Angela Simmons
Episode 56

Narrator: Welcome, friends to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. Join your host, Japhet De Oliveira with his guest today and discover the moments that shape us, our families and communities.

Japhet De Oliveira: Welcome, friends to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. I am delighted still to be able to say that I am here at Adventist Health Castle in Hawaii with a guest across the table. Another recording that we did, there was helicopter sounds and all sorts of other things, but hopefully now we'll be safe. For anybody who's brand new, this is how it works, and it's that we have 100 questions. And the first 10 are pretty easy, and then it gets progressively more revealing and vulnerable. And our guest, who's smiling with excitement and anticipation, is ready for this. So let's start with question number one. If you could tell us your name, and does anybody ever mispronounce it or mess it up?

Angela Simmons: Hi, everyone. My name is Angela Simmons, and it's pretty straightforward. Not too many mess ups that I know of.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. That's great. Everybody spells it correctly.

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic. Angela, what do you do for work?

Angela Simmons: I'm the lab director here at Adventist Health Castle.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK, the lab director. You've got to unpack that for somebody. So imagine somebody who's never heard of that, and tell us a little bit about what that actually means.

Angela Simmons: Well, by trade, I'm a medical technologist or a clinical lab scientist. They have varying names these days. But pretty much, I get to play with blood all day and look at the beautiful cells inside our bodies and all the other bodily fluids that they send us.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? All right. So if somebody is going to go into surgery, if somebody is going to see the doctor, they send it all through you. And you guys are running 24/7.

Angela Simmons: Yes. We're open 24/7. We have to be a stat lab for our ER, and just make sure we're there to help the doctors get to their diagnosis.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. Since I'm scared of blood, that's fine. That's great. How long have you been in your current role?

Angela Simmons: In my role, I've been here two years. I started right when COVID started, so good timing.

Japhet De Oliveira: Great timing.

Angela Simmons: But I've been in the lab industry for close to 15 years now.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? This is extra, a bonus question here. With COVID starting, was there more fear with the lab work and more precautions?

Angela Simmons: Yeah. In the beginning, we really made sure that we had the right negative air pressure to work with these samples and just be protected, keep the lab staff feeling safe that they were able to do the testing and feel safe.

Japhet De Oliveira: Did you guys go in hazmat suits?

Angela Simmons: Almost.

Japhet De Oliveira: Almost, almost.

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. All right. I have seen some movies, and so I'm prepared for this. All right. Let's talk practically this morning. When you get up, do you have coffee to start your day off? Do you have water, green liquid smoothie, poi?

Angela Simmons: Yeah. Poi, that would be good. Water, for sure, if I remember, but definitely coffee in a to-go cup.

Japhet De Oliveira: In a to-go cup. OK. That's brilliant. That's good. That's fine. We're totally with you. Where were you born?

Angela Simmons: I was born in Arizona, but only born there. I really don't remember it. And then we shortly moved to California, so raised in Southern California.

Japhet De Oliveira: And then how long have you been here?

Angela Simmons: I've been here 15 years, just about 15 years.

Japhet De Oliveira: 15 years. OK. Second home. That's brilliant. That's really good. When you were a child in California, what did you imagine you wanted to grow up to be?

Angela Simmons: An astronaut.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's great.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. I actually started that pathway initially. I went to school, an aeronautical university in Florida to be an astronaut. Started getting into the nitty gritty of CAD drawings and getting to learn engineering, and decided it wasn't really fit for me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really?

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, the closest I've been to an astronaut is watching Space Camp. That's great. That's great. How did you move from being an astronaut or planning to be an astronaut to this particular path?

Angela Simmons: I got a part-time job as an EMT, working on an ambulance. And that's where I just really loved the medical field and then kind of got into the whole just why people ... the physiology of people.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's great. That's great. Well, thank you for doing that. Personality, would people describe you as an extrovert or an introvert? And would you agree?

Angela Simmons: Introvert, actually.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah?

Angela Simmons: Yes. Kind of funny. We just did a team personality test with our staff meeting, and it was surprising how many lab people are introverts. Guess there's a reason.

Japhet De Oliveira: I was there last night at your lab visiting with all your team, the team that works through the night, and they were saying kind of the same thing. We love working with each other, but we like our quiet time as well. And so, that's great. It's a great team you have, actually. Really good, good spirit down there. Habits. Are you an early rise or a late night owl?

Angela Simmons: I would say late night owl. I feel more productive and energized at night.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. All right. And then this morning, when you were so energized, what was the very first thought that went through your mind?

