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BERT’S BUZZ MARCH/APRIL 2026
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Still Writing the Story Why Staying Young Has Less to Do With Age and Everything to Do With Purpose I’m certain the last time someone told you that “ you’re only as young as you feel, ” you likely rolled your eyes, and I don’t blame you. Yet, March 22 is As Young As You Feel Day, and the older I get, the more that phrase feels less like a cliché and more like a hidden truth I’ve had to earn. I’m an attorney, a husband, a father, and somewhere along the way, I’ve learned that feeling young has very little to do with appearances and everything to do with intention. It’s how you move through the world, how you care for your body, how you frame your story, and whether you still believe the next chapter matters. For me, it starts with the body, and not out of vanity but stewardship. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that my body and mind are in constant conversation, and when one goes quiet, the other suffers. My wife and I follow a structured fitness routine inspired by Peter Attia’s work in “Outlive.” Four days a week, we commit to Zone 2 cardio: an hour at a pace that challenges the heart without overwhelming it. A few days are reserved for weightlifting, and once a week, we add high-intensity interval training. The goal is to improve VO2 max, strengthen the heart, and keep our cardiovascular systems resilient. When I say I want to feel young at heart, I mean that quite literally. I want my heart to behave like it still has places to go. But how renewed can you feel if the body and mind are disconnected? I firmly believe you’ll only reap the full benefits of good physical health when paired with a mental framework that gives it meaning. Stoic philosophy has shaped how I think about aging, purpose, and time. One concept in particular, memento mori , which means remembering that death is inevitable, has been strangely freeing. When you accept that time is finite, you stop treating your days like placeholders. You show up differently. You stop numbing yourself with distractions and start asking better questions: What am I doing with this hour? What kind of father, husband, and human am I choosing to be today? Another Stoic idea I return to often is amor fati , meaning to love your fate. No, not tolerate it. Love it. Embrace what happens, good and bad, as part of the story you’re meant to live. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Death smiles on us all. All a man can do is smile back.” That line has stayed with me for years. It reminds me not to freeze in fear or drift into complacency. Facing reality head-on, rather than running from it, has a way of keeping you mentally agile.
momentum. When I exercise consistently, I’m more optimistic, more patient, more present. When I don’t, my thinking dulls. I’ve seen it enough times to know this isn’t coincidence. If you want to feel young, you can’t let either system stagnate. I’ve also come to see life less as a series of tasks and more as a story I’m actively writing. Every good story has “a hero’s journey” : a call to action, resistance, growth, setbacks, and meaning forged through effort. Feeling young, to me, means believing you’re still on that journey. It means recognizing that you’re not done becoming who you are. Even at 55, even with a career and a family and plenty of chapters already written, I know there are pages left. In fact, Russian author Dostoyevsky calls 55 “the prime of life … the flowering time of existence, when real enjoyment of life begins.” That perspective changes how I approach memories. You have to create them deliberately. There are only so many pages left in your book, so how will you fill them? A life spent only consuming, scrolling, sitting, and waiting doesn’t generate much of a story. But I mentioned this in our last newsletter: Once a memory is created, it also needs to be curated. How you frame your experiences matters. Years ago, while a student at Rice University, I rode a motorcycle at 2 a.m. from Dallas to Houston under a string of misadventures that could easily have become a tale of poor judgment and frustration. Instead, when I told the tale to a beloved teacher of mine, Carol Lovato, she reframed it for me as akin to “The Odyssey,” a journey home filled with soulful trials and indomitable grit. That single
The mind-body connection works both ways. Where the mind goes, the body follows, but the opposite is also true. Movement creates
