SELF-HELP BOOKS CAN’T DO IT ALL How Reading Fiction Can Benefit You
Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? Greater Empathy When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them. Less Stress and Better Sleep When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep
us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off. More Comfort With Uncertainty Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life sometimes leaves things a little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. Greater Happiness Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways
to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open!
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Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels Inspired by Tasty.co
Without having my experiences from Nicole and my first year as an attorney, I might not have the same appreciation that I do today for the amount of work and energy expended by the various paralegals I’ve worked with over the years to support our clients and the cases that I have worked on. It’s amazing how having the right teacher can make life so much easier. I’m still learning new things about our field every day — but as an attorney for about 10 years, I’m so grateful I had my start in the personal injury field under Nicole’s guidance. To this date, I continue to jump in when needed to do some of the work not typically done by attorneys, as that is my personality. I most certainly appreciate all of the wonderful people working at Friedman & Simon who take calls from clients when I am unavailable, and who help me to handle much of the behind-the-scenes work in order to allow me added time to focus on whatever work is required of me to help obtain the best possible result for our clients.
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups warm water • 1 tbsp salt • 1 tbsp sugar • 1 packet active dry yeast
• 4 1/2 cups flour • 3 tbsp oil, divided • 2/3 cup baking soda • 2 eggs, beaten • Coarse salt, for sprinkling
Directions
1. In a bowl, combine water, salt, and sugar. Add yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add flour and 2 tbsp oil, then mix thoroughly into a dough. 2. Remove the dough from the
4. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Roll them into thin ropes, then twist ropes into pretzel shapes. 5. In a large pot, boil water. Add baking soda, then boil each pretzel for 1 minute, flipping halfway through. 6. Transfer pretzels to a baking sheet. Brush them with egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy!
So, in honor of World Teachers’ Day (Oct. 5) and National Paralegal Day (Oct. 23), I want to say a huge thank-you to all
of the incredibly important teachers and paralegals of the world — and a special thank-you to those who are awesome and patient enough to be both. -John G. Papadopoulos
bowl. Coat bowl with remaining oil, then return the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and set it aside in a warm place for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 F.
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