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DIVING DOWN WITH GLG
GIBSONLAWGROUP.COM
(817) 769-4044
AUGUST 2022
A few months ago, my wife and I were on a cruise with my mom and stepdad when they dropped a bomb on us. Over dinner on night one, they announced they had big news. Our immediate first thought was, “You’re selling the house.” Sure enough, we were right. Not only were they selling, but they also announced they were done cruising (after 38 cruises) and were moving into assisted living! We were both saddened and pleasantly surprised. The moment felt surreal for a couple of reasons. First, it’s hard to imagine life without the family house in New Braunfels as home base. It has been the center of the family universe for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Wurstfest for 35 years. Two generations of kids have slept on air mattresses on the living room floor, including two newly minted sons-in-law and countless friends from college. Second, I was pleasantly surprised that my folks took the initiative to move to assisted living upon themselves. They are wonderfully independent, smart, proud people. My mom is a former Mayor of New Braunfels, who loves to cook for family gatherings, and my stepdad is a retired bird colonel from the Army who loves to putter in the yard, often from dawn until dusk. I feared that, like my grandfather before them (also retired Army), we would have to use dynamite when the time came. I truly appreciate that they took this step on their own, no matter how sad it is to say goodbye to 6 Mission. They both have health issues, so it takes a lot of worry off the six kids’ plates knowing they’re in a nice apartment with a team cooking their meals and keeping an eye on them. My parents did a great thing by planning ahead and considering us kids in the process. That’s something a lot of people fail to do — including sophisticated business owners! You wouldn’t believe how many entrepreneurs we represent who haven’t done the basics of succession planning, like coming up with a succession plan for their business or drawing up even a simple will. I recently had this discussion with one of our most successful and sophisticated clients. When I brought up succession planning, he said, “I’ll get around to it.” My response was, “You have $10 million in assets, a wife and kids — you should have had a will 10 years ago!” Even if you’re young and healthy, you can never predict when your time will be up or a breakup, divorce, or illness will torpedo your A Big Life Change Is Coming Are You Ready for It?
business. I certainly didn’t expect to learn at 57 (with perfect blood pressure, good cholesterol, and no symptoms) that I had a genetic heart defect since birth that would require life-threatening open-heart surgery. My college roommate’s Harvard-educated MBA brother didn’t expect to die of a brain aneurysm at 35. My high school buddy who played middle linebacker for the Rams for a decade didn’t expect to be struck by lightning — literally — and killed while hunting on his 50th birthday. A million Americans didn’t expect to die of COVID-19 over the last two years. That’s why it’s so important to plan now — not only for your peace of mind, but also for the people you’ll leave behind. Tomorrow very well could be too late. Here in Texas, if you die without a will, a probate court will administer your estate, which is a very long, very expensive process that can take a year or more. I’m working with one client right now who just wrapped up a probate case that started four years ago! One reason it takes so long is that your case ends up in line with every other person who put off preparing a will. In a state with almost 30 million people, that can be a very long line, especially when there are only three probate courts in Dallas County, two in Tarrant and one in Collin. If you have a will, things are much easier for your family. Your will is filed in the probate court, “letters testamentary” are issued in a week to 10 days, and your family can go about settling your affairs. I know succession planning is intimidating and never enjoyable. You may have to have difficult conversations with your spouse and business partners to get on the same page. But ultimately, you’ll save the people you leave behind from a whole lot of stress. If you don’t have a will yet, give us call and we’ll get you started. Ditto on a succession plan for your business.
–David Gibson
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GIBSONLAWGROUP.COM
Published by Newsletter Pro www.NewsletterPro.com
Breaking the Busy-Bored Cycle 3 Strategies You Can Use Right Now
It’s a common problem: People spend most of their days feeling too busy, only to feel bored during their free time. So how can you break the habit of scrolling through your phone and watching TV and make the most of the little time you have for yourself? Let’s talk about ways to break the cycle of boredom and busyness thus creating a more fulfilling life.
so you won’t be up late in the day trying to finish something important. If you plan ahead, you can number your tasks from most important to least. This will help ensure high-priority tasks are completed on schedule. 3. Be curious. One way to mute boredom and implement more creativity is by setting daily learning goals. These goals can be anything you want! Setting small goals and accomplishments will keep you curious, motivated, and focused. They also give you something to look forward to each day. Ask yourself what you want to learn today. Do you want to learn about a new culture?
1. Plan ahead. Schedule your days and weeks for an even workload to ensure
your day doesn’t have huge gaps or work overflow. For example, if you have a large project, you can divide it into smaller tasks to keep yourself busy, yet not overwhelmed, throughout the week. You can also plan fun activities each day. This will help
A language? If there is something you’ve always wanted to know, now is the time to put your thinking cap on! Boredom and busyness derive from the same source — there is a lack of quality in how you focus your attention. Luckily, the same strategies apply to both boredom and busyness. These tips will help you create a balanced mindset and allow you to push through your day without feeling overwhelmed or uninspired.
fight boredom and give you something to look forward to when you’re at work or while completing daily tasks.
