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Oct/Nov 2021
How to Overcome Your Fears in 175 Pages TIPS FROM ‘GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY’
As I write this, Halloween is coming up in a few weeks. At this time of year, San Diego is usually overrun with people dressed in crazy costumes, and every movie at the box office is a thriller. It’s funny to me that as a society, we enjoy being scared right up to the point when that fear becomes real. Many of my clients have legitimate fears ranging from running into the wrong people in their neighborhoods to going back to prison or losing a loved one. The personal injury clients I serve often fear that their lives will never return to a semblance of normalcy. All of these fears have real roots, and none of them are Halloween silliness. But it occurred to me recently that fears — even legitimate ones — can hold us back from reaching our true potential. I thought about this while reading “Get Out of Your Own Way: Practical Lessons for Conquering Procrastination, Fear, Envy, Neediness, Guilt, and More” by Dr. Mark Goulston and Philip Goldberg. The authors argue that we’re holding ourselves back from our ideal lives of love, success, and happiness through a combination of 40 self-defeating behaviors, like “Rebelling Just for the Sake of Rebelling,” “Pretending You’re Fine When You’re Not,” and “Letting Fear Run Your Life.”
sabotage, then tell readers how to flip their mental script with a “Usable Insight.” Finally, they offer up action steps for overcoming each roadblock. Dr. Goulston is a psychiatrist, and I found his insights particularly interesting. He has seen a lot of human suffering and has the perspective to step back and point out solutions to recurring problems. The book is short and fear is just a small piece of what it addresses, but that section stood out to me. It opened with the story of a man named Stan who was injured in a car accident and afterward became terrified of driving. He started carpooling to work but miserably “rode white-knuckled all the way.” “Traumas tend to hit with a one-two punch,” Goulston and Goldberg write. “The first blow shatters our innocence and sense of safety. The second is not a trauma at all, but the fear that whatever happened will happen again. … Tragically, the fear of a second trauma can be more devastating than the trauma itself.” They suggest that to overcome this second fear, you need to admit what you’re feeling, accept that you can’t control everything, and resolve not to let fear dominate your life. Then, you need to take small steps back toward the “normal” you want. Every one of those steps will help you overcome your fear, and you can even ask someone you trust to push you when
you falter. As the authors put it, “Focus on your resilience. Remember that you survived the trauma and realize that you will survive the next one as well.” If you feel like you’re stuck in your life, “Get Out of Your Own Way” might help you break out of your rut and change your behavior. I’d definitely recommend reading it, especially if fear is holding you back from moving forward. Just make sure that you’re gentle with yourself as you implement these changes. We’ve all had a rough year, and you have had it harder than most. As one reviewer put it on Amazon, “the secret is to catch yourself in the act of doing these things and then put in the fix WITHOUT beating yourself up for it.” “‘TRAUMAS TEND TO HIT WITH A ONE-TWO PUNCH. THE FIRST BLOW SHATTERS OUR INNOCENCE AND SENSE OF SAFETY. THE SECOND IS NOT A TRAUMA AT ALL, BUT THE FEAR THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.’”
-Elliott Kanter
In 175 pages, Goulston and Goldberg share stories about each of these methods of self-
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The Law Offices of Elliott Kanter APC | (619) 231-1883
Corn Mazes Date Back to Ancient Greece? A HISTORIC LOOK AT THIS WACKY FALL TRADITION
Exploring a corn maze is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fall season with friends and family — but who came up with the idea of wandering around a corn field for fun? As it turns out, outdoor mazes are an ancient tradition, and the American corn maze of the ‘90s sprouted from the mazes of 17th-century European gardens. Don’t believe it? Here’s a quick tour of corn maze history. THE MINOTAUR AND THE MAZE Have you heard of Theseus and the Minotaur? This ancient Greek legend tells the story of the hero Theseus, who ventured into an elaborate maze to kill the half-man, half-bull imprisoned there. The monstrous Minotaur was known to eat heroes, and the labyrinth was known to trap them, but Theseus managed to slay the Minotaur and find his way home with the help of a string that he unspooled as he walked. This story isn’t the first recorded example of a maze or labyrinth — according to the World History encyclopedia, “[L]abyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been dated to the Neolithic Age in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India, among
others” — but it’s perhaps the most famous ancient tale. If you’ve ever navigated a Halloween corn maze staffed by ghouls and ghosts, you can see the parallels! GARDEN ART TO GET LOST IN Mazes formed from bushes began popping up European gardens in the 17th century. They were a popular artistic feature of upper-class gardens in England, more for looking at than solving. One famous example is the half-mile-long Hampton Maze, which was planted in 1690 and still stands today. THE CORN MAZE: AN AMERICAN INVENTION Garden mazes eventually hopped the pond to America but didn’t become interactive puzzles until Don Frantz, Creative Director of the American Maze Company, came on the scene. In 1993, Frantz created the “first ever cornfield maze for private and public entertainment” to attract college kids in Pennsylvania. Today, every small-town corn maze is a descendant of his “Amazing Maize Maze.” To learn more about that wacky history, visit AmericanMaze.com.
THE SCARY PENALTIES FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING IN CALIFORNIA Prison Time and a $20,000 Fine?!
CALIFORNIA PENALTIES FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
In our last newsletter, we told you all about how easy it is to accidentally get roped into a drug trafficking scheme. Often, couriers are recruited by friends or family without even realizing what they’re bringing across the U.S.- Mexico border! Unfortunately, even if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could still end up on the hook for drug trafficking. STATE VS. FEDERAL: WHICH IS IT? Transporting, importing, and selling drugs is illegal at both the state and federal levels, but whether it’s counted as a state or federal crime depends on the specific situation. The penalties for drug trafficking can vary widely because prosecutors take into account things like where the offender was caught and other actions they’ve taken. As a rule of thumb, drug transactions within California are considered state crimes while those crossing state or national borders are federal.
