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Kevin’s Peace of Mind
www.kevintharpe.com (770) 503-1022
January 2024
Lessons Beyond the Classroom
REMEMBERING THE MENTORS WHO LEFT A LASTING IMPACT
Everyone needs a mentor in their life. Life has many more sharp turns we all need help navigating. January is National Mentoring Month, and I want to tell you about three people who made an immeasurable impact on my life. My dad will always be the most significant positive influence in my life. He passed away last year, and he left a legacy I will continue to look up to for the rest of my days. He was a mentor for me in nearly every aspect of life. He was always my biggest supporter, and I know he is still cheering me on as a part of the “Great cloud of witnesses” Paul referred to in Hebrews 12:1. Dad showed me how to live a life of integrity and compassion. He always told me to remember that “a good name is worth more than silver and gold!” Dad was also the most generous person I’ve ever known, and I will always work to uphold all these honorable traits as best I can. Tom Jarrard became another mentor shortly after I first arrived in Gainesville. Tom was one of the lawyers in a small law firm and was kind enough to give a Yankee lawyer from Atlanta like me a shot. I didn’t know anyone in town, and Tom gave me an opportunity when he certainly didn’t have to. I have to say, he taught me plenty about practicing law they don’t exactly harp on in law school.
Tom would always say that you can be the most brilliant lawyer in town, but in the end, your clients need to know you care about them. He may not have been the one to originate the phrase, but Tom taught me that “people don’t care how much you know ‘til they know how much you care.” He was an attorney with a knack for making everyone feel like they were his best friends. His famous greetings and goodbyes were, “How’s your family doing?” when you first walked through the door and “How about a Coke Cola for the road?” when your meeting was over and you were walking out the door. Both phrases perfectly encapsulated his connection with clients. Now, I say the exact same phrases myself! Everyone in Gainesville knew Tom, and as I traveled nationwide for conferences and meetings, I discovered that he had a following beyond North Georgia, as whenever I mentioned I am from Gainesville, people would respond, “Do you know Tom Jarrard? “ Tom passed away several years ago, but his influence and impact still stick with me today. One of my law school professors, Donald Corley, also mentored me during my law school years. Professor Corley took me under his wing in a time filled with stress and seemingly endless obstacles. He challenged me throughout my law school education, but he also reminded me, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, either!“ There was more to life and success than being at the top of my class or having a perfect GPA. Ultimately, you should never sacrifice integrity for small things like these. I often share the wisdom of these mentors with my 19-year-old daughter. I remind her that she carries the Tharpe name and should always act with integrity and compassion to uphold it. Dad, Tom, and Professor Corley were all models of integrity and compassion. I cherish every single lesson they taught me.
—Kevin
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The Weird Actions of Brilliant Thinkers
Some of history’s greatest thinkers were more than a little eccentric. Let’s look at strange facts about five inventors, scientists, and philosophers who helped shape our world. Inventor Nikola Tesla walked around a building three times before entering it. He apparently became obsessed with the numbers 3, 6, and 9 and would only stay in hotel rooms that had a number divisible by 3.
Famed physicist Albert Einstein created a contract for his first wife that outlined her household duties. The contract established that she must provide fresh meals, clean laundry, and “silence on request.” Unsurprisingly, they divorced after 11 years. Scientist Marie Curie carried test tubes full of radioactive isotopes in her pockets almost everywhere she went. She also kept them in desk drawers and open areas around her lab. This practice is believed to have contributed to her death from aplastic anemia in 1934. The ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras was afraid of fava beans, which wasn’t an uncommon fear during his time. Myth said that fava beans contained the souls of the dead since they had a flesh-like appearance. Finally, Sir Isaac Newton once inserted a sewing needle into his eye for an experiment to learn about how the eye perceived color and light. Surely, there was a less gruesome way to test his hypothesis!