Angela Simmons: The kids are still asleep. Yes. Score.

Japhet De Oliveira: I understand. I understand. Are you kids still really young or ...

Angela Simmons: Yeah. They're five and four.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic.

Angela Simmons: They're fun. But yeah, when I get a few extra minutes, and I'm not woken up at 4:00 AM with a face in my face, I'm like, "Oh, OK."

Japhet De Oliveira: I hear you. All right, last question in this section here. And this is a leadership question. Do you consider yourself a backseat driver?

Angela Simmons: No. I would say as far as backseat driver, really needing to manage my team, I would say I want to empower them to make decisions. And I know they're all talented and they can make the best decisions, and I will always back them up. So I would say not a backseat driver, as much as I try to make sure they have their tools that they need to be successful.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's great. All right. The floor is open now, and we can go from 11 to 100. Where would you like to go?

Angela Simmons: Any number.

Japhet De Oliveira: Any number. Yeah, you can go up and down as well. Yeah.

Angela Simmons: OK. Let's go with 15.

Japhet De Oliveira: 15. All right. What is the one thing that you always misplace?

Angela Simmons: Car keys.

Japhet De Oliveira: Car keys.

Angela Simmons: Yes. Actually just last week, I couldn't find them, and I asked my daughter. She's like, "Oh, they're in my unicorn purse." That's a perfect place for them.

Japhet De Oliveira: Sounds like you misplaced that, right?

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. It does not sound that way at all. All right. OK. So 15. Up or down then?

Angela Simmons: Let's go 22.

Japhet De Oliveira: 22. If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?

Angela Simmons: I would say scuba diving.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really?

Angela Simmons: It's been a while since we've gone, so I definitely miss it. So it'd be nice to ...

Japhet De Oliveira: How deep have you gone?

Angela Simmons: 100 feet. There are some pretty nice shipwreck dives here, so I get to see the huge turtles that hang out on the sunken ships.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic. That's fantastic. Hey, that's great. That's great. All right. Where would you like to go next?

Angela Simmons: Let's go 27.

Japhet De Oliveira: 27. Bring us into your kitchen and thinking of a special meal, what would that be? Would you be making it?

Angela Simmons: I would be making it. I'm the chef of the house.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, yeah?

Angela Simmons: I would say it's either going to be tacos. I used to have my own little taco truck.

Japhet De Oliveira: Did you really?

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: No way.

Angela Simmons: A side hobby of carne asada tacos or some nice Mexican food.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's not an easy task to do.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. It's fun though. I really enjoyed it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? All right.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. But I think that's probably what I'd be cooking. Just having a little neighborhood barbecue and inviting people over for tacos would be fun.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic. Yeah, if you ran an entire truck, that's impressive. All right. Where do you want to go after that?

Angela Simmons: Let's go 31.

Japhet De Oliveira: 31, all right. Tell us about someone you'd love to eat dinner with. The sky is the limit.

Angela Simmons: I'm trying to think of somebody. I would say Michelle Obama.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Angela Simmons: Yeah. It would be nice to-

Japhet De Oliveira: That would be a great conversation.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. Kind of get the inside workings of her strong side and ... Yeah. I think she's a good inspiration for all of us.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really great. Oh, that's great. Good name. All right. Where next then after 31? Up or down?

Angela Simmons: 38.

Japhet De Oliveira: 38. All right. If you needed encouragement, who would you call?

Angela Simmons: My husband. He's always the one that kind of has my back, and he's there if I have a rough day, or at the end of the day when we're both digressing from our day, [inaudible 00:09:13] have each other's back.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's fantastic. That's really great. How long have you guys been married?

Angela Simmons: That's a hard question.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's a hard question?

Angela Simmons: I should know this.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, it was a bonus question. I just added that. It's like 30 A.

Angela Simmons: I'm the worst with dates and anniversaries, but we are going on being married nine years.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic.

Angela Simmons: We've been together for close to 15.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. That was great. OK. Where would you like to go next?

Angela Simmons: Let's go to 21.

Japhet De Oliveira: 21. All right. Share the best compliment you've ever received.

Angela Simmons: I would say, I think when anyone just says that they're proud of you, it just really makes you feel that extra specialness of, wow. Someone's proud of me. I did something really good. And I think that's the best compliment, maybe not specifically about me, but just something I did or some accomplishment.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. I'd agree with you. I think kids need that, and I think we never grow out of that.

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's true. I haven't thought about it that way, but I like that. All right. Good. Where next?

