I did a poll recently and found that so many attorneys encounter tremendous stress in our profession- too much work and not enough time to do it; financial pressures; demanding clients; partners who want us to always absorb more work, a calendar that is always full to the brim. I know I have found it very demanding and stressful in my four decades of being a trial attorney.

We joined the legal profession for many different reasons. Some of us liked the prestige or the financial benefits. Others are attracted to the intellectual challenge. But the most prevalent reason is our desire to be of service to others, to help clients solve their problems.

There is very little more important to our profession than our reputation for integrity and honor. Sadly, the legal profession is often viewed with some measure of disregard. Some of that comes from how some attorneys practice law. Some are overly aggressive and focus on winning at all costs.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed and don't know how to achieve a sense of peace among the chaos??

I did a poll recently and verified what I previously thought: perhaps the biggest and most powerful stress that lawyers and other professionals feel is that of time, a lack of time. So many feel trapped by having too much work to do, not enough time to do it, and an inability to separate work from family and other personal activities.

So many of us struggle with getting enough sleep, don't we? In this newsletter, I will explain the causes of our poor sleep habits, the terrible consequences of sleep deprivation, and some tangible tools to remedy this problem. We all can benefit from better sleep habits!

Do you ever feel fearful? Worry that something will not work out right? Concerned about what might happen in the future? Fear can be overwhelming, controlling and powerful. It can hold us back from accomplishing our dreams.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by stress? Do you have days you feel that simply nothing goes right? Do you see other people who appear so happy and wish you felt like that? I know I have. One critical tool in overcoming those feelings is having a practice of gratitude. Here I explain nine different gifts of living a grateful life, and four easy steps to achieving a better attitude of gratitude.

We all know it is very difficult and stressful being an attorney. We face time pressures, demands of clients, court calendars, financial issues and sadly often unprofessional behavior by opposing counsel. Our profession is extremely satisfying when the lawyers on both sides work together in a cooperative, courteous atmosphere of problem-solving. But that is not always the case.

We all want to be happy, content, fulfilled. But yet, sometimes that peace appears very difficult to achieve. We place ourselves in a negative mindset. We worry too much. Think too much. Resent or blame others. We let ourselves get distracted and stressed.