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DEC 2020 / JAN 2021
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The Future Is Bright and Promising DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS
When it comes to fulfilling our dreams, there’s a lot that could distract us from those goals. Unfortunately, for hundreds of thousands of people, 2020 was one large distraction. Over the course of every hardship last year, many people may have lost sight of their dreams. Yet, even if you’ve lost sight of them, I want to encourage you to not give up on the dreams you have. Jan. 13 celebrates Make Your Dreams Come True Day. I know that this holiday might seem like it’s telling people to accomplish their dreams in a day, but that’s not what it stands for. I believe this is a great holiday as it reminds us that our dreams are not only important to us but that we should keep trying to achieve them. It serves as a starting point. As we leave 2020 behind and look to the future, it’s the perfect time to turn our thoughts to those dreams once again. A dream is an idea — but it can’t stop there. If you have a dream you want to achieve, it’s time to get serious. Doing what you can to make sure your dream becomes a reality
might be difficult. Often, it requires the right mindset, determination, and planning to get started, but once you do, you’ll be on the right path. Even the most difficult dreams can come true by taking these steps. The most important step in accomplishing any dream is to plan. Planning not only gives your dream a more concrete feel, but it also allows you to get an idea of how long it will take and what you might need to succeed. Whether that’s taking a vacation to another country, starting up a business, or writing a book, getting that first rough idea will help you in the long run. Even with the pandemic, you can still plan. If you want to travel, now might be the perfect time to start saving so that when traveling restrictions are lifted, you don’t have to worry about money. To get started, set some time aside to think about what your dreams are and start on a plan. I know that’s easier said than done. I have a hard time getting some free time in my own schedule, but I’ve found that it helps to actually account for that planning. If you use a scheduling app, or even Google Calendar, to keep your day straight, open it up and find some time where you aren’t so busy. That could be in a week, even two weeks — no matter when that gap in your schedule is, block off some time so you can plan for your dreams. Even if you can only spend 5–10 minutes on it over several days, it’s still better than no planning at all. The thing about dreams is that they aren’t overnight successes. Dreams like these can happen, but they are very rare. Usually, to accomplish things, it takes time and effort. All dreams can evolve from a figment of an idea and become a reality; all it takes is that first step. As we enter 2021, I want to encourage everyone to rekindle their dreams and make them shine. 1 423-267-6715 | HoustonAlexander.com
Grease and Fingerprints Be Gone 3 Handy Ways to Clean Your Screens
SCREEN CLEANER
While phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops have become convenient, everyday technology, one struggle remains: constantly dirty screens. Regular cleaning is a must for battling fingerprints, dust, and other smudges, not to mention all the germs that can collect on the surface of your device. But how do you clean your screens without ruining
Best Buy has its own brand of screen cleaner called Insignia. Insignia can thoroughly and safely clean any device’s screen and keep it streak-free long after cleaning. Since you simply spray some onto a cleaning cloth, the 5-ounce bottle lasts quite a while. With a 4.7 rating from over 1,400 reviews, Insignia is perfect for all of your screen-cleaning needs! Pick up a bottle of your own at Best Buy for $9.99.
any functionality? Before you drench your device in your typical household cleaner, try these three cleaning products and say goodbye to dirty screens!
MOBILE SCREEN WIPES
ELECTRONIC WIPES
Chances are, you use your phone more than all your other devices combined, resulting in a constantly dirty screen. With Zeiss Mobile Screen
Weiman Electronic Wipes are perfect for removing grease smudges, dust, and fingerprints from any of your delicate screens, including TVs, tablets, phones, and laptops. They can even be used to spot-clean keyboards. The wipes come ready to use and contain no harsh ingredients. You can purchase them on Amazon for $14.98.
Wipes, you can rest assured that no matter how dirty your phone screen gets, you can clean it any time, any place. These wipes are individually wrapped and can easily fit in a pocket, purse, or drawer at work. As an added bonus, they can also clean your eyeglasses. You can find them for $7.49 on Amazon!
4 Tips to Make Getting Outside Easier LET THAT FRESH AIR FUEL YOU
Hunkering down and waiting for the dark and chilly winter season to pass sounds pretty nice. But the reality is, if we deprive ourselves of time outside, we do ourselves a big disservice both mentally and physically. Staying indoors all day affects your energy and mood, which makes it hard to get anything done, so here are four easy tips to make it easier to get a little fresh air. 1. Make it a priority. Getting outside means making the conscious effort to do so. If you want to reap its benefits, you have to decide to make it a priority in your day-to-day schedule. If you make the act important to you, you have more motivation to actually do it. 2. Use mornings effectively. Waking up and getting the day started can be hard. But studies have shown
that natural light helps decrease your melatonin production, which means you feel ready to face the day sooner. So, set yourself a second alarm to head outside and take a quick walk around the block just after waking. Don’t even wash your face or grab coffee. Just get out there. 3. Take your work outside. If you’re working from home, take some work outdoors. Phone and virtual meetings are a great outdoor option, especially if you’ll just be an active listener and aren’t required to do any work simultaneously. Attach a note to your meeting reminders to get yourself set up outside five minutes before you start. 4. Create a schedule. It might feel strange to set reminders throughout the day to step outside, but you easily get wrapped up in activities and overlook
breaks, and these reminders are exactly what you need. Start with 10-minute blocks three times a day. If you stick to them, soon you won’t need a schedule to get outside anymore. Winter weather may be cold, but even when you’re bundled up under a jacket and scarf, just 5–10 minutes outside can do wonders for your mood and energy for hours.