Angela Simmons: 42.

Japhet De Oliveira: 42. Tell us about the story behind the photo in your phone.

Angela Simmons: The photo in my phone.

Japhet De Oliveira: You must have a photo. Do you have a photo, a background photo or a screen saver photo, and what's the story behind that photo?

Angela Simmons: It's my husband and the two kids, and their backs are towards me. And they're just out staring into the ocean.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, nice. Nice.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. They're just kind of hugging each other and just kind of like, yeah. That's my happy place, watching them enjoy themselves at the beach.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's epic. That's epic. That's good. Hey, that's really good. Beautiful. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: 49.

Japhet De Oliveira: 49. What are you currently learning about and why?

Angela Simmons: I'm currently learning about Apple Swift code.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh really?

Angela Simmons: Programming code. Just curious to see what technology can offer us and how we can integrate technology with healthcare and data that we have.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great.

Angela Simmons: That's one of my nighttime projects, to read about coding.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm trying to think how many people have the same kind of project. Not really many. That's really great. That's great.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. You can always learn more.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. This is a bonus question here. Are you an early adopter of technology?

Angela Simmons: I would say, yeah. Technology, maybe it's just my generation, comes easily, learning new technologies. Nothing that's tough.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. All right.

Angela Simmons: I'm not leading it. I definitely have lots of red bubbles on my phone. I don't check notifications instantly, so that's one thing. But I can use it pretty well.

Japhet De Oliveira: But you can use it well. All right. That's great. That's great. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: Let's see. 53.

Japhet De Oliveira: 53. All right. Can you tell us about at least one important person in your life?

Angela Simmons: My mom.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah?

Angela Simmons: I guess everyone's mom's important.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Angela Simmons: I would say mine's extra special. She recently retired, actually when my kids were born, and retired and moved to Hawaii. I know it's tough to twist someone's arm to move here. So she retired and came and just has been a godsend for us to have her and be able to rely on her when we have to work late or especially with COVID, crazy hours.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes. That would've been.

Angela Simmons: Just knowing that they're safe with Grandma and Grandma's got them.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really, really good. So you have a great relationship with your mom then?

Angela Simmons: Yes. Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. Not everybody does.

Angela Simmons: Right. Right.

Japhet De Oliveira: So what would be the secret? This is a bonus questions. What would be the secret to a great relationship with your mom that somebody could think, "Well, I could do that?"

Angela Simmons: Yeah. Well, she always raised us to be very open, so she's always had that transparency and just honesty with each other. So we have that level of comfort just going to her for anything. That's always been nice. And I think also having ... I have lots of respect for my mother because she's my mother, and we were raised to respect our elders, and just having that mutual understanding. I never say anything bad about her decisions or anything, just support her and maybe encourage her. So yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. That's really good. So you emulate that as well with your own kids?

Angela Simmons: Yes. Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great.

Angela Simmons: Let them explore and get dirty in the mud.

Japhet De Oliveira: That will not be hard for little kids. Hey, that's really good. All right. Where next, then?

Angela Simmons: Let's go 65.

Japhet De Oliveira: 65. Share one word, if you would, that would describe your past. And then if you can unpack that one word, that would be great. So your life so far would be this, and what does that mean?

Angela Simmons: I would say it's been a journey. I think just growing. I'm in my late 30s now, so maybe not that old. But still, it's been a journey just transitioning through many phases in life. I guess you start off from high school to college, to post graduate, and just developing your career and where you want to be in your career. I think a lot of people are still trying to find themselves, so I think I was very lucky to kind of find something that I truly love and stick with it. And I got lucky. My husband actually makes fun of me all the time because he says, "If you won the lottery, what would you do?" And I say, "I'd keep my job. I love my job."

Japhet De Oliveira: The same thing.

Angela Simmons: Yeah, I'd do the same thing. So I think it's that journey that has brought us here, or brought me here specifically. It's been great.

Japhet De Oliveira: So you found finding purpose pretty easy and pretty straightforward.

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Yeah. That's actually really good.

Angela Simmons: I think it took a little bit, from astronaut to-

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's fair.

Angela Simmons: ... laboratory.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fair.

Angela Simmons: Lessons learned for my kids, go to technical college or community college to find yourself first. Don't go to a private aeronautical university.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fair enough. That's fair enough. That's good. Let me know how that goes for you. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: 66.

Japhet De Oliveira: 66. All right. Tell us about one of your favorite songs, and what do you love about it?

