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Notes From The Field
January 2026
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STANDING RESOLUTE IN THE SEASON OF RESOLUTIONS
It’s a new year, and once again, people all around us are making resolutions. We are all trying to discover how to be the best versions of ourselves and make this year the best yet. I admire this optimism and pursuit of goodness, but I admit, these resolutions often feel like a cheap knock-off of real transformation. We add meaning and power to the number that represents the new year as if it were a fairy godmother waving a magic wand over all our problems and turning our rags into riches. The truth is that 2026 is here, and we are still the people we were on Dec. 31, 2025. This is not meant to be discouraging; it is an opportunity for us to evaluate our lives as they are and discern a new way forward. I have written previously about creating your future and not letting the default path guide your life. Now, I want you to consider what work is needed in the present to see the development you have envisioned for your life. This is a chance for you to feel grounded in the present. Approach your life with clear eyes and open hands, aligning
your words and actions with your beliefs and self-ideations.
to find peace and courage like you have not previously experienced.
This year, be resolute.
Once the roadblocks have been removed, you can be creative and discover new ways to approach familiar situations. To get yourself unstuck, start asking questions in as many formats as you can. Consider taking a class, reading books on the topic, joining a community that shares your goal, or having regular conversations with people you trust. As you broaden your mind, you will begin to see new approaches that were previously unfathomable. This is the work of discovering what you don’t know you don’t know. Throughout this year, I will be sharing some entry practices to becoming resolute. These will be covered in the Page 2 article of this newsletter. Each month, my goal is to provide a new tool or resource that empowers you throughout the year. Too often, New Year’s resolutions focus on the short-term gains and fall apart when the long-term looms too large. Being resolute involves consistent efforts that work in concert with one another to develop you as a person. In this season of resolutions, I hope you will release the desire for immediate change. Be resolute in pursuing the slow, small work of discovering yourself as you are and revealing who you can be.
Many resolutions lack resoluteness, reducing New Year’s decisions to nothing more than empty promises. To be resolute is to be bold, steady, and determined in how you will act in all spaces. It’s important to clarify that this is not the same thing as being obstinate or unyielding. Too often, obstinacy and a refusal to yield come from a closed mind with no intention of matching actions with core beliefs. As we explore this topic, I want you to consider how you may have mistaken these concepts for synonyms and drifted from your intentions due to inflexibility. Being resolute means discovering the questions about yourself that you have avoided. If you desire a different result, you must consider the constants about yourself in the equation of your life that have prevented you from attaining your goal. For many, this can be unpacking your perception of yourself and others. For others, they’ll need to identify their habits and beliefs that are in direct conflict with the envisioned future to evaluate the impact of actions separate from intentions. As you reflect, you will likely face difficulties in your life. Pause. Remember to breathe. Accept yourself as you are. Then, with the same care you would give to a small child, ask yourself what you need to do to end that pattern. This work is not easy, but if you are committed and honest with yourself, you grant yourself the opportunity
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When Wills Get Weird FINAL WISHES THAT RAISED EYEBROWS
Money and property are typically the first things that come to mind when we think about a will. And while most are straightforward, some final wishes leave behind a story that’s stranger than fiction. Looking at some of the oddest inheritances ever recorded reveals more personality than practicality. Take Blackie the cat. When British antique dealer Ben Rea passed away, his family was probably more than disappointed to learn that he had left his entire fortune (nearly £7 million) to his beloved pet. That decision made headlines everywhere and turned Blackie into the richest cat in the world. Then there’s the story of John Bowman from Vermont. He believed in reincarnation and was convinced he and his family would return in another life. Not wanting to come back from the dead without the luxuries he was used to, Bowman set up a trust to keep his mansion staffed and ready for his family’s arrival. For decades, mansion staff prepared meals and kept up the house in case the
Bowmans walked through the door. The ritual continued for over 70 years before the funds finally ran out.
Canada gave us the “Great Stork Derby.” In 1926, an attorney named Charles Vance Millar launched a bizarre contest by leaving money to the Toronto woman who had the most children in the decade following his death. The result was a citywide baby boom and years of courtroom battles as families fought over the inheritance. Some wills came with mystery. One wealthy businessman left a coded message among his papers that pointed to buried riches. His heirs initially thought it was a joke, but after looking into it, they uncovered buried treasure worth millions. Of course, these stories are far from the norm. Most wills won’t fund banquets for the dead, start a baby boom, or turn a cat into a millionaire. Still, these strange requests show that estate planning is a personal process, and final wishes aren’t always about money.
PRACTICING GRATITUDE NOT JUST EMPTY THANKS
When finding ways to transform your life into one of resoluteness, it may seem odd to start with a practice of gratitude. Too often, we treat gratitude with an attitude of forcing ourselves to “think positive” when we feel anything but. Gratitude is not empty thanks or blind optimism. Gratitude begins with an honest look at your life and allowing yourself to be in awe of the good and beautiful pieces. To discover what you can be, you must first see yourself as you are. Setting a positive mentality begins with acknowledging the parts of your life that bring you joy. You may have been told to “think positive” or “have a positive mindset” when in a hard situation, and perhaps the feeling of being disregarded hit you in the chest. In this specific iteration, having a positive mindset is not about ignoring the negative; rather, it is about opening your mind to see what is good and keeps you moving forward in the circumstances you find yourself in.