2. Prioritize tasks.
If you have trouble managing projects to the point where you feel you don’t have enough time, begin prioritizing specific tasks. It’s essential to complete the highest priority tasks
Understanding the Streisand Effect Don’t Throw a Fit
Examples of the Streisand Effect During the 2013 Super Bowl, Beyonce executed an energetic show and BuzzFeed posted photos of the “Fiercest Moments” from her performance. Beyonce’s publicist asked BuzzFeed to remove some of the unflattering photos, and instead, they created a new post titled, “The Unflattering Photos Beyonce’s Publicist Doesn’t Want You To See.” Ralph Lauren has fallen victim to the Streisand Effect. An image of a horribly photoshopped model was posted on two blogs: Photoshop Disasters and Boing Boing. Ralph Lauren caught wind of this and took action by sending cease-and-desist letters to the blogs, claiming that it was a violation of copyright law and should be removed. But the image fell under fair use, which allows usage for news and commentaries. Ralph Lauren apologized for the distorted ad but still received backlash. The best way to counter the Streisand Effect is to avoid aggressive tactics when faced with negative information and think carefully and calculatingly in your response. So, if we learned anything from Barbra Streisand, don’t throw a fit if something doesn’t turn out the way you want it to.
If you want to avoid getting unwanted attention in a situation, it’s best to not make a big deal out of it. But if you’re an international superstar, like Barbra Streisand, a seemingly small reaction can become much more than intended. The Streisand Effect The Streisand Effect is a phenomenon that occurs where an act of suppressing information can make the information more widespread. In 2003, photographer Kenneth Adelman of California Coastal Records Project took an aerial photograph of Barbra Streisand’s Malibu estate. Adelman was documenting California’s coast for a project that would provide over 12,000 photos for researchers and scientists to study coastal erosion. But at the time, Streisand believed the photos explicitly showed people how to gain access to her private residence, so she sued Adelman for $50 million. The photo of Streisand’s residence was originally seen a total of six times — twice by her lawyers. Her outburst brought in news outlets who reported her outrage, and in turn, the photo of her residence got blasted everywhere. Not only did she do the exact opposite of what she wanted, but she also lost the lawsuit and had to cover all of Adelman’s legal fees.
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TAKE A BREAK
GET OUTSIDE WITH GEOCACHING Tracking Down Treasures
International Geocaching Day takes place on the third Saturday of the month of August. It’s a chance to experience an adventure-filled day that will get you out of the house and into nature. People of all ages gather to commemorate the placement and discovery of geocaches across the world, and there’s no telling what kind of surprise you might discover if you participate!
What is geocaching?
Geocaching is basically a high-tech version of a treasure or scavenger hunt. It is inspired by the older treasure hunt called letterbox, where you plant clues in various locations that lead to the letterbox. For geocaching nowadays, you use a GPS to track down caches. These are typically waterproof containers — and inside there is a logbook for you to sign. These caches can be filled with trinkets such as coins, pins, or even miniature figurines, but if you take anything, be sure that you replace it with something else. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, just a token of sorts for someone else to discover.
TASTY BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN
Ingredients
• 4 boneless and skinless
• 3 tomatoes, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped • Salt and pepper, to taste • 4 slices mozzarella cheese • Parmesan cheese, grated
chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
It’s time to get started.
• 4 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
To begin your geocaching journey, first visit Geocaching.com and sign up for a new account. From this, you will be able to create a unique geocacher name that people in the geocache community can call you by! This will also come in handy when you sign the logbook. You can also download the Geocaching app to your smartphone and use it as a GPS receiver. Once you open the map on your phone, it will show a map of your location with bubble icons to see all the geocaches near you. There will be an arrow icon that you can click on that will find the specific geocache you are searching for. It will then open a compass that shows you which direction to go in and how many feet you are away from the final location. This treasure hunt brings an entire community together from all around the world. It encourages people to challenge themselves and get outside. The act of hiding and finding a geocache is thrilling, and you never know what you might find next.
Directions
1. Add chicken to a large resealable bag. 2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Pour over chicken and seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Turn a grill to medium-high heat and add the chicken. Discard the marinade. Grill chicken 5–7 minutes per side or until fully cooked. 4. Combine the remaining lemon juice, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 5. Before taking the chicken off the grill, top each breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook 2–3 minutes, then serve topped with the tomato mixture and grated Parmesan cheese.
Inspired by Delish.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1 2
The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Kids
Boredom and Busyness Comes From The Same Source How Censorship Can Backfire
Tasty Bruschetta Chicken Enjoy the Adventure and Hunt
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The 50-Yard Challenge
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One Lawn at a Time Helping Bring People Together
Today, there is a divide between younger and older generations, but one man is trying to bridge that gap by encouraging boys and girls to give back to their community. In 2016, Rodney A. Smith Jr. saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn and decided to finish the job for him. It inspired him to start a movement for children aged 7–17 to give back to their communities by taking on the 50-yard challenge. Kids contribute by mowing lawns for single parents, veterans, seniors, and people who have disabilities. Once they reach their goal, kids will receive T-shirts, a brand-new
At first, the 50-yard challenge took place locally in Alabama. But in the last few years, kids across the U.S. have begun participating. “Right now, we have over 2,400 kids nationwide taking part in our challenge. We also have kids in eight other countries taking part as well,” Smith Jr. says. This challenge teaches children the value of giving back to their communities, but it also encourages them to learn skills in lawn service — which not a lot of young adults know how to do. It also helps them interact with others who they wouldn’t typically talk with. “[Unity and interaction] is important in this day and age. A lot of elderly people are stuck at home, and they don’t get to have a lot of human interaction. So when kids come by, they can talk, get to know each other, and build relationships. They can learn things from each other,” Smith Jr. says. Are you and your kids up for the 50-yard challenge? Send a picture of your child holding a sign that says, “I Accept The 50 Yard Challenge” to WeAreRaisingMen.com/The-50-Yard-Challenge to join. If you’re looking for someone to tend to your yard, you can use the form on WeAreRaisingMen.com/Find-A-Mower to search for kids who are mowing lawns in your area.
mower, a weed eater, and a leaf blower. Smith Jr. will also come out to your community and help you with your lawn care services.
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