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WWW.OBIORAHFIELDS.COM | 404-994-6218 | JUNE 2019
NO SMARTER THAN YOU BE INTENTIONAL IN THE PURSUIT OF YOUR DREAMS, RECENT GRADS
S teve Jobs once said that everything around us was made by people no smarter than ourselves. The only thing that set them apart was that they decided they could influence their path in life, and they used that influence to change the world. Right now, there are millions of students graduating from high schools, universities, and other educational institutions. Some of them may know a little better than others, but chances are they’re all trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do. If you’re one of those graduates, just remember this: In the midst of that uncertainty, you have the power to shape your life and change the world. When I was in school, I thought there would be a clear path laid out for me when I graduated. That was true, up to a point. When I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to go to college. When I graduated from college, I knew I wanted to go to law school. After law school, I knew I was going to work, and I thought that was going to be clear as well. It wasn’t. Ultimately, I took a passive role in my life. I expected everything to be figured out for me instead of running the show. Thankfully, I finally figured out just how much I could influence my own life. I wouldn’t be where I am today, with my own law practice, if I had remained passive. No one is going to become exactly like Steve Jobs just by following his advice, but you will gain a better picture of who you are and what you
want when you get in the driver’s seat of your life. You might not feel like that’s something you’re capable of, but I promise you that you can be intentional and make a difference in the world. The best way to start being intentional with your life is to start being intentionally creative. Look at the areas that you hold influence over in your workplace. How can you improve or add value to those areas? If you think a work
YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL LIKE THAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE CAPABLE OF, BUT I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU CAN BE INTENTIONAL AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
creative ideas can still be daunting. It’s easy to think, “What if my ideas aren’t actually that great? What if I don’t know as much as I think I do?” I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Nobody really knows what they’re doing. The phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” is standard operating procedure if you want to pursue your dreams. If you wait around until you know everything you think you should know, you’ll never get your feet off the ground. Be fearless in the pursuit of your dreams, recent graduates. When you fail, get back up and keep pushing forward. You might not get where you want to be right away, but if you start viewing the world as a place where you have the power to enact change, I promise you’ll get there eventually.
process could be more efficient, change it. Don’t ever just accept those areas as unchangeable. When you begin to view the world as a place where you have the power to enact change, a whole new realm of possibilities opens up. While being intentionally creative in your areas of influence is an important first step, actually enacting those
–Teri Fields
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THE 100 DEADLIEST DAYS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THEM LESS DEADLY
DO YOUR PART
The stretch of summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day is often referred to as the 100 deadliest days of summer. During those 100 days, motor accidents involving teens between 16–19 years old increase by 16 percent. School is out, and teen drivers spend more time on the road as a result. Even if you aren’t a parent of a teen driver, everyone can do their part to make the roads safer this summer. Here are a few ways to do that. Sixty percent of all accidents involving teens are the result of distracted driving. Warn your teens about the danger of using their cellphones while driving. Carrying too many passengers can also be dangerous, as messing around and loud conversations increase the risk REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
of an accident by 44 percent for teen drivers. The best thing you can do to discourage these dangerous behaviors is model safe driving practices. Set a good example for your teens by putting your phone away while you drive and not letting yourself get distracted by passengers. Summer provides many opportunities to drink, including the Fourth of July and backyard barbecues. Unfortunately, these opportunities also result in more alcohol-related driving accidents. Remind your teens of the dangers of drinking and driving drunk, and let them know that if they or their friends are ever drunk and away from home to call you before trying to drive themselves. DRINK RESPONSIBLY
These safety measures aren’t just for teens. Even if you don’t have teens of your own, you can still make the roads safer by putting your phone out of reach or installing an app that locks it while you’re behind the wheel. Call an Uber or a Lyft to bring you home from the barbecue instead of trying to drive. While encouraging teens to practice safe driving habits during their formative years is important, remember to follow that same advice yourself. If you are involved in a motor accident involving teens or drunk drivers, give our office a call. Our experienced attorneys will make sure that you are fairly compensated for any loss or injury.
2 | www.obiorahfields.com | Your Rights, Our Fight
GETTING THE BENEFITS YOU DESERVE WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR DISABILITY APPEAL IS DENIED
If you have served in our military and returned with mental or physical disabilities, you should be entitled to proper compensation. Unfortunately, the process for obtaining disability benefits can be long and arduous. Sometimes, despite the injuries you may have suffered in the line of duty, the Veterans Benefit Administration may not award you the compensation you feel you’re entitled to. Fortunately, you have multiple opportunities to appeal your situation.
communicating with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. You can submit new evidence for your case at any point, but after you send in your appeal, you’ll need to send it to the Board instead of the Benefits Administration.