Angela Simmons: Hmm. That's a good one. There are so many lately I've been listening to. I would say recently, I was turned onto a song called Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara. And it's actually the theme song to the Lego movie.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really? Yes, yes.

Angela Simmons: I just started listening to it. It's a very upbeat kind of jumpy song, and it's kind of a nice song to listen to at the end of the day, to give you that extra afternoon boost. Just something I've been turned onto and listened to recently, so interesting.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do your kids love Lego as well?

Angela Simmons: Yes, my son does. My daughter is kind of more into the unicorns and fairies.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's fantastic. That's good. Yeah. Lego does well with that stuff. That's really good.

Angela Simmons: Catchy.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, it is very catchy. It's good. It's a good pep up. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: Let's do 71.

Japhet De Oliveira: 71. Describe your life. You kind of alluded to this, but maybe there's another place where your life took an unpredictable turn.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. I think moving to Hawaii was an unpredictable turn, coming out here for this industry and not knowing what this place was like and what can be expected here. Luckily, I love it. I love the ocean. I love being in warm weather. So it worked out well. But yeah, it was a kind of unexpected way to get here, and it's turned out for the best.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. That's great.

Angela Simmons: Take the chance. Right?

Japhet De Oliveira: Take the chance. Take the chance. It is difficult to make a decision though, isn't it? Do you have any secrets or tips of how to make a complex decision?

Angela Simmons: Well, I would like to think I'm logical. But a lot of it goes by feeling, just kind of, this feels right. I don't see any issues with it. And just go for it.

Japhet De Oliveira: And then if it doesn't work out, try something else.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. You can always try something else.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. That's good. That's good. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: Let's go to 55.

Japhet De Oliveira: 55. Share, if you wouldn't mind, about something that frightens you.

Angela Simmons: I think with kids growing up, it's always a fright to kind of think of the trouble they might get into or unpredictable situations they might encounter. So lately it's just been keeping an eye on them, and try not to listen to too many news stories because of everything going on in the world. I'm just like, "Oh."

Japhet De Oliveira: That's true.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. It's just the fear of what your kids might encounter. You always want to keep them safe.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Hey. No, I understand that. I understand that. That's good. That's good. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: Should we go higher? Let's see.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, sure.

Angela Simmons: 79.

Japhet De Oliveira: 79. All right. If you would be willing to share a painful memory you wish you could forget.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. I know growing up in Southern California, just outside of Long Beach, was kind of a rough area. We had a couple run-ins. We had the Rodney King riots happen right on my block where I grew up. Alongside with that, one of my cousins actually got shot in one of the riot kind of things in one of stores. So it's just that memory as a child, you don't expect that. And Mom and Dad are telling you, Cousin So and So is no longer with us. It's just a memory that sticks a little more than normal, I think, because of the situation that was going on and just what happened.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's heavy. That is heavy. That is really heavy. Do you feel that the community back then ... That's a long time ago, but do you feel the community has actually improved?

Angela Simmons: Well, it's been a while since I've been there. I would say every time I go back, I don't know. It seems about the same. Yeah. But I would like to think that the close-knit communities that are there have improved. Our neighborhood was always really nice growing up. We were able to run outside the house, and all our neighbors were together.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's beautiful.

Angela Simmons: We had a corner store that we would go get candies from for a quarter.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's a miracle. Yeah.

Angela Simmons: I think the close-knit communities have improved. I think it's just hard to kind of get into those communities if you're not from there.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's true. That's true. That's very true. Good. Well, thank you. Where next?

Angela Simmons: Let's go to 81.

Japhet De Oliveira: 81. What is something you've given your absolute best effort towards, and why was it important?

Angela Simmons: I think changing the culture of a workplace is important. That's one thing that I've given a really strong effort for. And I think it's just really important to have people really just be excited to come to work and just having that team environment and really just loving the place they work. You're there more than you are at home sometimes, so-

Japhet De Oliveira: That's very true. That's very true.

Angela Simmons: You want to be sure that it's a good place and that everyone is happy. And so I think it's important to have that feeling of family even at work.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Well, having met just a few of your team last night, they certainly have a sense of belonging to each other, a genuine friendliness with each other as well. It was fantastic.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. That's good to hear.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's really great. That's really great. We should send that note to them.

Angela Simmons: Yeah, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, that's great. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: 88.

Japhet De Oliveira: 88. All right. All right. Tell us about how your life has been different than what you imagined. Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Simmons: That's a tough question for me. I'm not one to kind of live in an alternate imagination, if that makes sense.