Nestled in northern Mexico near Durango lies a mysterious tract of land that has baffled some scientists and hobbyists for years: the Zone of Silence. According to urban myth, this enigmatic area is where radio signals and telecommunications mysteriously vanish into thin air. It all started in 1970 when a U.S. White Sands Missile Base missile veered off its predetermined path and crashed into this strange dead zone — 400 miles from its designated target. U.S. Air Force authorities employed local residents to recover the missile, all while keeping the specifics and location of the missile under wraps. When the rocket was eventually discovered in a sand mound, a complex retrieval system was established, which included extending a railroad track to the dune. Though the THE ZONE OF SILENCE : Where Science and Conspiracy Converge
objective was to maintain secrecy, this incident might have sparked even more questions about the area’s secrets. Since that time, theories and conspiracies about the area have grown. They range from odd UFO sightings and alien encounters to unexplained fossils and natural phenomena. Scientists in the area say there is no truth to these rumors, and those with expert knowledge of the area’s local flora and fauna can explain each discrepancy. Despite these rebuttals, though, conspiracy theorists continue to flock to the zone in search of “answers.”
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TAKE A BREAK
White noise is commonly used to help people fall asleep, but now, more people are using it to increase their concentration during the workday. By providing a consistent background sound, white noise can mask environmental distractions like chattering, traffic, or intermittent noises that may otherwise disturb concentration. Here are a few benefits of utilizing white noise in your day. Calming Effect White noise, especially calm nature sounds, exerts a soothing effect on the mind, providing a stable auditory environment that reduces sudden distractions. The calming influence can help you feel more positive and enable the mind to transition to a more conducive state for a deeper focus on work or study. Boosts Concentration White noise boosts concentration by increasing background neural “noise” in the brain, which helps essential neural signals to stand out and be detected, which can enhance cognitive performance. This can be particularly useful when you need to train your attention while tackling complex problems. Calm Your Mind, Boost Your Productivity: The Benefits of White Noise
Boots Candles Carnation Furnace Garnet Hockey Insulate Janus Opposite Resolution
Skating Sweater
Cheesy Chicken Chowder
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
Ingredients
Enhances Creativity Some studies suggest that moderate white noise can improve creativity and
• 3 cups chicken broth • 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes • 1 cup diced carrots • 1 cup diced celery • 1/2 cup diced onion • 1 1/2 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese • 2 cups cooked and diced chicken
imaginative thinking. It keeps the
idea gateway open during the generative process and
Directions 1. In a 4-quart saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 2. In another medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Slowly stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat, then add cheese, stirring until melted. Add the cheesy mixture and chicken to the broth and heat it thoroughly!
enables you to think freely and develop novel solutions.
Whether you’re studying, working, or engaging in creative
endeavors, the benefits of white noise extend to a wide range of activities, making it a versatile tool for enhancing focus.
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(770) 503-1022 www.KevinTharpe.com 405 Broad St. Gainesville, GA 30501
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
3 Mentors Who Shaped My Life’s Path
1 2
Would You Put a Needle in Your Eye?
The Secrets of the Zone of Silence
Cheesy Chicken Chowder
3
White Noise: Your Secret to Enhanced Concentration
4 Transform Your Home With These 3 Smart Devices! The Future of Home Living: DISCOVER THE MUST-HAVE SMART DEVICES FOR YOUR SPACE
When we think of technological innovations, we may focus on things like smartphones and self-driving cars. But in today’s fast-paced and ever-advancing world, our homes are experiencing smart revolutions of their own.
can set daily reminders for specific tasks, appointments, or medications; place outbound calls for emergencies; and even provide basic first-aid instructions when asked. Robot Vacuums On average, Americans spend six hours a week vacuuming their homes. While this task may seem simple, it can be quite physically demanding. Robot vacuums clean even the toughest spots (like under the couch!) all on their own, then return to their charging station. Smart Pet Feeders We love our furry friends, but feeding them at the same time every day can be a challenge. Not only that but feeding our four-legged friends requires a bit of bending, too. Luckily, smart pet feeders do all the work for you! They distribute food and water automatically and on a consistent schedule.
Smart home devices are easy to operate and make our lives easier. So, if you’re looking to make a digital upgrade to your home, here are three devices we recommend you check out. Voice-Activated Assistants Voice assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home’s “Hey Google,” and Apple Homepod’s Siri, can be incredibly helpful around the house. With just a simple verbal command, they
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