NOTICE OF DISAGREEMENT
ADVANCED DOCKET STATUS
Within a year of receiving notice that your claim was denied, you need to file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). This document features multiple sections for citing your disagreements with the claim decision. Once you fill it out, mail the NOD to the address provided on the claim decision notice, or bring it to your local regional office.
After submitting your appeal, you may wait years for a judge to review it. Certain circumstances, such as “serious illness,” “financial distress,” or “other sufficient causes,” might qualify you for Advanced Docket Status, which will move your appeal to the front of the line. If you are 75 or older, you qualify for Advanced Docket Status automatically. This process could be followed by a hearing, with a high likelihood that at least part of your appeal will be remanded. We at Obiorah Fields believe that those who have sacrificed so much for our country should receive the benefits they are entitled to. If you need help navigating the VA disability claims process, give our office a call.
VA FORM 9
If the Veterans Benefit Administration decides you still don’t have enough evidence after reviewing your NOD, they will send you a statement of the case and a VA Form 9. Return these documents within 60 days of receiving them. At this point, you will begin
WORD SEARCH
BLT DOGS
INGREDIENTS
• 4 strips bacon • 4 hot dogs (ideally Boar’s Head Beef Frankfurters, but any all-beef variety will do) • 4 hot dog buns • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced • Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a skillet to medium and fry bacon until rendered and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. 2. Fry hot dogs in bacon drippings, creating a crust, and cook until warmed through. 3. Using a dry skillet or oven, toast buns. 4. Spread mayonnaise on buns, place hot dog and bacon inside, and top with tomatoes and lettuce. Serve.
BEACH BREAK FUN HOT
JUNE OUTSIDE PLAY SUMMER
SUN TAN TRAVEL VACATION
Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Advice to Recent Graduates
1 2
Come Join the Family Fun!
Strategies for Safer Summer Driving
Navigating the VA Benefits Application Process
3
BLT Dogs
A Few Dads Who Went Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
4
HEROIC DADS WHO DIDN’T BACK DOWN BEING A PARENT ISN’T ALWAYS A WALK IN THE PARK
Kids often look up to their father as one of their greatest heroes. There are the long drives to sports tournaments, the late-night movies, and the sweets when Mom isn’t looking. We probably all have some reason to look up to our dad as one of our biggest influences. It’s Father’s Day this month, a special time of year when we take a moment to think about the sacrifices the father figures in our lives have made for us. Most dads are pretty great, but some go above and beyond the fatherly call of duty. Let’s take a look at some heroic dads who risked everything to keep their families safe. Life can change in a split second, and how you choose to react in a moment of peril can define your legacy forever. Few people know this as well as Brad Lewis. When Brad and his son, Oscar, were deeply entrenched in an intense Nerf battle, he surely didn’t think the situation would turn as dangerous as it did. When a few darts missed his father and landed on the balcony, Oscar ran after them but soon found himself teetering on the balcony’s ledge, 12 feet above the ground. Thinking fast, Brad grabbed his son just before he fell over, both taking the plunge while Brad protected his son with his own body. Just as he’d intended, Brad absorbed most of the blow. While Oscar sustained serious wounds, his father’s injuries were more severe. Brad BRAD LEWIS: OVER THE LEDGE
was left fighting for his life in the ICU, with severe fractures to his skull and vertebrae. Thankfully, Brad is expected to make a full recovery and has made serious strides since the accident. He and his son will live to play another day.
GREG ALEXANDER: COULDN’T BEAR TO SEE HIS SON HURT
While camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in June 2015, Greg Alexander awoke to the sound of a nightmare. The screams of his son intermingled with the roars of an unknown assailant, beckoning Greg to his son’s tent. There, he found his son Gabriel being attacked by a bear. The bear had his son by the head and was dragging him away. Greg jumped on the bear’s back, desperately trying to take attention away from Gabriel. Amazingly, it worked, and in the end, the bear ran away. Gabriel was left with serious cuts to his head, but thanks to his dad’s heroism, the two were able to walk away from that campsite and back to their lives together. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to take a leap of faith or fight a bear to be a hero in your family’s eyes. Just be yourself, show some support, and do the best you can. Happy Father’s Day, everybody.
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