The Wake Up Call for Lawyers

Tumultuous doesn’t even begin to describe it. Every time it feels like there’s just too much to take in, there’s something else to take in. Point in any direction in any given moment and there’s more than enough pain and sorrow for a lifetime.  Has it always been this way and I just haven’t been paying attention? Or are these times more difficult than other times? I suspect it’s the former.  How i...

Sometimes my thoughts are clear and I’m firing on all cylinders, in the zone. And sometimes my thoughts are completely un-useful. I don’t really have to *think* about what to do about the clear, incisive moments. Those are terrific. They might even be doing some good in the world.  But the thoughts that are infused with frustration or criticism or despair? For the life of me I can’t see what use t...

Isn’t there some universal truth that if we misstep, first, we hope no one notices. Next, we feel surprise (maybe), and shame or regret? But at the same time, we don’t necessarily see ourselves, or want to see ourselves anyway, as the one who’s caused harm?  Or is that just me? If not, then how do we face what we’ve said or done? And how do we do that without making things worse for ourselves, and...

I had a moment at the airport yesterday where nothing was wrong but I was scared to death. The great Tibetan teacher Pema Chodron talks a lot about the places that scare you (she even has a book by that title). The airport is someplace that scares me. Pema's invitation, and the invitation of all of mindfulness, is to see if we can stay, in a moment when something scares us. Not turn away, not...

We sit and we sit and we sit. Some days there’s ease. But some days for me anyway, there’s just sorrow or anger or fear. And I really don’t want to be with it. And yet I’ve noticed there’s a resilience that emerges when I practice turning towards difficult moments and memories, and even towards the things I’m sure will be hard in the future (tipping a hat to Mark Twain*).  But that begs the next q...

What is mindfulness? Is it being present to each moment? Or is there more to it than that? What if we’re present but frequently lodging objections? What if we’re present but secretly wish things were different – in our firm, organization, relationships? What if we’re  present but we’re not at peace with what we see inside? Can mindfulness help with that?

It’s been an eventful summer. Fires, hurricanes, indictments, work...and hopefully you've also had a few cool dips in the lake or the ocean, or been able to take a few deep breaths in the forest.  Everything makes an impression, doesn’t it? The questions for me are, which impressions to keep close to my heart? What to let go of? And what to let go into ?  I want to hold onto the memories of t...

Do you really want all the things you think you want? I don’t, but I think I do. So I mostly operate under that delusion, trying to accumulate more things, more self-awareness, more peace. Even though I know they won’t make me happy. Or happ ier . In the end, happiness is just here, in this moment. The rest is a memory, or a dream. Is it possible to truly understand this, and let go? To catch the...

The Consequences of What We Feel Do you ever feel like life is happening fast? I do. Mindfulness invites us to slow down in a particular way, taking in our experience in small chunks, in terms of what we’re seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, and thinking. I don’t remember to do that all the time. But when I do remember, life is more interesting. It also feel slower and often, very peacef...

How many times each day do you notice that seeing is happening? Or that hearing or tasting or smelling are happening? The world is such a cacophonous, fast-moving place. To me, it feels impossible to be aware of each moment of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling, thinking, and emotion. It’s exhausting to even consider it. But what if we could be that aware, or even just a little bit more a...

Do you ever feel like there’s just too much going on, or too much has happened in the past, and it’s easier to just turn away? I feel that way so many days. The world is a hard place right now. But what happens if we turn towards instead of turning away? What happens when we face all that pain & suffering? Do we discover that there’s no remedy, and plunge into despair? Or can we discover stren...

What I Learned on My Summer Retreat Hi there! It’s good to be back. And, my summer retreat was amazing. One thing I learned is how much I still don’t know about mindfulness. That part was super humbling, and also inspiring. Another thing I learned is about the space between stimulus and response. A big part of my motivation to practice mindfulness is to create space between one moment and the next...