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Annalesa’s Message to the World
When Someone’s Choice Changed Everything, She Chose to Keep Moving Forward
At just 17 years old, our former client Annalesa Maldonado’s life took a sudden, devastating turn because of a drunk driver’s reckless choice. Yet if you spend even a few minutes with her today, what stands out isn’t what she lost but what she’s built since. Annalesa had been dancing since she was 2 years old. It was clear this passion was more than a hobby. It was her language, her confidence, her joy. By her mid-teens, she was already teaching young kids, sharing her love for movement, and cheering on a new generation of dancers. Then, in March 2020, while merging onto the highway near Coors, a drunk driver slammed into her car from behind, forcing her off the road and down an embankment. Her vehicle rolled, and she suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury . She remained awake through much of it, painfully aware of what was happening. “It was awful,” Annalesa later shared with KOB4. “I was choking on my own blood. I was screaming, not necessarily due to pain, because I couldn’t feel anything because of my back, but it was more of a trying to keep myself awake.” In the ambulance, she overheard how long it would take to reach the hospital. “The only thought in my head was, ‘I’m not going to
make it 10 minutes,’” she said. “So I just stopped screaming and thought, it’s up to you guys to get me there.” Doctors explained the severity of her injury, and Annalesa quickly understood the physical reality she was facing. But the deeper challenge came afterward. Many people assumed her dance days were over. Annalesa herself wondered how she could possibly return to teaching when she could no longer stand or dance the way she once had. Then her students surprised her. “They asked me, ‘So when are you going to start teaching again?’” she recalled. “I said, ‘Do you guys realize I can’t dance anymore?’ And they told me, ‘You used to just sit there and yell at us anyway.’”
That moment changed everything.
Today, Annalesa owns her own dance studio and continues to teach, lead, and inspire. She proves that dance is about connection, encouragement, and heart, not just physical movement. From her chair, she coaches young dancers with the same passion she’s always had, showing them what determination truly looks like. Her impact reaches far beyond the studio. Annalesa is now a national spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, using her voice to help prevent others from experiencing what she did. She speaks with honesty and purpose, not to evoke sympathy, but to create awareness. “I’m not trying to make you pity me,” she says. “I want you to imagine what if I was your sister? What if I was your wife? What if I was your mom?” Annalesa’s story is one of resilience, growth, and choosing hope. While her life was forever changed by someone else’s decision, she refused to let that moment define her future. Instead, she transformed it into a platform for purpose, education, and inspiration. We are honored to represent Annalesa and to continue sharing her story. She is living proof that even after unimaginable trauma, it’s possible to move forward with strength, joy, and meaning . Annalesa Maldonado didn’t just survive. She rose, and she continues to show others what’s possible when courage leads the way.
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reframing changed how I carried the memory. We’re all the authors of our narratives, even when we don’t control every event.
As I grow older, I’m also more aware of legacy and how that too keeps you rejuvenated. In his book “From Strength to Strength,” Arthur Brooks writes about the transition from fluid intelligence (doing, building, striving) to crystallized intelligence (teaching, sharing, passing on what you’ve learned). Because, ultimately, staying young doesn’t mean clinging to youth; it means remaining engaged, curious, and generous with what you know. As a father, that feels especially important. I want my kids to see not just what I achieved, but how I lived with intention, humility, and courage. Feeling young isn’t about denying age. It’s about refusing to become passive. It’s choosing movement over stagnation, purpose over distraction, and authorship over drift. As long as I’m still writing my story, still learning, still moving both physically and mentally, I’ll keep smiling back.
