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OBIORAHFIELDS.COM | 404-994-6218 | APRIL 2020
FINDING JOY IN READING
CELEBRATE READING THIS APRIL
Reading books has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was really little, I remember my dad taking me and my sister to the library one time. I don’t know if it was the first time I had ever been in a library, but it’s the first time I can recall. I must have checked out 10 different children’s books, and I voraciously tore through them all. Unfortunately, that visit to the library was also the last time we went for a while, and I never got a chance to return the books. The first week of April is National Library Week, and other holidays and observances, like National Children’s Book Day or National Great Poetry Reading Day, make April the perfect month to celebrate all things related to books and reading. When I was little, I had all sorts of favorite books. I read picture books from the “Richard Scarry’s” series, the “Berenstain Bears” books, and the “Frog and Toad” chapter books. I also remember having a lot of books based on Disney movies, so while I definitely didn’t see every Disney movie that came out, I’ll bet I read all the books based on the movies! Since my childhood, I haven’t always been the most consistent reader. I’ve always enjoyed it, though. Recently, I’ve tried to make reading for recreation and relaxation more of a priority by reading at least one book per month.
While I enjoy reading, I don’t want to have my nose stuck in a book all the time. I also want to prioritize being with other people, but I can do that while also making time to read. My favorite kinds of books to read lately have been biographies. I read the biographies of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams. Reading through all their biographies within a relatively short time span kind of burned me out because their stories are all pretty interrelated, but I still found their lives fascinating. I also read the biographies of Steve Jobs and Princess Diana. I love reading about true events. The old cliché “fact is stranger than fiction” rings pretty true for me. At the same time, I’ve found that reading about famous figures throughout history demystifies their lives. They cease to be caricatures or symbols, and they become real people. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, two of the most important Founding Fathers of the United States, were people with physical ailments and financial problems, who argued and feuded with each other and several other Founding Fathers. They were human. Whether I’m reading nonfiction or fiction, though, stories transport me. If the main character is calm and relaxed, I’m calm and relaxed. If they’re
in a stressful situation, I’m stressed. If they’re in Paris, I feel like I’m in Paris. Someone once told me that nobody reads the same book, and you never read the same book twice. Each person’s experience with the same book can be completely different, and reading a book through a second time might reveal a completely different story than the first read through. Books have the ability to speak to us right where we are. All we have to do is be willing to listen.
–Teri Fields
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Moving to a different state, whatever the reason, comes with a host of difficulties. You have to pack up your entire house, figure out the best way to transport all your belongings several hundred miles, and keep your family in order while everything is going on. For veterans who receive disability benefits, however, moving might come with an additional task: changing regional VA offices. HOW DOES MOVING AFFECT MY VA DISABILITY BENEFITS?
A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY IN YOUR GOLDEN YEARS 3 TIPS FOR CHANGING CAREERS LATER IN LIFE It’s 6 a.m. on Monday morning, and your alarm clock blares in your face. You groan and, with the thought of another week looming over you, pull yourself out of bed. But the early wake-up call is the least of your worries. Another week has begun, and you’re still stuck in a job that you no longer love or maybe never did. Does this sound familiar? If so, you may believe changing careers isn’t worth the hassle, especially if you’re close to retirement, but here’s the secret: It’s not too late! There’s nothing stopping you from finding a career you love later in life. Here are three tips to get you started. BE FLEXIBLE If it’s been a while since you’ve hunted for a job, then you may have forgotten what it’s like. Job searching can be exhausting, and some job requirements can look overwhelming. But getting stuck in your ways and focusing on the things you cannot do will only hinder your ability to find a job you actually love. Instead, take a deep breath and be open to what comes. You may discover a hidden talent or passion! FORGET THE MONEY Money matters, but it shouldn’t be your first priority on the job hunt. Instead, consider what’s going to make you the happiest. What’s your dream job? What have you always enjoyed doing? If money wasn’t an option, what would you be doing right now instead of counting down the hours to 5 p.m.? Be realistic in your goals and find something you love. SEEK GUIDANCE Remember, you’re not alone in this fight! Plenty of people switch careers midway through their lives to focus on something they really enjoy. Seek guidance from those who have had a similar experience and look to professional job hunters or consultants for help. Furthermore, after years in the same job or industry, you’re bound to have made a few connections. Reach out for professional support. Regardless of what path you choose, remember that a career you enjoy is always possible. We can’t promise that you’ll love getting up at 6 a.m., but at least you won’t dread what comes next.
The first step in this process is updating your address information in your VA.gov profile, which is a pretty
straightforward process. Just log onto your profile, and click the “edit” option next to any of the address information that needs changing. Once you do this, your information
will update across benefits and services such as VA health care, disability compensation, pension benefits, claims and appeals, and vocational rehabilitation and employment (VR&E). Unfortunately, the whole process isn’t as simple as updating an online profile. You’ll also have to contact your old regional office in
advance of your move. The reason for this is simple: They have a physical copy of your file on hand, and they need to send it to your new regional office. The process is more
complicated than just sending your file through the US Postal Service; you have to request that your claims file be transferred to your new regional VA office. A few other things are worth keeping in mind as well. If you’re moving in-state, you’ll still have to update your address info, but more than likely, you will not have to change regional offices. Only four states have more than one regional office: Texas; Pennsylvania and New York, both with two offices; and California, with three. At the same time, depending on where you’ll be moving, the VA regional office might service your new county in the neighboring state. Make sure you check this, too. If you’ve applied for veterans’ benefits before and your application has been denied, talk to Danielle and Teri and Obiorah Fields, LLC. They have three decades of experience between them, and they can help you fight for your benefits. Call them at (404) 994-6218 for a free case evaluation.