Sometimes for me it's easy to get caught up in how bumpy things are. How loss is so powerful, how things go wrong, how people aren't who I think they are (or should be). Mindfulness has been a great friend to me in these times. It's the friend that whispers in my ear to look inside for what else is present: gratitude, optimism, amazement. And it's the friend that reminds me to...

This week I'm saying goodbye to my dad. It's been an honor, and impossible, to write about him. He was such a gentle and loving soul. He was here for 87 years but what's that, but a blink in time? Or at least that's how it seems to me.  But maybe it depends on how we measure. I guess we can measure by accomplishments, or by our health, or by the rewards we believe are our due (...

Happy 400th Wake Up Call! Whether you’ve been here for four weeks or 400, thank you so much for being here, and for your support. In some ways it feels like we’re just getting started, but that’s how mindfulness is. We walk down the path, paying attention with courage, with grace. Not flinching or wishing the moment was different, but also, being realistic: seeing the pain and suffering and workin...

Is it possible to be a good lawyer and not scheme, persuade, or only hint at the truth? Is it possible to not belittle anyone, and still be a passionate advocate?  Are we in it just for the money, the gain, plowing our profits back into our firms, ourselves? Or are we in it at least in part, to serve, to make the world just a little bit better, with our good works, our good hearts, and our good pr...

There are moments when I know I’m  aligned with whatever wisdom I have; when I know that nothing I’m doing is supporting a more weaponized, harmful, poisonous world. And, there are moments when  I’m concerned I may not be aligned. Do you ever have that concern? The world is so complicated. How do we untangle the interests, loyalties, and values of our clients and the organizations we support, so t...

Isn't it always good to come back to basics once in a while? The most basic questions on my mind these days are, is there love in my heart, and how can I bring it into the room? You could say it's not always appropriate, in our (very) adversarial profession, to have love in your heart, or to bring love into the room. But I’m beginning to see fewer and fewer places where that’s true.  How...

As lawyers, how can we commit to the wisdom of not taking anything not freely offered to us? Or not taking more than we need? How can we commit to not being biased against one another? To not continuing to perpetuate power imbalances, especially if we benefit from them? Theoretically it seems possible. But in practice? Maybe if we make the commitment and then practice mindfully, we can do it. I’d...

Are there clients and projects that are so compelling that you’re willing to turn away from that quiet voice that says, “maybe not. This might not be right.” No judgment! It's just good to explore. It's interesting to see what tempts us, not into the deep weeds but just ever so slightly astray. And then it's also good, once we've seen, to forgive ourselves, and turn back, onto...

How much do you pay attention to your spidey-sense? When you’re about to say something, or send that email, or post that shot: that quiet (or loud) voice that says, saying, ruh row, don’t do it. That feeling of shame, or dread? I’m listening...sometimes. But sometimes, I definitely override. And then things don’t necessarily  and so well. I wish I could remember to pay attention to that voice alwa...

All the years of practicing law at a pace that makes light years seem slow? What if equanimity was always available, there for the dropping into, even in the most staggering moments? I think it is, if only we can remember it. Can you remember a moment of equanimity? Any will do. Try right now. When I remember a past moment of equanimity - true peace with a long, wise view, in the midst of a lot -...

Equanimity isn’t so mysterious….All we have to do, to be more equanimous, is give up our preferences, biases, and prejudices; our resignation and cynicism. Simple! And as usual, not easy. But at least we know what we’re working with: this challenging human mind. And the challenging lawyer’s mind. As always. And as always, its brilliance, its malleability, and its compassion.

Concentration: it's such a gift. To be able to sit down at my screen in an undistracted way, to get something done without finding my mind sliding off into email or Amazon or some seemingly "urgent" spreadsheet. Mindfulness is a training and for me, concentration is one of its big benefits. But it does raise the question of what: what's the best thing to concentrate on? Sometim...

Tranquility isn’t the first thing I think of when I think of practicing law. The intensity of practice, the issue-spotting mind, perfectionism, living surrounded by conflict? The “Four Perils” of the law don’t seem like they make a lot of space for tranquility. But think of that moment in the courtroom or conference room or classroom when you feel mindful, when things are in flow; when you're...