You may have gratitude practices that are meaningful, but consider these options as practices for this month. 1. 5-Minute Journaling: Sit somewhere comfortable, grab either your phone or a pen and notepad, notebook, or scrap paper, and set a timer. For five minutes, ignore distractions and write about what you’re grateful for. You can write stories, paragraphs, bullet lists, or make doodles, but practice making your thoughts tangible. 2. Gratitude Walks : These walks can be of any length (even five minutes gives you a chance to recenter). The goal is to go outside and either find things on your walk that spark gratitude or reflect on the good in your life. 3. Sharing Gratitude : This is a simple way to integrate gratitude into your life and community. Start the habit of sharing one thing you’re grateful for with a person you talk to every day. If it feels
awkward to start, try doing it at a meal that you share with someone or call a loved one. Invite them to participate and then be sure to listen without assuming you know what they are saying. In January, I encourage you to practice gratitude and discover new meaning in yourself. You can consider practicing these exercises daily, weekly, or whenever you work on a task, like washing dishes, folding laundry, or cooking dinner. Whatever rhythms you choose, I hope you discover new joys and ground yourself in the good parts of your life.
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The Unexpected Inventions of WWI BORN IN THE TRENCHES
TAKE A BREAK
BOOTS CANDLES CARNATION FURNACE GARNET HOCKEY INSULATE JANUS OPPOSITE RESOLUTION
World War I doesn’t usually make people think of fashion or fitness. The images that often come to mind are mud, wire, and smoke. However, while the war tore borders apart, there were inventions developed that found their way into everyday life. Take the trench coat, for example. Officers needed something lighter than wool when they were slogging through wet ground. London retailers Burberry and Aquascutum designed coats that kept the rain out and had straps for gear. They worked so well that people wore them long after the fighting stopped and never went out of style. The same shift happened with watches. Before the war, women mostly wore wristwatches, and men carried pocket watches on chains. A pocket watch worked fine for civilian life but not while fighting a battle in the trenches. Strapping a watch to the wrist freed up both hands, which made a big difference in combat. Once the habit formed, pocket watches never really came back. Shortages also created new products. Cotton was hard to get, so Kimberly-Clark developed Cellucotton for bandages. Nurses noticed it worked as a makeshift sanitary pad, which led to Kotex. A few years later, the same material was sold in a thinner form as Kleenex, first as a makeup remover and eventually as the tissue we all know. The zipper was also useful during wartime. Known then as the “hookless fastener,” it was sewn into money belts and flight suits. It beat rows of buttons for speed, and the design spread into everyday clothing once the war ended. Even Pilates has roots in that era. Joseph Pilates, a German held in Britain, made resistance gear out of bed springs so men stuck in camp hospitals could stay strong. His idea for keeping people moving became a fitness program that later took over gyms worldwide. It’s strange to think that the same war that brought barbed wire and poison gas also left behind coats, watches, tissues, and a form of exercise. These items have become so integrated into daily life that most people never guess where they started. That’s the odd legacy of World War I.
SKATING SWEATER
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818-369-7900 435-216-4444 FieldLawPC.com
P.O. Box 8306 La Crescenta, CA 91224 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
P.O. Box 910760 St. George, UT 84791
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Standing Resolute in the Season of Resolutions
2
The Strangest Inheritances on Record
Practicing Gratitude, Not Just Empty Thanks
3
Resource Card
WWI Inventions Still Used Today
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Why Intentions Matter in Estate Planning
Avoiding Inheritance Misunderstandings BEYOND FAIR SHARES
When it comes to estate planning, many feel the simplest solution is to distribute everything equally to heirs and avoid the fight. That may look nice and neat on paper, but equal splits can feel anything but fair in practice. In a British Columbia case, a mother left her rental property to be shared between her son and daughter. The arrangement looked straightforward from the outside. However, the daughter discovered that her brother had already received close to $3 million in lifetime gifts from the estate, while her gifts totaled $120,000. She challenged the will, and the court agreed with her. In this case, a tidy 50–50 split didn’t square with the history behind it. Situations like this one show how sensitive inheritances can be. Families often read meaning into bequests. Someone who receives a larger share may be seen as being favored, while a smaller one can feel
like punishment. Even if an estate planning decision is practical, like leaving more for a child who needs it most, it can be misinterpreted and lead to resentment. That’s why families need to sit down and talk through these decisions together. It can be tempting to “settle it in the will” and escape the discomfort of hard conversations, but silence can often cause more pain later. Even if uncomfortable, an open discussion gives everyone a chance to understand intentions before it’s too late. Estate planning should be about more than distributing money. It’s also about preserving relationships and leaving behind clarity and a sense of love in inheritance decisions. Achieving this requires a combination of careful planning and honest conversations. It can be difficult, but you can gift your family assets and understanding with the right approach.
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