It won’t take long for you to scan those around you and feel you are in what seems like last place. Some lawyers you know are partners already, some are in-house at awesome tech companies, some have phat houses, some have so much in their retirement fund, some have established their own firm already, some have more and more and more . . .
We think of our age and marvel at how old we are. We sigh and get down and we ask “Is this it?”
The answer is “Yes”.
But let’s change the tenor and shift that question into a bold declarative statement: “This is it!” You are looking at it, your life, no one else’s. And while we may wish we made changes or did things differently 5, 10, 15 years ago, it won’t help to think that way. Let’s act now.
But that’s easier said than done. There is not much more stressful than that lingering feeling that we are not living up to our full potential. That we are making some money doing something we just don’t like or don’t feel good at. And we often need to act when we most want to resist it. While we aspire to get ahead, we can’t muster the courage or energy or drive or discipline to move forward. We are stuck.
Doing a courageous thing like leaving the law is scary and overwhelming. It takes lots of work to move forward. With a well thought out plan and by taking one step at a time, leaving the law is more than possible. In fact, it is just waiting to happen. Your call when.
Love that: “This is it!”. It’s scary but it’s more of an opportunity to embrace than a hurdle to climb. Just what I needed to hear today. Thx.
Thank Ryan, that makes my day! Sometimes a little change in tenor and punctuation can make all the difference.
Sometimes as a lawyer the days feel like a struggle. I practice criminal law and sometimes it really challenges one’s limits. Nevertheless, I think this is true in any industry. Life is hard. That was one of Buddha’s great truths. And Buddha said that once we realized this and truly accepted it — life ceased to be so difficult. Embrace the reality of life’s difficultly. Know that you are not alone. Strive to stay in the moment each moment. And keep your head up! You’re’ doing great!
Thanks John. Ironically, life can become clearer and even more manageable when we come to terms with the fact that it is difficult.
Thanks again for the comment.
Casey