Take a look at our March newsletter!
Plan today for peace of mind tomorrow. MARCH 2023
BECOME A BETTER COMMUNICATOR BY IMPROVING YOUR LISTENING SKILLS
Listening is one of the most essential skills we use in everyday communication. It’s impossible to have a productive or efficient conversation when one party fails to listen. When we listen to others, we can form connections and build relationships that help us succeed in various aspects of our lives. March is Listening Awareness Month, and there’s no better time to work on your listening skills if you feel they’re lacking. Much of what I do in regards to listening is not necessarily listening to what someone is saying on the surface but digging deeper to understand what’s behind their words. Estate planning is such a personal process often based on people’s goals or fears. For example, they might fear their family fighting after they pass but won’t come right out and say it. Instead, I have to listen intently to understand where they’re coming from so I can start formulating a plan and solution for them. People often plan for their young kids, and I have to use my listening skills to understand exactly what they want. I recently worked with someone planning for inheritances for their 6- and 8-year-old daughters. I listened to the goals they have for the family and specifically for their daughters while also taking their concerns into consideration. From there, I can develop a plan that helps them reach their goals. I can’t help them achieve their goals unless I take the time to listen intently. This is a big reason the online do-it-yourself forms don’t benefit you as much as they should. A document can’t understand what people are concerned about. You’re going to get the most out of your estate plan by talking with a real person who can understand your needs.
listening and instead focusing solely on what to say next, you aren’t really having a conversation; it’s more like a monologue. If I’m not listening as well as I should be, I’ll take a deep breath to try to regain my focus. Internally, I constantly ask myself questions so I can better understand precisely what they’re going through. “When we improve our listening skills, we’re able to communicate more effectively and build better relationships.” I even do this with my children at home. If one of my kids is crying about something, I want to take a moment to understand what’s really going on. Did they lose something? Did somebody hurt their feelings? I then try to view it from their perspective. Depending on the situation, I may need to validate their feelings or develop a solution, but finding that solution always starts with listening to their concerns.
When we improve our listening skills, we’re able to communicate more effectively and build better relationships. If you feel like your listening skills could use some work, there’s no better time to practice than during Listening Awareness Month.
–Andrea Shoup
Any time we have a conversation with someone, we have to take the time to sit and listen so we can truly understand what’s happening. If you’re not
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people who work out of a home office has tripled between 2019 and 2021. This massive increase is mainly due to the pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, it was believed that if workers were not in an office setting, they would slack off while working remotely. However, the opposite has proven to be true. In fact, some studies show that many employees working from home are overworked as their personal and professional lives start to blend. When their home is also their office, do they ever really transition out of work mode? Work From Home? TIPS TO ENSURE YOU AREN’T OVERWORKED
Log all overtime. On that note, if you do end up working after-hours or more than your slotted hours in the day, record it and “flex” your hours on a different day to balance out the overtime hours. Even if you are just putting in an extra 15 minutes on a Wednesday evening, mark it down — this way, you know just how much extra work you put into a particular task or project. Be vocal. If and when you become overwhelmed, it’s important to say something. When employees are outside of a traditional office setting and faces and body language can’t be observed throughout the day, it can be difficult to know when someone has too much on their plate and is on the verge of burning out. To bridge this gap, be vocal about your workload!
If you have adopted the remote work lifestyle, here are some tips to help ensure that you are not overdoing it.
Stick to a start and stop time. In an office setting, employees are instructed when to show up and go home. Some even clock in and out, even for lunch breaks. If you are working from home, maintain regular working hours and avoid the urge to “check just one work thing” outside of your set hours.
OUR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER, ALEXA Every team member at Shoup Legal is committed to helping our clients with whatever they may need. Some members of our team never work directly with our clients but are still doing things behind the scenes that have a significant impact on our clients and employees. One team member who rises to any challenge is our human resources manager, Alexa. new team members learn the ropes. She’s a vital component of our recruiting process and has helped bring on some extraordinary team members. Helping Our Team Grow and Develop
There’s nothing Alexa loves more about her career than making a difference in the organization and her coworkers’ lives. She works closely with team members throughout onboarding and various training programs. She’s a big believer in creating an environment people want to be a part of and does everything she can to make sure Shoup Legal is a welcoming place for all. Alexa is committed to developing a strong team that can provide a positive client experience and ensure the company operates at the highest standard possible. Although you may never work with Alexa firsthand, she’s working diligently to train our team to assist you with your needs. Alexa stays busy in and outside of the workplace. She loves playing volleyball and even coaches whenever she has the opportunity. She also loves spending time at the gym, but most of her time lately is spent planning for her June wedding. We’re excited for her to walk down the aisle and start the next chapter of her life.
