Practicing Law Sucks

How may balls can YOU juggle ?

Most of us have gone to the Circus and observed a clown performing a juggling act.

Some jugglers can joggle 4 balls. Others juggle 6 balls. Still others can juggle 8 or more balls.

We, as lawyers, also do a form of "juggling."  However, instead of juggling balls (although there may be a few skilled jugglers in our ranks who do, in fact, juggle balls], we juggle other things such as - - a case load, time scheduling, meetings, community endeavors, family commitments, personal responsibilities, etc, etc.

One rarely sees (real) professional jugglers drop any of the items they are juggling.  Have you ever asked yourself the question why that is?

The answer is quite simple.  A professional juggler rarely drops an item (at least, when they are in front of an audience) because THEY KNOW THEIR LIMITS.  If they know (from past experience) that they can only juggle 4 balls, they will ONLY JUGGLE 4 BALLS (not 5 balls).  If they know that they can only juggle 7 balls, they will only juggle 7 balls (not 8 balls). And so forth.

But, what about us lawyers?  Do we know OUR limits?  What if we take "one too many" cases?  What if we assume too many responsibilities that we cannot possibly undertake?  What if we make too many promises that we can never fulfill?  Then what?

One would think that we lawyers (with all of our education and training) would be smart enough to know our own "personal limits."  But, perhaps, being the type of individuals that we are (having the inclination to be the "perfectionists" that many of us are, and having the drive that many of us have to "do good" - "serve humanity" - "save the world") we may be driven to fail.  We may be like that rare juggler who attempts to juggle one too many balls?

Please help the other lawyers reading this blog by sharing your own personal experiences by posting a comment to respond to the following questions:

• Do YOU know when you have reached your limits?
• If so, how do YOU know when you have reached your limits?
• and, what happens to YOU if, and when, you exceed those limits?

Are Lawyers more prone to catching colds and flu ?

An article written by Sharon Johnson (an associate professor in health and human services at Oregon State University) suggests that persons under stress  - - and most lawyers certainly fall within that category, are more susceptible to becoming ill.  She states that studies have found that people under stress are significantly more vulnerable to colds and flu, and that their symptoms are more severe when they do become sick.

Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a nationally known expert on stress and immunity, also asserts that if you encounter stress, you have a greater chance of getting a cold or flu.

This post being made in the Month of February, you might look around your firm or office to see how many persons are out sick to confirm this belief.

But to carry this concept further, and to touch on a more interesting corollary concept (according to both Sharon Johnson and Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser), your chances for getting sick significantly increase if you have a "negative response style."  In other words, you have a "negative attitude" rather than a "positive attitude" towards things.  Apparently, findings of numerous studies indicate that a person's MOOD plays a substantial role and "ultimately affects susceptibility to illness."

Ms. Johnson believes that "sometimes you can divert and distract those incoming germs with something as simple as an 'I will not succumb' attitude."

She further states that the underlying premise is as follows: "Self-consuming, negative 'I feel unwell' thoughts can weaken your immune system.  People whose brain function (the electrical activity in their brains) demonstrated they tend to dwell on sadness, fear or anger were more at risk of getting sick.  People who were inclined to be more positive stayed well. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that sometimes we may actually be able to 'think around' bacteria or viruses."

It appears that in a Carnegie Mellon study, people with optimism, high self-esteem and a feeling of mastery over their own lives were able to stay cold-free even when they were given the ultimate exposure in the form of nasal drops."

But, on the other hand, there are those "conspiracy theory believers" who say that lawyers get more colds and flu, not because they are constantly under stress, but because it is wished upon them by the medical profession.

Every day should be "Valentine's Day"!

We posted this on February 14, 2008 - - Valentine's Day, and we are wondering how many lawyers (who have spouses, significant others, boy friends or girl friends, or just people who they care about) are taking a few minutes out of their busy day to say "I love you," or " I care about you," or "You mean a great deal to me," or to send them a Valentine to let the recipient know that someone is thinking about them?

Everyone, particularly lawyers, needs a "support system."  When times get tough, as they frequently do in our legal world, we need some person (or persons) who we can lean on - - go to for "support."

But, like everything else, there is a "price" to pay for everything we do or need.  So, if we want some person (or persons) to be on our "support team," what better way - or day - to let them know that we love them, or care about them, or just think about them - - then on Valentine's Day.

Have YOU sent that "special someone" in your life a Valentine today?

...and, although today is Valentine's Day on which Valentine's are appropriate, why not have EVERY day be a "Valentine's Day" in some manner or way where expressions of love, affection and appreciation are also appropriate and appreciated.