One of the traits not focused on very much in the legal practice arena is compassion. Why is it so critical to be a compassionate lawyer? While it is so important to convey a professional image, we also should still be authentically human in our practice.

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we bring out the best in ourselves”

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment and accepting it without any judgment. It generally refers to the ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reacting to circumstances around you or being overwhelmed by what is going on.

Historically, the legal profession has struggled with authenticity. We had a reputation of being disingenuous, misleading, perhaps even fake. Perhaps it came from the very essence of what we do as lawyers, taking one side of an issue and creating arguments to support it.

Have you ever had a crisis at work, someone made a mistake, and the boss gets very angry, perhaps screaming, reacts rashly, and blames the person who was at fault? Never seeing his part in it?

Have you ever wanted to share something important with someone, and you knew they were not really listening? Or, they interrupted you to tell you what they wanted to tell you? And didn’t that make you feel disrespected and disconnected from that person?

Why is it we always feel a compulsion to be so busy? Why is it when we get our desk somewhat cleaned up, and do not have such an overwhelming pile of things to do, that we begin to feel anxious? Why is being too busy the new normal?

“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” -Zig Ziglar

Regret is a powerful emotion that, if not resolved, can destroy our happiness and limit our success.

See, that is the problem with expectations. They can remove the joy out of our life and create disappointment and frustration.