If you’re caught selling or transporting drugs within California, you could face 3–20 years in jail and a fine of up to $20,000. There are also things that can make this sentence worse, like transporting large amounts of drugs (cutoffs vary by drug type), selling to minors, trafficking drugs near a drug treatment facility, or providing drugs to certain at-risk people like pregnant individuals or felons. Any of those could add 3–5 additional years in county jail, felony probation, and/or more fines of up to $20,000 to your sentence. FEDERAL PENALTIES FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING Federal penalties for drug trafficking are usually determined by the quantity of drugs involved, whether or not they have caused injury or death, and a few other circumstances, depending on the quantity of drugs. In federal
court, the penalties with the potential of a mandatory minimum from 5–10 years in custody to life in prison. IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO GET HELP If you or someone you know has been accused of drug trafficking in California, reach out to our office today. Elliott can offer expert advice and representation that could make the difference between years in prison and walking free.
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The Law Offices of Elliott Kanter APC | www.enkanter.com
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When Does a Slip-and- Fall Become a Lawsuit?
More than 800,000 people are hospitalized every year because of slip-and-fall accidents. A lot of these accidents happen at home — maybe the person slipped while getting out of the bathtub or tripped coming down the stairs. Those injuries are normal and won’t end up in court as lawsuits. But not all falls are created equal. Some stumbles can take you all the way from the hospital to the courtroom. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a slip-and-fall, ask these three questions to figure out whether you might be eligible for compensation. WHERE DID THE FALL HAPPEN? As we mentioned above, falls that happen at home (in other words, on your own property) can’t become lawsuits. However, you may have a case if you slipped and fell on public property or private property that isn’t yours. WERE THERE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS INVOLVED? If you slipped and fell entirely of your own accord on dry, flat, even ground, you probably don’t have a case. But things are different if there were dangerous conditions involved like unmarked steps, debris, an uneven surface, rain or ice on the ground, holes you step in, faulty stairs or handrail, or spilled liquid. Those circumstances make it much more likely that you can sue for compensation. SHOULD THE PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE HAZARDS THAT TRIPPED YOU? This is the trickiest aspect of a slip-and-fall case. By law, property owners have to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition. If they didn’t do that, you can hold them responsible. If the property owner caused or created the unsafe condition that made you fall, was notified of the condition, and had enough time to correct it but didn’t, then you likely have a case. If your situation meets the conditions above, call our team today. We can confirm that you have a slip-and-fall case and help you win the compensation you deserve.
Breakfast Sweet Potatoes Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com
Finish the end of sweet potato season strong with this must-try breakfast recipe!
INGREDIENTS
• • • • •
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tbsp of your preferred nut butter
1 banana, sliced 2 tsp chia seeds
Cinnamon and salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and cover a medium baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 2. Poke holes in the sweet potatoes and bake on the prepared sheet for 45–60 minutes. 3. Once cooled, split the sweet potatoes down the middle and top with nut butter, banana, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
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The Law Offices of Elliott Kanter APC 2445 Fifth Ave., #350 San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 231-1883
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR FEARS IN 175 PAGES
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CORN MAZES DATE BACK TO ANCIENT GREECE? THE SCARY PENALTIES FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING IN CALIFORNIA BREAKFAST SWEET POTATOES WHEN DOES A SLIP AND FALL BECOME A LAWSUIT?
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A STORY OF UNBREAKABLE FRIENDSHIP
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THE DOG WHO RESCUED ANOTHER The Story of Whoobie, Juan, and the Family They Created
When we hear about animals being rescued and adopted, we often picture a family finding their perfect furry companion.
followed — and so did the little dog. As Patricia explains to Reader’s Digest, “From then on, he always followed Whoobie.”
In the case of Whoobie and Juan, it’s a little different.
After no one claimed the dog, Patricia adopted him and named him Juan. Still uncertain about people, Juan latched onto Whoobie, and the pair became an inseparable duo. The new brothers shared a bed, and occasionally, Whoobie placed his arm around Juan. At the dog park, every canine knew not to mess with Juan, lest they had Whoobie to contend with. The pair remained that way for years. Sadly, the worst part about dogs is that they leave us too soon. On the day Whoobie died, Patricia and Juan said their goodbyes together in the veterinarian clinic. “As Whoobie took his last breath,” Patricia recalls,” Juan laid down next to Whoobie. He seemed to know his friend was gone.”
Whoobie was his owner, Patricia Lane’s, loyal mutt for many years. He mastered all the standard dog commands — sit, stay, and lay down — and he danced when asked and could find his favorite toys by name. Patricia always knew when her guests arrived based on Whoobie’s howl, and his loud-mouth attitude often saw him as the “sheriff” of the local dog park, policing any and all dog fights. For years, Whoobie and Patricia were perfect companions, but one day, their family grew by chance. After waking from a nap on their couch, Patricia and Whoobie heard a dog barking outside. A small Chihuahua mix was standing in their backyard, despite the high fence. (Later, Patricia surmised that someone dropped the Chihuahua into her yard.) For an hour, Patricia tried to establish a rapport, pleading with the little dog to eat or come inside so she could find his owners. He wouldn’t move. Giving up, Patricia left her door open and went back inside. Whoobie
Today, Patricia and Juan have bonded, but they still miss their friend — a dog who saved them both and helped create their family.
You can read more pet stories in Reader’s Digest’s “America’s Best Pet Pals” series.
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The Law Offices of Elliott Kanter APC | www.enkanter.com
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