Japhet De Oliveira: I like that. I do.

Angela Simmons: I just feel like what I have, I'm happy and I'm satisfied with. And even growing up, I don't think I had a vision of my life should be this way and I want to follow this path. It's kind of what comes to me is going to be great, and that's it. I'm happy. I don't know.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you consider yourself then a pragmatic person?

Angela Simmons: Yeah, I would say so. That's good way to put it. Yeah. Live in the now.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. You roll with it.

Angela Simmons: Yeah, roll with it. It's OK if changes come. It's OK. We're going to make the best of it.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. That's good. That is really good. It's not easy for everybody to be in that space. Some people have a lot of anxiety with that or need to be able to control their narrative. So to be able to kind of see, this is the path right now and it's OK.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. Stress and anxiety really don't do anything for you but give you an ulcer. No reason to feel it.

Japhet De Oliveira: And then you have to get blood work done.

Angela Simmons: Exactly. Exactly. Don't stress.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. OK. All right. Where next?

Angela Simmons: Let's see. 93.

Japhet De Oliveira: 93. Paint us a picture of what success looks like.

Angela Simmons: That's a good one. I would say success is just being satisfied with your life and where you've gone, being happy in the moment, like I said, day to day, enjoying the little things. Enjoying work, going home, spending time with your family, and just being satisfied in the moment without thinking too hard about it. You shouldn't really have to think to be happy. It should just come naturally. And yeah, I think success is happiness.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes. Yes. Happiness is hard to define.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: But do you sense that once you see it or experience it, it's like it's there?

Angela Simmons: Yeah, I think so. And then you fight for it. You want to keep it.

Japhet De Oliveira: You want to keep it. Yeah. No, I like that. All right. We have time for two more, your last two. So where would you like to go for your last two? You can tell me both now, or you can say one and then think about the next number.

Angela Simmons: OK. Let's do, maybe 18 and 98.

Japhet De Oliveira: 18 and 98. All right. 18. If you just had to eat one meal for a month, what would you choose? I wonder what this could be, for a month.

Angela Simmons: I would say it would be palak paneer, my favorite Indian dish.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah?

Angela Simmons: It's that spinach cheesiness. It's really good. Yeah. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you know how to cook it as well?

Angela Simmons: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: OK. That's impressive.

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Some people, they love the great dish, but they're not able to replicate it.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. The spices are hard to come by though.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, yeah.

Angela Simmons: But it's delicious.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. All right then. And then our last question, which is number 98. Are you still good with that?

Angela Simmons: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. What is one great thing that you're capable of achieving?

Angela Simmons: I would say I don't know what my limit is yet.

Japhet De Oliveira: I like that. I like that.

Angela Simmons: Not to sound full of myself ... And I'm trying to think. I would say, yeah, I haven't achieved it yet. I see a lot of things coming. Yeah. I think anything I put my mind to, I think I can achieve. I'm trying to think of what I can put there. I'm getting lost in the question.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's OK. That's OK. It is hard to think about what it is that we should actually be achieving, as opposed to actually you are in the middle of achieving so much right now. You're building a new culture. You're establishing a great team. You're growing all the time. But maybe there was something in your soul, you're thinking, maybe one day I should do that.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. I would say maybe one day, moving into a more executive type level and really growing the team, and having a bigger team that you can really impact. I think that would be a future goal. I'm still very young and very young in my career and family.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great.

Angela Simmons: We'll see how that turns out, but yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. All right. That one was technically your last question. However, I'm curious. If you had one piece of advice to give to your kids in 10 years from now, 15 years from now, what would be that piece of advice?

Angela Simmons: I would say live in the moment. Find happiness every day, and just relish each day. Don't think too hard. Don't overdo it. Just live a simple life.

Japhet De Oliveira: That is really good. That is really good. Hey, I appreciate you. Thank you so much for sharing. I think that actually, we would be better people if we actually took that on board.

Angela Simmons: Yeah. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Happiness, looking after things, not stressing out about too many other things, there is some advantage and strength inside that. So thank you Angela, for your time. I want to encourage all our listeners as well, just sit down, share your stories with somebody else. Listen to stories. I grow, you grow, people grow with this. And I think we actually become better people because of it. So once again, thank you for your time, and God bless everybody who's listening right now.

Angela Simmons: Thank you very much.

Narrator: Thank you for joining us for The Story & Experience Podcast. We invite you to read, watch and submit your story and experience at AdventistHealth.org/Story. The Story & Experience Podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health.