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December 2025
December’s Quiet Invitation Take Stock, Let Go, and Plan What’s Next
December always feels a little different, doesn’t it? The air cools, the days shorten, and suddenly everything seems to slow down just enough for us to catch our breath. It’s the 12th month, and whether you’re ready or not, it quietly invites reflection. Before the world hits reset in January, something is grounding about pausing to ask: What did this year really mean for me? Taking Stock of 2025 Start by permitting yourself to look back, not with judgment, but with curiosity. Too often, we treat reflection like a performance review, tallying up what we did right or wrong. However, the real value lies in understanding how you have grown. Think about your professional life first. What did you accomplish this year that made you proud, even if it wasn’t massive? Maybe you led a project that challenged you in new ways, navigated tough feedback with more composure than last year, or simply learned to draw clearer boundaries between work and home. Growth isn’t always about promotions or raises; sometimes, it’s about perspective and resilience. Then, it’s time to look inward. What about your personal life? Did you build stronger relationships? Pick up a new skill? Or maybe you finally took a solo trip, started therapy, or learned how to slow down without guilt. Write these things down, not as a checklist, but as a story of who you’ve become over the past 12 months. Practicing Honest Reflection If you want to get the most out of this kind of reflection, try a few simple techniques. • Set the scene . Pour a cup of coffee, light a candle, or head to a quiet café. Create space where your thoughts can wander without distraction.
Reflection isn’t about rewriting the past; it’s about seeing it clearly enough to move forward with intention.
Turning Reflection Into Direction Once you’ve looked back, it’s time to glance ahead at all the possibilities. Forget the “New Year, New Me” clichés. What you need is a vision that fits your life. Start by asking: What do I want more of in 2026? Maybe it’s calm, creativity, financial security, or connection. Once you have that clarity, you can shape your goals around it. For example, if you want more calm, you might commit to one screen-free evening a week. If it’s creativity, schedule a recurring time for a hobby. Planning for 2026 With Purpose If you love a plan, December is your month. Block off an afternoon to map out your year ahead. Think about your priorities in categories: health, career, relationships, finances, and personal growth. What do you want each area to feel like next year? Then, outline one or two actions that could move the needle in each category. But here’s the key: You need to build in flexibility. Life rarely unfolds exactly as planned, and that’s okay. The point isn’t to control the year; it’s to approach it with awareness. Closing the Year With Gratitude Finally, as you turn the page from December to January, take a moment to acknowledge that you made it. Through the noise, challenges, and changes, you kept going. Reflection is not just about progress; it’s about appreciation. So, before you rush into resolutions, give yourself credit for showing up this year. Then look ahead with confidence. Happy New Year! –Dathan Hill
• Ask better questions. Instead of “What went wrong?” ask “What did I learn?” or “What surprised me?”
P.S. If you or a family member has been in an auto accident, we are here to help! Give us a call today at 225-266-2948 for a free initial consultation.
• Celebrate the small wins. The human brain tends to fixate on what we didn’t do. Counteract that by naming at least three small victories, such as things that made life easier, happier, or more meaningful.
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DON’T SIGN THAT JOB OFFER BLINDLY Fine-Print Focus
In today’s competitive job market, landing new employment is the least of your worries.
Never disregard a seemingly minor typo as a slight variation in a job title (e.g., “managerr” or “supervisor” versus “manager”) could be enough to impact your anticipated compensation, workday obligations, and even your tax status. Even the most professional companies can make mistakes in drafting documentation, so never assume Human Resources has everything covered. Do the perks make sense as presented? In addition to confirming exactly what you’ll do and be paid, you must ensure any benefits outlined in the contract align with your expectations or with anything you may have been told during interview(s) and negotiation(s). Review all insurance benefits, paid vacations, PTO/sick leave structures, retirement plans, and bonuses detailed in the contract before signing, and immediately raise any questions or concerns with the appropriate parties. What is yours, and what is your employer’s? With remote work on the rise, your employer may be based in another state. Your employee contract should detail your remote status and any expectations for occasional “hybrid” work (e.g., working at the corporate office once a week) and work-related travel. Expense reimbursement is another factor to consider when reading your contract. Review any provisions regarding your responsibilities in using employer-supplied equipment (laptops, printers, scanners, etc.) required for your remote position. Sometimes, your work may entail creating intellectual property the employer owns. For example, if you make digital media for a company, you likely won’t be able to apply it to your personal use or bring it to a subsequent employer. The employee contract will likely include specific proprietary rights and intellectual property language. Before agreeing to an employer’s contract terms, you should address any verification needs. These questions are just the tip of the iceberg. No two employee contracts are exactly alike, so it’s essential to diligently review any documentation you receive, even if you need to bring in a legal professional for an extra pair of eyes.
