SELF-HELP BOOKS CAN’T DO IT ALL
How Reading Fiction Can Benefit You
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
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
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
that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers.
disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our
people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly?
brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect
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!
Greater Empathy When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI
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.
(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
MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLANS ARE THEY ALL THE SAME?
supplement plans is different when the coverage is identical. They think supplements should be like other products, e.g., tires, jeans, cellphones, cars, and houses. There should be a measurable qualitative difference to correspond to the higher price. Medicare supplements, however, are intangibles. They are simply a promise to provide a service. Consequently, it is more difficult to detect a difference with a corresponding price point. So, why do some people pay more if the policies are all the same? They shouldn’t! But with the knowledge I just passed on to you now, hopefully you’ll know better than to trust all the big names — give me a call if you or a friend need a good recommendation.
plan and policy for their individual needs and budget. Congress eventually went through three different legislative processes to regulate Medicare, the supplements, and plans over the years. One of the purposes was to improve the consumer experience through simplification and consolidation. The result is that Medicare supplements are limited to a certain number: plans A through N. All of these plans are standardized. They are essentially the same in their structure and coverage. Plan G is simply Plan G. In short, it does not matter which insurance company offers Plan G. It will be the same Plan G, or Plan N, or Plan A, etc., with any company. The only difference is the price.
I want to talk about a common misunderstanding people have when choosing their Medicare plan. The line I hear repeatedly is, “I’m looking for the best coverage for the least amount of money.” The key to understanding the cost of Medicare supplement plans is knowing the law. Since Medicare’s creation in 1965, insurance companies have jumped in to fill the gap both figuratively and literally. They designed Medigap policies to help supplement Medicare coverage. The number and variety of Medigap policies grew exponentially, which is the blessing and curse of capitalism. The number and kind of policies were so many that it was a problem for consumers.
Prospective clients have a hard time believing that the cost of Medicare
Consumers were confused. They could not understand and discern the best
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