Review Brooks & Crowley
December 2019
781-277-7321
www.brooksandcrowley.com
439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026
*Services Throughout Massachusetts
HOLIDAYS IN THE HOLY LAND A B’Nai Mitzvah Like No Other
Of course, we’ll be using the trip as a chance to explore the area from whence many of our religious beliefs originated. My ideas of these places were formed largely by Sunday school and attending mass as a child. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see them in person. My wife visited many years ago, but this will by my first time. I haven’t heard word yet on whether they’ll have shops where I can buy some gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open. Ultimately, the holidays are about the chance to create special memories with our loved ones. I think it goes without saying that this trip will be a chance to do just that. I’m so grateful to Teddy for recognizing what a special opportunity this is and jumping at it. I’m sure I’ll have more to say after we get back, but for now I’m just going to be excited. –Steve Brooks
A little over a year ago, my sister-in-law, Laura, called my wife, Kim, with a wild idea. Laura’s daughter, Tess, was thinking about having her bat mitzvah in Israel. Laura wondered if we’d be interested in combining Tess’ bat mitzvah with our son Teddy’s bar mitzvah in what’s known as a b’nai mitzvah ceremony. Obviously, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and when we floated the idea to Teddy, he was all for it.
the service is three hours. At the next, it’s two. At one party, the cake is chocolate and the music is Drake. At the next, the cake is vanilla and the music is Beyoncé. You get the idea. And while Teddy enjoys each of them, he’s now even more excited that he gets to do something totally different. Our plan is to tour the old city of Jerusalem, visit the Masada fortress and take in the Dead Sea, then go along the coastline and spend time in Tel Aviv. The ceremony itself will be held Dec. 24 at a spot adjacent to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It’s pretty special that Teddy’s bar mitzvah will take place in such a historically significant place, where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have such strong ties.
To be honest, we didn’t consider some factors at the time that make it feel like an even better decision today. Obviously, we knew for both my wife’s religion, Judaism, and mine, Christianity, that hosting a b’nai mitzvah in Jerusalem would be about the most meaningful place to do it. We also knew that being able to share the ceremony with both Teddy and Tess would make it doubly special. What we didn’t know, though, is that on the horizon of our trip, Teddy would be experiencing serious bar mitzvah fatigue. It seems like every weekend, Teddy’s off to another bar mitzvah for a school friend or a fellow summer-camper. And while each is a momentous occasion in its own right, they can start to feel similar in a hurry. At one ceremony,
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Running in a Winter Wonderland Tips for Running and Jogging in Cold Weather
DRESS DOWN A LAYER. Yes, it is cold outside, but your body will naturally warm up as you run, just like it would with any other physical activity. Think of what you would normally wear to stay comfortable in the cold, and then wear one less layer when you’re running. Of course, you should keep other weather elements in mind as well, such as wind, rain, and snow, when you’re picking out your running clothes. Finally, if a day is particularly cold, snowy, or windy, don’t force yourself outside for the sake of your health. Sometimes, a good bowl of soup and a roaring fire can be just as physically satisfying as a run outside.
Maybe you love the majesty of a winter’s morning, or maybe you just hate the treadmill. Whatever your reason is for wanting to run or jog outside in the dead of winter, remember to take the proper precautions before stepping out. Runners face challenges during the winter that they don’t face any other time of year. If you want to experience the winter safely, there are a few things to keep in mind.
WEAR SHOES WITH TRACTION. If your favorite running path is covered with snow and ice, you should consider finding a different route. But, if you can’t resist going down your beaten path, then you need to make sure your shoes are up to the challenge. If your running shoes have worn soles, then you’ll need to get a new pair with soles that will grip the ground better before stepping out on the ice. Regardless of how amazing your shoes are, remain vigilant about where you’re stepping.
WARM UP INSIDE FIRST. If you’re planning on braving the snow and frigid temperatures, try to spend 10–15 minutes warming up before you walk out your front door. Cold weather naturally tightens muscles and joints, so stretching your limbs in a heated environment is a good way to ensure maximum comfort and minimum risk of injury when you’re running in the cold.
Our Network Is Your Network
Because the law is a massive field touching many facets of people’s lives, we have built up a large network of expert attorneys whom we have gotten to know personally. We are comfortable sending our clients to them, just as they are comfortable referring their folks to us. If we send you to another attorney, it’s because we feel they can put their expertise to work and resolve your issue in the best possible way. We do this for all types of cases, and we do it every single week. So, when you have a legal issue that you think might be outside our areas of practice, give us a call and let’s talk about it. Chances are, we’ll know a great lawyer to send you to.
We explained our thoughts to her and sent her to a colleague who has significant experience handling her type of legal claim. The result: In a few months, she was able to get an additional $1 million above what was originally offered to settle her claim. She would have been perfectly happy to accept the original offer the way it was explained to her. Needless to say, she was much happier afterward! As you already know, Steve is the real estate expert, and I am the personal injury person at our firm. We do that for a reason. The practice of law has become more complicated over the years. It’s tough to be an expert in everything, but the more we focus our practices, the more we do, in fact, become experts.
