want but aren't uh, able to allow yourself to admit. And so a step, uh, in even identifying for yourself is whether you're choosing and acting based on intuition or, and values alignment or fear is, is that self reflection around how does your energy feel? And, and does does it feel upward and supported or deep down inside are you actually wishing that you, you had the courage to do something different? And I think that's why in the path of least regret framework, I have an entire phase specifically around identifying and overcoming mental roadblocks.

Speaker A: Mhm. Nice.

Speaker B: When I was saying earlier that, you know, someone at a crossroad doesn't mean that they should immediately be making a decision is because there is this risk, right, of potentially choosing out of fear, potentially choosing out of an old identity or someone else's expectations of you that if you're not right, like there's, there's so, you know, guilt, like there's just so many, uh, possible roadblocks there that you need to do those earlier phases of work where you, you are looking inward, you are evaluating what might actually be holding me back here. How do I unpack that? How do I reframe, uh, the narrative that's in my mind? How. And imagine what could a life without being fearful or carrying this guilt or feeling like I need to meet someone else's expectations instead of my own, what could that life look like? Is that a life that I'm wanting to reach for and can I reach within and find the courage to do so?

Speaker A: Nice.

Speaker B: Those phases are so important to process before actually making the decision, before actually making the change. To have it becoming from this new form of intuition, one that is anchored in your present values.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And I think, I mean, I'm just going to throw this out here. The audience may not agree with me on this, but I think we have, especially when we're talking about leadership or highly, highly ambitious people, we spend a lot of time in our mind, not in our hearts. And that intuition really does come from the inner that you're speaking to. And so it's, how do you, how do you get out of the head and into the heart to really listen to yourself? I uh, think that's a big one. And I know for me, I coach around that a lot energetically. Like what is happening and where is this, where's this information coming from? Is it in your head or is it in your heart space? And we need more heart space leaders now than we ever have for sure. Because that, uh, intuition is experiences, it's knowledge, it's, it's things that you know innately in how to shape your own life, but also to influence and help others with their lives.

Speaker B: I 100% agree with that actually. And it was, it was realizing that about myself.

Speaker A: Mhm.

Speaker B: Which is also partly what inspired this whole line of work. Because my background, you know, from education to career, was in very data driven environments. And the approach to problem solving, the approach to decision making was very analytical in nature. It's like collect the data, do the analysis and find the next step, uh, as informed by this external data. And it was when I was actually faced with my cancer diagnosis that it put that entire decision making framework into question because it was important to do all that. It was important to get the second and third opinion to collect the data on clinical studies, to research recurrence rates and how those vary by chemotherapy regimes. But it was such a poignant Example of a decision that I couldn't leave to just the data because I could feel it in my heart that there was no guaranteed outcome that I can't control what's going to happen. And the question that I was answering was no longer what's the right choice? But it's uh, what's the regret that I can most live?

Speaker A: Wow, that's very powerful, very powerful. And thank you for sharing that. I know that's very personal and very deep and sadly it is usually something like our health or something so big that it makes us start uh, to look at things differently and ask those really important questions. And I know our audience is probably sitting back going okay, yes, there's things I've done that I regret and you know, I wish I had or if I could do it again. But what do you see as the patterns that are most prominent amongst you know, I would say successful, ambitious people or leaders, but never gets talked about.

Speaker B: The pattern that I've seen both in people that I've worked with as well as um, in the stories of leaders from business school and beyond as well as what is the pattern that's identified in peer reviewed research in the field of regret, is that the area people feel most regret about and I, I see it being even a greater problem amongst high achievers relates to connections.

Speaker A: M mhm.

Speaker B: And it relates to the relationships in their life. Because if high achievers are channeling all of that high achieving energy towards their career then it's often the relationships that are getting overlooked. It's the girls trip that gets missed. It's the uh, one on one time with the child, it's the attention to the marriage, it's that sense of uh, connection and community and the prioritization of investing in those relationships, of actually nurturing them over time and not taking them for granted. That uh, they'll just be there when it, when you're ready for it. Right. When work slows down, when things get less busy, when I, you know, finally get that promotion. It's the cause of most regret and is an area that people aren't necessarily openly talking about until they're in that uh, you know, much older deathbed phase. Reflecting back and thinking about what they would have changed.

