Gaining Perspective With Mental Subtraction
I meet with wealthy people; that’s the nature of estate planning. It’s striking how people adapt to having material wealth yet still need more to feel financially secure. A client with a $4 million net worth wants to have $10 million. Once attained, the number moves to $20 million. I’m guilty of this as well, but if you ever feel like you haven’t reached that horizon you’re always going after, realize this: The horizon always moves
Lessons From ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
In a recent blog post, attorney Craig Hersch reflected on the lessons of a favorite Christmas movie. Read his full thoughts on the Sheppard Law Firm blog at FloridaEstatePlanning.com/mentalsubtraction . In Frank Capra’s 1946 film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” an angel named Clarence appears to George Bailey, who is about to jump off a bridge to end his life. Clarence takes George through a spiritual tour of the world as it would have been if George was never born. Rather than convincing George not to jump by counting his blessings, Clarence shows George the ripples and repercussions that would have occurred if he’d never come into the world. By imagining the disappearance of everything good in his life, and the negative impact of his absence, George realizes just how rare and precious his life is. Borrowing this idea, psychologists have conducted tests to see if thinking of the absence of the good things in your life could make you appreciate them more — a concept called mental subtraction. Research shows that imagining the absence of a positive event or person in your life has a more powerful effect on you than simply thinking about them. For example, those who imagined never meeting their spouse or significant other reported higher levels of relationship satisfaction after doing the mental subtraction exercise.
away from you. You will never touch it. The true measure of how well you’re doing isn’t by looking forward to some ideal — it’s by looking backward. Where did you begin? How far have you come? My friend, fraternity brother, and college roommate, Leland Reiner, loved to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” every year when it came on television during the Christmas season. Tragically, he passed away from a brain aneurysm at age 23, just after graduation. I only wish
that I imagined him missing from my life in a mental subtraction exercise and appreciated him more while he was here.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Snowballs
This year-round treat is the perfect dessert for any holiday party. Since you don’t need to worry about a hot oven, it’s a great recipe to make with the whole family — including the little ones!
TAKE A BREAK!
INGREDIENTS
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1 cup powdered sugar
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3 tbsp softened butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 lb white chocolate candy coating
DIRECTIONS 1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. 2. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, and softened butter. Mix until evenly combined. 3. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm. 4. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate candy coating in increments of 30 seconds, stirring occasionally until smooth. 5. In the same bowl, use skewers to dip peanut butter balls into the chocolate before placing them on a lined cookie sheet so they can harden. 6. Chill until ready and then serve!
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