Depending on your chosen industry, you may be required to review and sign an employment contract before starting a new position. Ideally, this document will clearly outline what your new employer offers you to work for them and the responsibilities they expect you to fulfill. While the concept is simple enough, a host of nuances and potential red flags in an employee contract may reveal that your new job is more (or less) than you expected. Considering that the average U.S. employee stays with a single employer for approximately four years before moving on, reviewing your employee contract carefully ensures the job of your dreams doesn’t devolve into a logistical, financial, or professional nightmare. Here are three key questions to consider before agreeing to the contract terms presented to you. Does the contract accurately describe your role? In many cases, an online job description is the employer’s wish list of duties that could fall under that role. Specific responsibilities related to a particular position may be refined during the interview and negotiation process, especially if the employer is in a transitional period of restructuring its workflow and employee roles. When reviewing your employee contract, confirm that your job title, duties, payment terms and methods, and length of service (if the position is temporary) are described accurately. “No two employee contracts are exactly alike, so it’s essential to diligently review any documentation you receive, even if you need to bring in a legal professional for an extra pair of eyes.”
Good luck with your job search, and happy reading!
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TAKE A BREAK
Syllables That Shape Society
The ‘Saxon Clincher’ Effect
The right selection of syllables can change the course of history.
As any English teacher or professional editor (or anyone who’s ever confused “they’re,” “there,” or “their”) will tell you, navigating modern English is often chaotic and confounding. In a 2020 blog, Ward Farnsworth of the University of Texas School of Law attempted to explain how it got this way. “English is a language built mostly out of two others. Much of it was created from the language of invaders who came to Britain around 450 AD from Anglia and Saxony (in what we’d now call northern Germany). About 600 years later, the French [Normans] invaded and brought their language with them, too, derived from Latin. The new French competed with Old English, and the eventual outcome was modern English, built out of both.” Farnsworth’s observation isn’t new. Various speeches by President Abraham Lincoln, largely considered one of the world’s greatest orators, made excellent use of this mix of languages by understanding that Anglo-Saxon words tend to be direct and words of French origin tend to be a bit more flowery. Lincoln applied these characteristics to create what some linguistic circles call a “Saxon clincher,” a straightforward conclusion to a more colorfully worded introduction. A Saxon clincher can be employed to gain attention with impactful opening words before driving the point home more simply. According to Farnsworth, Lincoln’s talent for perfecting this approach shines through in this passage from his “House Divided” speech in 1858: Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new, North as well as South. Did you notice how the first half includes colorful words such as “opponents” and “extinction,” and the final 14 words are simple with one syllable each? That’s the Saxon clincher, and the pathway to a perfect speech, in a nutshell.
BAKED FETA, TOMATO, AND WHITE BEAN SKILLET
Ingredients
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes • 2 (15-oz) cans no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed • 4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped • 2 tsp Italian seasoning • 1/4 tsp salt • 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided • 6 oz feta cheese, packed in brine, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tbsp hot honey • Basil leaves, for garnish • 4 slices toasted whole-wheat country bread, optional, for serving
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 450 F. 2. In a large, oven-safe skillet, combine tomatoes, beans, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt. 3. Drizzle with 5 tbsp of olive oil and stir gently. 4. Add feta pieces 2 inches apart in the mixture and drizzle with remaining olive oil. 5. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the tomatoes have burst. 6. Remove from oven and drizzle with hot honey. Garnish with basil leaves, and serve with toast if desired.
Inspired by EatingWell.com
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225-266-2948 DathanLHill.com 637 Saint Ferdinand Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Looking Back to Move Forward
The Weight of Written Words
2
Baked Feta, Tomato, and White Bean Skillet
3
President Lincoln’s Unique Speech Style
Terror Turns to Trial
4
A ‘Leatherface’ Lawsuit Leaves a Mark SLIPS, SCREAMS, AND SETTLEMENTS
If you’re a horror film fan, you know how common it is for a would-be victim to trip and fall long enough to allow the killer chasing them to catch up and carry out some nasty deed. While this scene is a classic cliché of the genre, it would strike genuine terror in anyone’s heart if it played out in the real world, especially when you’re a 57-year-old woman with her grandchild in tow. In the late 1990s, Cleanthi Peters accompanied her 10-year-old granddaughter to a Hell’s High haunted house attraction at Universal Studios in Florida. As their walk-through was about to end, an actor portraying the menacing character Leatherface from the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” film franchise began chasing them while wielding a fake chainsaw. As the frightened pair began running away from the grotesque antagonist, they slipped on a wet spot on the floor, just like in the movies. Instead of breaking character to help them, the actor playing the pretend psychopath continued to menace the two by standing above them with his torturous tool still in his hands.
Claiming the incident left her and her granddaughter “extremely fearful and in mental distress and anguish,” Peters later sued Universal Studios for emotional distress and other injuries. After numerous trials, the suit was decided in Peters’ favor, resulting in a $15,000 judgment against Universal Studios for failure to keep its haunted house safe for occupants. While this case occurred in Florida, legal experts have opined that the verdict may have been the same in other states, since an unsafe wet floor wouldn’t be a reasonable expectation for anyone attending a haunted house attraction. While Hell’s High may have succeeded in frightening Peters and her granddaughter, the suit proves that horror-themed
entertainment can sometimes be too scary, especially for the defendant’s legal counsel, and Leatherface is best encountered from the comfort of a TV or movie theater screen.
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