From Cookie Jars to Car Keys Building Responsibility in Kids and Teens
If you’ve ever walked into your kitchen to discover your child’s mouth covered in chocolate while they insist they didn’t dip into the cookie jar before dinner, you know the importance of teaching little ones about being honest and taking responsibility for their actions. Here are a few tips for incorporating age-appropriate lessons on accountability into a child’s daily routine. Pathways to Responsible Preschoolers When teaching children the value of personal accountability, selecting tasks that match their abilities and level of understanding is essential. For children ages 3–6, this could mean having them take responsibility for setting the table (with supervision as needed to ensure safety with utensils and glassware), feeding their pets, or putting away their toys neatly after they finish playing with them. If they struggle or fail to fulfill a particular responsibility, use it as an opportunity for growth, rather than a reason to ground them. For example, if they forget to feed their dog or cat, show them their pet’s signs of hunger … and remind your child of how sad, tired, and cranky they would feel if they were hungry and had to wait a long time to eat. If they forget to pick up their LEGOs, remind them of how much it hurt the last time they stepped on a piece when they weren’t wearing shoes. Above all, be sure to maintain a positive atmosphere and praise them whenever they complete a task (especially when they do it without being asked!) or put in their best effort to do so. Guidance for Goal-Driven Teens If your child has passed the age of picking up building blocks, you can help them manage and fulfill their pre-adult responsibilities. Encourage them to budget their spending money (especially once they start working for the first time), take an active role in maintaining their vehicle, and coordinate their own schedules for after-school or social activities. While it’s always wise to be available to help if or when they run out of gas or sleep through their alarm, giving them space to be more independent (and occasionally make mistakes) will go a long way in teaching them the real-world rewards and consequences of how they handle their responsibilities. By giving children room to learn, try, and even stumble, we help them build the confidence and character they’ll carry into adulthood. With steady guidance and age-appropriate responsibilities, accountability becomes a lifelong habit.
—Bert Parnall
Moroccan-Spiced Chicken and Couscous Skillet
Ingredients
• 1.25 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin • 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika • 1/2 tsp ground ginger • 1/2 tsp cinnamon • 1 tsp kosher salt • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced into coins • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed • 1 cup dry pearl couscous • 1/4 cup medjool dates, pitted and chopped • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock • 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. Toss chicken with olive oil, sugar, spices, and salt; let marinate for 10 minutes. 3. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium. Sear chicken thighs for 3–4 minutes per side, transfer to a plate, leaving 1 tbsp of rendered fat in skillet. 4. Add shallot, carrot, and garlic. Sauté for 2–3 minutes. 5. Add chickpeas, couscous, dates, and chicken stock and boil over high heat. 6. Add chicken thighs back and top with lemon. 7. Put skillet in oven for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 8. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Inspired by WanderingChickpea.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
What It Really Means to Feel Young at Any Age
2
A Dancer’s Spirit Can’t Be Broken
3
Moroccan-Spiced Chicken and Couscous Skillet
Age-Appropriate Ways to Teach Children Responsibility
4
The Productivity Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed
Stop Trying to Hustle Harder
Plan Smarter Instead
Do you ever wish you could accomplish more in a day? Whether you’re trying to squeeze out as many tasks as possible at work or take care of all of your chores before Sunday, it can feel like you’re always trying to maximize your productivity. But many of us feel like we fall short each day. You may think you just need to regularly refresh your coffee or eliminate every distraction from your mind to improve your productivity, but this only gets you so far. Instead, focus on incorporating strong, simple strategies into your routine. Here are three ideas to help you be as productive as possible, no matter the situation.
priorities for the following day. Before the weekend starts, figure out which chores you need to do and the best time to tackle them. Having a plan will increase your likelihood of sticking to it. Stop saying yes. How often do you say “no” to others? Many of us are people pleasers who often agree to requests, even if they exceed our capacity. Saying “yes” all the time will lead to burnout, regardless of whether it’s your boss asking you to complete a project before noon or your friends wanting to go out for the fourth night in a row. Say no, and keep your main priorities at the forefront of your mind. Take regular breaks. You may want to push through all your tasks so you can finally unwind and relax, but this could lengthen the process. Sticking to your responsibilities like glue prevents your body and brain from taking necessary breaks to recalibrate and reset so you can operate at peak performance.
Put a plan in place. When do you start thinking about what you need to accomplish on any given day? Too often, people wait until they face their work computer or stare at a sink full of dishes to strategize their day. Instead, take some time before you wrap up work to establish your
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