Alexa joined our team in September of last year. Before that, she
was completing her MBA program at California State University San Marcos. Alexa had never worked in the legal field prior to joining our team but came with ample HR experience. We were thrilled to bring her on board after meeting her. Alexa ensures our team members receive everything they need during onboarding and helps
We are so glad to have Alexa on our team and can’t wait to see how she continues to grow and develop the team at Shoup Legal.
Plan today for peace
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Classic Cabbage Rolls Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
Find the Bright Side It’s National Optimism Month
Ingredients
• •
1 medium head cabbage 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
• • • • • • • •
2 tbsp brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided 1 cup cooked rice 1/4 cup ketchup
• •
1 tbsp butter
2 14.5-oz cans Italian stewed tomatoes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb lean (90%) ground beef
1/4 lb Italian sausage
Directions
1. In a Dutch oven, cook cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes; drain. Rinse in cold water; drain. Remove 8 large outer leaves; set aside. 2. In a large saucepan, sauté 1 cup onion in butter. Add tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. In a large bowl, combine rice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and remaining onion and salt. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix. 4. Remove thick vein from cabbage leaves for easier rolling. Place 1/2 cup meat mixture on each leaf; fold in sides. Starting at an unfolded edge, roll leaf to completely enclose filling. Place rolls seam side down in a skillet. Top with sauce. 5. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes longer or until a thermometer inserted reads 160 F.
Developing a positive outlook on life can bring many benefits. It can lower stress levels, increase productivity, and allow us to create more meaningful relationships with those around us. March gives us the perfect opportunity to flip our perspective and think more positively as we celebrate National Optimism Month. I’ve always had an optimistic view of life, so much so that some of my friends refer to me as Pollyanna. I like looking toward the bright side of every situation and expecting the best. In the grand scheme of things, life is good. Sure, we each have challenges in our lives, but those challenges are just growth opportunities. Sometimes, these challenges even give us a chance to appreciate all we have. A while back, when I was still driving my first car, I was on my way to work when one of my tires blew out. Initially, I worried about being late to work or what I would do with my car, but my thoughts quickly changed. I realized how fortunate I was to have a vehicle in the first place. What happened wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t the end of the world, either. I called a tow truck that took my car to the shop, and everything else was fine. Even my work was accommodating about the whole situation. I could have easily spiraled downward after that event, but I chose to look at the bright side instead. I enjoy being happy and joyful, so I’m often looking for things in my life that make me feel that way. However, that doesn’t mean everything is always sunshine and rainbows for me. I simply choose not to dwell on the bad and instead focus on the positives. Becoming more optimistic takes the same effort as building any other muscle in your body. You have to work at it. Writing in a gratitude journal is one way I practice my optimism skills. Once a week, I’ll take out my journal and write down a few things I’m grateful for. We all have something to be thankful for, even on the worst of days. Realizing you are in good health or have a bed to lie in can help you feel more optimistic about your situation. You’ll quickly notice improvements in your life after adopting an optimistic mindset.
TAKE A BREAK
–Andrea Shoup
e of mind tomorrow.
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Plan today for peace of mind tomorrow. 39755 Date St., Ste. 203 | Murrieta, CA 92563 (951) 445-4114 | www.shouplegal.com
Inside This Issue
1 | It’s Listening Awareness Month! 2 | How to Avoid Being Overworked Remotely 2 | Get to Know Alexa 3 | How Andrea Stays Optimistic
3 | Classic Cabbage Rolls 4 | Who Was St. Patrick?
‘IRISH I KNEW THAT SOONER!’ 6 FUN FACTS ABOUT ST. PATRICK’S DAY
That’s not his name. As mentioned earlier, St. Patrick is not his real name! When he became a bishop, Maewyn Succat changed his name to Patrick. He didn’t banish snakes. Legend has it that St. Patrick banished all of the snakes from Ireland. In fact, even some portraits depict him doing so. However, fossil records show that snakes were never present in Ireland around his lifetime. Corned beef and cabbage originated in America. On March 17, everyone loads up on corned beef and cabbage in celebration, but did you know that in Ireland, they ate ham and cabbage, and the corned beef tradition actually began in America? In the 19th century, Irish Americans bought leftover corned beef from ships returning from China. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade happened in America. Many believe that St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in Ireland, but in 1737, the first St. Patrick’s Day parades actually took place in Boston and New York City.
Year after year, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with green shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, and Lucky Charms, but did you know that St. Patrick was actually British? Even more surprising, St. Patrick isn’t even his real name!
Get ready to celebrate the luck of the Irish while impressing others with some fun St. Patrick’s Day trivia.
The man’s British roots run deep. St. Patrick isn’t Irish — he was born in Britain around the end of the fourth century. Legend has it that at 16 years old, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery by Irish raiders. After six years, he was able to escape back to Britain and returned to Ireland much later as a Christian missionary. Ireland named him the country’s patron saint after he passed away. March 17 isn’t St. Patrick’s birthday. Many believe that we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on his birthday, but it’s actually the day he died in 461 A.D.
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