We often tell people that we know a thousand lawyers (really!) who handle all types of legal issues. Sometimes our clients call us just because a situation doesn’t feel right, while others call to confirm a decision they want to make. In any case, we are always willing to help people make good legal decisions for themselves. Recently, a client with whom Steve had a real estate closing called with a simple request. She wanted us to review and notarize some settlement papers she received regarding a claim she had. She had not had a lawyer representing her with the claim and was looking to quickly wrap it up. When we took a look at the documents, we knew right away that she could get a far better result.
–Neil Crowley
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Susan Fowler’s ‘Master Your Motivation’ A Science-Based Approach to Achieving More
game, but defining choice, connection, and competence is much less ambiguous. If you have team members who you feel lack motivation, ask yourself if their jobs have these three essential traits. Do they have agency (choice) in their work? Do they generate meaning (connection) from what they do? Do they get a sense of accomplishment (competence) from doing something well? If you can’t answer all three of these in the affirmative, you can create a plan for increasing motivation that doesn’t involve empty metrics or meaningless rewards. If you or your team could use a proverbial kick in the pants, the solution might be to ignore those proverbs entirely. “Master Your Motivation” takes a refreshing look at what makes us strive for more. It’s a great addition to any leadership library.
other words, just by thinking about motivation as intrinsic versus extrinsic, you’ve already set yourself up to fail. To really motivate yourself and others, she argues, you need to think about motivation in different terms. Thankfully for the reader, Fowler defines an alternative framework for motivation. In what amounts to the book’s thesis, she states, “To master your motivation, create choice, connection, and competence.” When you measure motivation across these three factors, which are the result of rigorous academic research rather than folksy conventional wisdom, you unlock the power of motivation. It’s not hard to see how Fowler’s framework is much more actionable than traditional motivational techniques. Creating intrinsic motivation, especially for others, is a mug’s
LAUGH OUT LOUD of motivation as being either intrinsic or extrinsic. “Simplifying motivations into two types presents a conundrum when you aren’t intrinsically motivated,” she writes. “Your only fallback position is extrinsic motivation.” In “You have the power to change your behaviors,” says Susan Fowler, “but to be successful in changing, you need an evidenced-based framework for motivation and techniques for applying it.” In her new book, “Master Your Motivation: Three Scientific Truths for Achieving Your Goals,” Fowler synthesizes her decades of research into a guide that provides such a framework. In the process, she overturns countless widely held myths about what motivates us. Fowler believes the traditional carrot-and- stick approach to motivation (a combination of reward and punishment to induce a desired behavior) results from our perception
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” is an iconic image of Christmas, but we’re willing to bet most people reading this have never eaten a chestnut. Change that this year with this awesome paleo-friendly appetizer. Bacon-Wrapped Chestnuts
Ingredients
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1/4 cup coconut sugar
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2 8-oz cans water chestnuts
1 lb sliced bacon, quartered
Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce), but can substitute with coconut aminos
1. Heat an oven to 400 F. 2. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment and set aside. 3. Drain liquid from canned water chestnuts, add tamari to cover, and let soak for 15 minutes in the cans. 4. Drain tamari, roll each chestnut in coconut sugar, wrap with bacon, and spear on toothpick. 5. Place chestnuts on prepared rack. Bake for 30–35 minutes. 6. Plate and serve. directions
Inspired by “Paleo Happy Hour” by Kelly Milton
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439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026 Inside This Issue
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A Very Special Holiday
Tips for Running and Jogging in Cold Weather Are You Missing Out on $1 Million?
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A Better Way to Think About Motivation
Bacon-Wrapped Chestnuts
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When Holiday Shopping Meant Jordan Marsh
Today, a lot of us do our holiday shopping without ever so much as putting on a winter jacket. From the comfort of our homes, we hop on Amazon, make a few clicks, and call it a day. We go out to a few local retailers for a gift here and there, but the days of marathon holiday shopping sessions that are events unto themselves feel all but lost. In the middle of the 20th century, though, large retailers fought to be the Christmas shopping destination for thousands of people. And in Boston, nobody did it bigger or better than Jordan Marsh. The Many Lives of the Enchanted Village A Boston Tradition That’s Battled Time and Odds
The first run of the Enchanted Village ended in 1972, roughly coinciding with the end of the golden age of American department stores. By that time, shoppers had turned their sights to suburban malls. Jordan Marsh revived the tradition in the ‘90s, but it was absolved by Macy’s before the decade ended. The Enchanted Village, however, managed to live on. For a time, it was held at the Hynes Convention Center. Once the city could no longer afford to sponsor the event’s annual rollout, it looked doomed for certain. However, one of the region’s last attraction-loving retailers, Jordan’s Furniture (no relation), purchased all of the assets and now hosts the showcase at their Avon location during the holidays.
Jordan Marsh was founded as a dry goods wholesaler in 1841 but quickly became a pioneer of what would come to be called “department shopping.” As one of the first modern department stores, the company was both a one-stop shop and something of an attraction. During the 1940s, as the company expanded and built a new flagship store in Downtown Crossing, they introduced the Enchanted Village. To say it was extravagant would be an understatement. The display took up an entire floor of the shop. It was so beloved that to this day, Bostonians will tell you about Jordan Marsh, their blueberry muffins, and the Enchanted Village.
The Enchanted Village may not a headline in a world full of Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays, but it’s a local holiday tradition that refuses to go quietly, which we guess is only fitting given its status as an old-school Massachusetts tradition.
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