2 | ObiorahFields.com | Your Rights, Our Fight
3 LIES PEOPLE TELL THEMSELVES ABOUT ESTATE PLANNING
‘I CAN JUST MAKE MY ESTATE PLAN MYSELF.’ While wills and trusts in their basic form are simple to create, the cost of doing it wrong could greatly exceed the money you save from not having an experienced attorney help you through the process. Incomplete or flawed plans can result out-of-pocket legal fees later on that no grieving family should have to deal with. You need an estate planning attorney to make sure that doesn’t happen. Call Obiorah Fields at (404) 994-6218 to get started on your estate plan today!
Estate planning is a complex process with a complicated set of laws surrounding it. It only makes sense that misconceptions about the estate planning process abound. While this list is far from exhaustive, these three myths about estate planning are among the most common. Here’s why you shouldn’t believe them. ‘I’M TOO YOUNG TO HAVE AN ESTATE PLAN.’ There is no benchmark age for you to start thinking about creating an estate plan. Even young adults in their 20s who have few valuable possessions, no spouse, and no kids need to have some idea of how they want their assets distributed should the unthinkable happen. It can be hard to get over the mental hurdle of pondering your own mortality at a young age, but having a professionally crafted estate plan could save your family a lot of unnecessary heartache. ‘I’M NOT WEALTHY ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ESTATE PLAN.’ When many people think of someone who has an estate plan, they think of someone whose kids are in European boarding schools and who “summers” in Thailand. The reality is that if you have a home, a car, a family, or some combination of those assets, you have an estate, and therefore, you can benefit from having an estate plan. They’re still invaluable tools for naming guardians for your children, passing off assets to heirs and expressing your final wishes. At Obiorah Fields, LLC, we’re not your standard, run-of-the-mill law office. We don’t just do what’s required of us — we go the extra mile to make sure justice is served in every case we take on. If you’ve worked with us before, and you know somebody who could benefit from taking us on as their legal team, please don’t hesitate to give them this newsletter and show them who we are! We want to help as many people as we can. We’re just one phone call away from new potential clients. If they contact us through our website and give us their name, contact info, and a brief description of their situation, we will give them a free case evaluation and report. Don’t hesitate to refer us! DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS OUR HELP? GIVE THEM THIS NEWSLETTER!
NEED A SPEAKER? If you are interested in having Teri Fields speak to your organization about legal issues, please contact us at 404-994-6218.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Celebrate Reading This April
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Finding a Job You Love at Any Age
How Does Moving Affect My VA Disability Benefits?
Don’t Believe These Lies About Estate Planning
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Do You Know Someone Who Needs Our Help?
Keep America Beautiful
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DO YOUR PART TO KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL AND MAINTAIN GREEN LIVING SPACES FOR EVERYONE
START PLOGGING. If you’re passionate about
Have you ever walked through a park and seen a plastic bottle or wrapper lying on the ground? If so, did you pick it up and properly dispose of it? You might not have realized it, but in that moment, you took a small step toward keeping your community — and, by extension, America — beautiful! April is Keep America Beautiful Month, and folks who celebrate aim to help each community in every state stay clean and green. Created by the nonprofit organization Keep America Beautiful, this holiday offers a perfect opportunity to roll up your sleeves and work to better the place you live in. Here are three ways to show your appreciation for a green America this month. VOLUNTEER FOR THE GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP. This event is one of America’s largest community improvement programs, with hundreds of thousands of people participating each year. In 2019, over 550,000 volunteers participated in the GAC to bring natural beauty back into their communities. 2020 marks this event’s 22nd year, and you can be a part of it this month! Volunteer your time with a local Keep America Beautiful affiliate or another community improvement program close to home. Do your part to clean up your parks and spread awareness today.
staying active and cleaning up your neighborhood, then this is
the perfect activity for you! Plogging combines jogging and picking up litter, which takes care of your health and keeps your
community clean. Anybody can do it: Just throw on your running shoes, grab a bag, head out the door, and pick up any stray bits of trash you see on your morning jog or evening walk. IMPROVE RECYCLING THROUGH EDUCATION. An important goal during Keep America Beautiful Month is to spread awareness about recycling. There are various ways to educate those around you about recycling and encourage them to do their part. At work, for example, you can volunteer to lead a recycling initiative by printing off guides and fostering discussions on why recycling is so essential. At home, you can make a commitment with your family to fulfill the three R’s of recycling: reduce, reuse, recycle.
To discover more ways to participate in Keep America Beautiful month, visit their website at KAB.org today!
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