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Out With the New, In With the Old! 4 OLD-SCHOOL HOBBIES MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK
January is National Hobby Month — and for good reason! As people set goals for 2021, they’re also thinking about trying new hobbies. But with so many out there, picking just one can be a hobby in itself. Thanks in part to COVID-19, many people have rediscovered old-school hobbies. Some of these have been around for decades or even longer, and others have established communities that can rely on one another for support, sharing information, and more. Here are four great examples.
at home last year, they rediscovered their card collections and remembered how much fun they were. As a result, card sales went through the roof, and online card communities lit up with activity from all over the world.
RESTORING CARS
Car restoration is a hobby that lets you get your hands dirty, and it’s one that you can do with your kids or grandkids. It can be not only educational for them but also fun! Together, you can track down parts, talk to folks who are also interested in restoration, and learn about the history of your car. Though car restoration can be a bit costly and time consuming, it’s certainly a journey worth taking.
MAKING BREAD
Over the last year, interest in this ancient hobby has skyrocketed. Homemade bread is tastier and more nutritious than store- bought, and it’s so satisfying to watch it come together. Not to mention it’s a great skill to have! With so many types of bread to try, you’re not going to run out of ideas any time soon.
EMBROIDERING
COLLECTING CARDS
Embroidery has taken off because it’s both inexpensive and fairly easy to get into. Plus, many people have fallen in love with its meditative quality. One of the great things about embroidery is that you can use it to make amazing personalized gifts, like pillows, wall hangings, and kitchen towels!
No matter what people were into during the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, there was a trading card game for it. And even going into 2021, that tradition has been kept alive. When many people were stuck
Client Testimony ‘We were very fortunate to find Johnny’
Easy One-Pot Lentil Soup
Inspired by MinimalistBaker.com
Ingredients
“My husband and I live in the Western United States. We traveled to Chattanooga for a medical matter. We had just arrived that night and had no friends or family in the area. That evening we had an alleged misunderstanding with someone regarding our keys. Things got out of control, and the next morning we were arrested and charged with felonies. In my opinion we were overcharged. Desperate, we searched for an attorney. We called Johnny and he agreed to meet with us right away. Johnny was attentive and listened with empathy. Facing possible jail time and the loss of my husband’s job, we were terrified. Johnny literally rescued us by swiftly mapping out a plan of action. When we went to court, Johnny took the lead, met with the district attorney and the alleged victim, and really smoothed things over. It was apparent Johnny was well respected in the courtroom. He was confident and appeared to get along well with the prosecutors and judges. I really think the experience, confidence, respect, and honesty he showed in the courtroom with all parties truly affected our case. In the end, our cases are set to be dismissed. Johnny also saved us an extraordinary amount of money by getting our appearance for our return court date waived. We were very fortunate to find Johnny. He is a stand-up gentleman who went above and beyond to help us in our time of need.”
• 2 tbsp coconut oil • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 shallots, diced • 4 large carrots, sliced thin • 4 stalks celery, sliced thin • Sea salt, to taste • Black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups red potatoes, cubed • 4 cups vegetable broth • 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped • 1 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed and drained • 2 cups chopped kale
Directions
1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic, shallots, carrots, and celery for 4–5 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. 2. Add potatoes to pot, along with more salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes. 3. Add vegetable broth and herbs, then bring soup to a simmer. 4. Add lentils, stirring until soup returns to a simmer. Then, turn the heat to low and cook soup uncovered for 15–20 minutes. 5. Finally, add kale and additional salt and pepper as needed. Cook for 3–4 minutes, thin soup with additional vegetable broth as needed, and serve!
–Tana
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Make Your Dreams Shine PAGE 1
Your Devices Deserve Clean Screens
PAGE 2
Give Yourself the Boost of Getting Outside These Old-School Hobbies Are Making a Huge Comeback
PAGE 2
PAGE 3
Easy One-Pot Lentil Soup
PAGE 3
Client Testimonial
PAGE 3
How to Find Your Flow in 2021
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HOW TO FIND YOUR FLOW IN 2021 Is Deep Focus the Secret to Success?
Have you ever started working on an important project and looked up at the clock after what felt like minutes only to find that hours had passed? If you have, you’ve probably experienced “flow state,” aka the Holy Grail of concentration and achievement.
perks include heightened focus (goodbye, distractions!), a sense of clarity, feelings of happiness and pleasure, and the impression that all obstacles ahead of you have disappeared. That makes accomplishing your goals feel like less of a struggle. It’s no wonder high-achieving hobbyists, workers, and creatives crave the feeling!
WHAT IS A FLOW STATE?
HOW CAN YOU GET IN A FLOW?
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes a flow state as a “focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback.” That sounds complex, but you can also think of flow as being “in the zone.” And it might be the key to achieving your New Year’s goals. That’s because a flow state almost always coincides with tackling a difficult task, and when you’re in a flow state, even the most challenging things feel relatively easy.
Usually, a flow state isn’t planned — it just happens. In a BBC article, author Steven Kotler describes flow as “a happy accident.” But he also notes that we can make ourselves “more accident- prone.” To set yourself up for a flow state, find a quiet place to work and choose an activity that’s difficult but meaningful for you. Ideally, it should be something you’ve already put work into perfecting. If you’ve never tried painting before, you probably won’t find flow on your first attempt, but an experienced painter could achieve it while mastering a new technique. Some people claim that being in a flow state is a form of meditation and that learning how to meditate can help you reach it. To that end, apps like Headspace and Evenflow (for iPhones only) are great places to start! Before you know it, you’ll be finding the flow like a pro.
WHY ARE HIGH ACHIEVERS OBSESSED WITH FLOW?
Flow state doesn’t only happen for people with desk jobs. You can get it while running, playing chess, dancing, or climbing a mountain, and it’s considered the Holy Grail because it has a host of benefits. According to the meditation app Headspace, those
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