I have always thought was important to find a cause or activity that you are passionate about and incorporate it into your life somehow- plugging it into the energy of it just really makes life worth living. Whether it is in, around or outside the law make it a priority to engage in something that is either meaningful to yourself and/or others. Earlier on in my career I had the opportunity to do some public interest work on behalf of veterans affected by Agent Orange exposure. Even wading through stacks of deteriorating dusty files was a joy when my colleagues and I were able to help even one veteran navigate the bureaucratic backlog to access some much-needed benefits he/she was entitled to. For many years I have enjoyed creating mixed-media collages as a creative outlet- first for family members, then for private collectors and then last year launching my own line of wearable art and housewares based on those designs. No one is going to knock on your proverbial lawyer life door and say, “Here is your permission to be interested and engaged!” There are so many places where there is a need for either your legal expertise or your non-law-related gifts and talents. Make it a priority to decide on what quality of life you wish to experience. I insist on it and you can too.
So, some twenty-plus years of navigating the law career road less travelled has had its ups and downs but it has been a road informed and infused by what resonates with my soul. I am actively seeking to write more extensively about this topic, and I would love to hear your thoughts on the thinking that has informed your lawyer life. Are you currently in a season of change or re-evaluation in your own legal career? What would been helpful for you to have heard earlier on in creating one that fulfills and nourishes you? What words of wisdom do you have to share with a newly minted law grad or younger self? Kindly comment here in response to this post or feel free to reach out to me privately at Idara@LoveYourLawyerLife.com
Idara (“Ee-dair-uh”) E. Bassey, Esq. helps young to mid-career lawyers become inner resourced so they can become peaceful, fulfilled individuals who love their lawyer lives. This article is an abbreviated adaptation of her new online course, “Creating a Lawyer Life You Love (TM)” For more information visit her at www.loveyourlawyerlife.com.
