Happy Fourth of July, American readers!

If you’re like me (a moderate-to-severe workaholic), you don’t take nearly as many breaks as you should. So, when something as concrete as a national holiday rolls around, you take advantage of the expected downtime and give your body and brain a rest.

(Or, you force yourself to take a break because you know the rest of the country will look at you weird if you don’t.)

This July 4th, I promise, I am not working.

As it turns out, taking a much-needed break every now and then no only keeps people from thinking you’re pathetic, but it also gives your creativity a boost.

(Wonder if that’s why all those actors and musicians take vacation after vacation after vacation…)

Let’s start the month off with a bit of advice from the lovely, talented, and sex-tapeless (I’m assuming) Reese Witherspoon, shall we?

Last month, MTV presented Witherspoon with the MTV Generation Award, an award MTV hands out each year during its MTV Movie Awards to “recognize a remarkable career.”

Once her Water for Elephants co-star Robert Pattinson (swoon) presented the award, Reese decided to dole out some advice that might help others who aspire to the same kind of career success she’s had:

As quoted in UsMagazine.com, Reese reminded up-and-coming starlets:

• That even though she gets that it’s “cool to be a bad girl,” it’s also “possible to make it in Hollywood without doing a reality show.” (I think Reese and Edie Falco would have interesting conversations.)
• Sex tapes didn’t use to be career launching pads; rather, they were things you hid “under your bed.”
• Dirty cell phone pics might not be all that bad, as long as you “hide your face, people! Hide your face!”

Humorously snarky? Perhaps. Beneficial advice? Undeniably.