The Wake Up Call for Lawyers

The great news about mindfulness is that we’re all working on different things. It’s like the law, or any occupation. It keeps things interesting.

With mindfulness, what this means for me is that at times I’m working on stabilizing my attention. At other times, I’m working on patience or compassion or generosity. There’s always something. 

The important thing is...

Sometimes I think, geez, I’ve done enough work. I don’t need to make any more changes. Been there, done that.

And then I bump up against heartache or soreness in my body or anger or a pain in the tutu, as we say in our house. And my reflexive “no!” is right there, and I’m paddling away from the present moment as fast as I can. 

But then at some point, if I’m lucky...

There are times when I say something harsh or in anger. This feels hard to face and even harder to write, but it’s true – and maybe for you, too. For me there’s relief in facing and naming it.

The consequences are also hard to face: the harm I’ve caused, and its boomerang effect. I don’t mean in some cosmic way, but right in that moment: the impatience that results in i...

There’s such a temptation to treat mindfulness practice as something that’s getting me somewhere. But whenever I do that, I fall short. 

Sure, after all these years, I’m a little less reactive and a little happier. My set point has moved, a bit. 

But the distance I’ve come in 30+ years is hilariously short compared to the distance to go. Which is why it’s more pea...

I feel like most of us are trying to be good people: kind, caring, well-disposed towards others. So why doesn’t it turn out that way? Why don’t we have the power to simply be like that all the time?

The problem may be with our mischievous minds. I don’t know about yours, but my mind is easily seduced by gossip, criticism, complaint, and a whole bunch of other nonsense. ...