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And, and I would agree with that 100. I know for myself because I've always been you know, high performing, career oriented and it was usually the you know, partners or the intimate relationships that you know, you just, you didn't have time or you didn't think you had time and you're 100% right. It's not till later you go, why did I not make time? And you know, and I see it, you know, with parents as they get older, if they're single, wishing that they had made different decisions, different choices as it pertained to partnership. And I think that's a good message for our listeners, you know, that are, that are chiming in today and thinking about like when you wake up tomorrow, what do you want to make sure that you're not regretting? I think that's such a, that's a powerful focus and I'm grateful to you for actually having the courage to write the book and talk about like what, you know, the regrets, like don't have those regrets. And what does it cost you if you let it pass by? Because I mean you said this earlier, like the opportunity could be gone tomorrow. And do you really want to take that chance? And, and it's a weighing scale too, like how, how important is it to you?

Speaker B: So yes, yes, go ahead. Just on, on that point. I think ultimately the, the reality is that the answer can't always be prioritize.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: The child or the partner. Right. Like there, there, there are the realities of life. And so it's more about just being clear and intentional on your why and allowing that why to evolve and change and allowing the choices accordingly to change. So you may decide that uh, okay, I have this, you know, big professional opportunity coming up and I'm really excited about it, but it'll take me away from, you know, my kids or family or I'll miss this girls trip as a result of it. The, the choice that feels right to you might still be to go on that work trip. Right. It's more about being clear on the trade off and, and um, and knowing and being okay with whatever trade off you decide to make. Because then down the road, you know, if you're looking back and being like, oh, I wish I hadn't gone on that girls trip or I wish I hadn't gone on that work trip, you are at least anchored in the why you chose it at the time time and, and why it made sense for you at the time. The, and knowing that on a future opportunity it might be the girls trip that gets the choice you, uh, know and gets the, gets the win instead of the work trip. And it, it's, it's more about just having that clarity on what decision you're making, why you're making it, what trade offs are real because of it, and confirming with yourself your comfort with those trade Offs because even if there is some lingering regret down the road, that peace of mind lies in the ability to reassure yourself that you still made the right decision for yourself at the time that you.

Speaker A: Yeah, love that, Love that. Very important message to take home. So I am going to wrap us up today, but I want to leave our audience with something very powerful. And uh, so what do you hope the audience is going to say was the decision that changed the trajectory of their life because of something they learned from you today?

Speaker B: I would like them to say that their decision to act, ah, out of clarity and intentionality instead of um, fear and outdated sense of self, changed the direction of their life starting today.

Speaker A: Nice, Nice. So audience, that's your challenge. Think about how you want that to land for you. Think about the impact that, that, that potentiality has. Um, and I think the big thing is, you know, having that grace and compassion that you talked about Parul to, you know, just really, we do the best we can and so slowing it down long enough to get into your heart space and, and really answer those questions that are, you know, coming from your inner self, not this external pressure that we might often feel. So where can people find you? How do they find, I mean I'm sure Amazon, your book's on Amazon. But where would they be able to find the book? How can they reach out to you if they have more questions, uh, all those wonderful things and how can they follow you to, you know, get more insight?

Speaker B: Yeah. So listeners can learn more about my work as a speaker and author on my website@ah, parulsamani.com so it's just my name and there's more information about the book there as well. But if anyone is looking to learn more about the path of least regret, the strategies and science and stories that are shared in it, it is available on Amazon as uh, well, anywhere else online you might purchase your books and it's available on hardcover, ebook and self narrated audiobook. And so it's a format for everyone. And of course I'm available on social media on LinkedIn and Instagram. So invite listeners to follow along if they're looking for updates or just those, you know, daily insights into how to live and lead with more intention and with.

Speaker A: Love it, love it, love it. So everyone listening, you know, you've got a place to, to go to ask more questions. I think the big thing I, I hope that you would leave with today is thinking about, you know, how do I live that life of least regret? And that requires you to live more fully in the present so that you know, you don't one day wake up and go, oh, I wish I had. So if this episode resonates with you, please do share it. Leave us a review. Let us know what you think of the conversation. We'd be super grateful for that. And, uh, as always, you know, visit the Women in Empowered website. We've got two free mini series that you can tap into. One is on habits and the other one is about fear. So I think that's a time lo and given our conversation today regarding intuition versus fear. So thanks so much for joining us and we will see you on the next Women in Leadership Talk podcast. And Parul, lovely to have you back on the show again. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and all the wonderful work that you're doing.

Speaker B: Thank you.

Speaker A: Becky, thank you for joining us for Will Talk, sponsored by Women in Leadership Empowered. To learn more about our programs, please visit www.willempowered. com. We look forward to seeing you in our community.