Hello {{first_name}}, 

In Lawyers as Changemakers, Ken Fink writes about his seemingly successful career as a partner in a prestigious law firm and what was happening inside him. He goes on to explain that “I now see there are 2 possibilities when life shakes us up in these ways: driven by an insistent impulse for change, we can either choose to take a hard look at everything we’ve held sacred or become helplessly caught in a whirlwind of painful events demanding changes and upheavals that seem not of our own choosing. This call to transformation, if not met consciously, usually begins with a crisis - an illness, a problematic relationship, a calamity with money, an overwhelming urge to get away from it all.”

Throughout my career coaching lawyers and running conferences for lawyers I encounter these types of stories. The happy ones are those where the lawyer WAKES UP and realises life isn't just happening TO THEM, but they are able to start becoming the predominant creative force in their own lives. They start doing the internal work to transform the way they think about things. They examine afresh what a successful life - and career - might look like. (Because it is seldom the same as the years go by. I now want inner peace almost above all else! At 20 this was not on my radar, I was a drug-taking, achievement seeking, people-pleasing student! How has what you really want shifted over the years?)

The sad stories are those of lawyers who suffer massive losses, and can't seem to find in them the call to transformation. I've spoken with lawyers who ended up alcoholics, lawyers with eating disorders, lawyers with massive health crises, lawyers who ended up being disbarred as a result of substance abuse related issues. Above all, I have heard too many stories from lawyers that are simply exhausted, overworked and sad that this isn't what they'd hoped for when they decided to study law.
The question is, are you willing to wait until you experience a massive life trauma to transform your life? It seems a waste to me. Then again, as Aristotle noted, “pain is the greatest motivating factor for change” and like much of what he wrote about, he was pretty dialled in.
My suggestion: don’t wait. Don’t wait for something really shit to happen before you start taking steps to a better life. There’s also the risk that if you do, you’ll be so dysfunctional by that time you won’t see the wake up call. I know a lawyer who’s ended up in hospital multiple times, nearly dying, but she has continued to work, even from her hospital bed. My guess: she’s too afraid of what would be left if she gave up her identity as a lawyer. And maybe she doesn't have to - but something needs shifting.

Wherever you currently are, whatever you currently earn, you can radically transform your life.

This is how:

You need to come to terms with the fact that we create our lives from the inside out.

We are programmed to believe, and therefore spend our lives believing:

We spend all our time wanting to get there, because we hope when we reach that goal, we will feel a certain way. Maybe for you it was or is making partner; passing the Bar; starting your own practice; tenure as professor. Maybe it was or is being able to buy your own house; pay off your student debt; finding a great life partner.

This is the fallacy. Because when you do finally “get there”, you realise there is no there, there.

You probably will, for a fleeting moment or two as you celebrate the victory, feel how you always wanted to feel: free, at peace, good enough, proud of yourself, worthy, finally safe from money worries. But pretty soon you’ll start to feel like you have always felt. Why? Because the feelings are coming from inside you, and not from your circumstances. That’s right, the feelings are coming from inside you which means that your external circumstances cannot nullify them. On the one hand, this might feel depressing. It’s like I’m telling you all your dreams might come true and you’ll still feel like shit a lot of the time. But actually I’m just reminding you that we create our lives from the inside out.

This is why nearly one third of lottery winners declare bankruptcy within 7 years of winning the lottery. This is NUTS! But it’s true.

You can only start to make sustainable changes in your life, when you make them from the inside. (You can get divorced, but without the inner work, end up in another unhappy marriage...you can change firms...but find a similar set of issues. The inner peace, the happiness - that comes from the internal work.)

I work with Awakening Lawyers, helping them figure out what they came here to do, and live lives that are joyous and abundant and free, enabling them to be of service to 1000's of clients, bringing humanity back to the law. If you are hustling, exhausted and disenchanted with life you can still show up and serve clients, but it's just not the same, for them or for you.

ARE YOU A LAWTER WANTING TO UPLEVEL YOUR LIFE?

I watch the "unsubscribes" to my mailers and smile. There are many, many lawyers who have no interest in delving into their interior worlds, or uplevelling their lives, using affirmations or becoming peacemakers, and justice warriors. And it makes sense they should unsubscribe because we are not aligned! But as I step into my power more and more, I know I only want to be working with people WHO GET THIS. Who either ARE soul-led lawyers, or interested in becoming a soul-led lawyer. If you're reading this and thinking "what is she ON about?" then we should go our separate ways and I wish you all the best. I'm no longer interested in trying to be everyone's cup of tea. I have some specific messages I am here to share with lawyers in this lifetime, and that's what I care about.

Recently I made some decisions about how I want my life to look, and I have to tell you that it is REALLY satisfying watching my dreams come to life. And some of the steps are really not that hard - getting clear on your desires, writing them down, shifting into the vibration of this ALREADY BEING DONE and being supported by others along the way. If you're one of my soulmate lawyer clients, I want to help you to do this too.

This photo is me today, photobombed by Tracker, taking a selfie to say thank you for a huge box of the most delicious Waterleliefontein olive oil - a gift from my ex boss, Jo Neser at Cliffe Dekker. Jo was one of my first ever bosses, and had to cope, as Managing Partner of the firm, with my endless suggestions for how things could be improved. Suggestions I was making as a candidate attorney, 1 year into legal practice with zero experience of law firm management. The fact he's sending me this gift 16 years later is testament to something! Thank you Jo for actually listening to some of my suggestions and for not firing me for a particular incident involving me and ex law firm partner's car in the parking lot...We all need second chances, and you gave me many. And I'm still at it - trying to improve the legal profession!

I am posting this photo because it shows me HAPPY and AT PEACE, after running in the mountain with Tracker, listening to audios that make me believe I can do anything, sending voicenotes to my new amazing Virtual Assistant in the Philippines who was taking care of things while I ran. And tonight I'm hopping with excitement as I get to launch the:

With an online team building with 28 lawyers from 9 time zones! and 28 South African law students! A dream I had just 2 months ago - and here we are.

I have 3 slots left for free Clarity Calls in the next 2 weeks. These are calls with me, in which we look at what you most want right now, and explore what's holding you back and how we might get you there. I have a range of tools - including contacting your spiritual guides for help with that pesky issue - "um, why am I here again?"

The world has enough burnt out, disillusioned lonely lawyers.

Don't be one of them.

Choose differently.

Drop me a mail back if you're ready to book a Clarity Call. You don't have to sign up for anything. We will talk and see what you need.

I run Awakening Lawyers to help lawyers who love the law but are disillusioned and disheartened by the way it’s practised, to re-imagine and redesign their lives so that they can practice in their own way, in their own time, and on their own terms.

I am a legal futurist, a lawyer coach and a channel.
I love working with lawyers at all stages of their awakening journey, especially those who are starting to see a new role for themselves as peacemakers, as justice warriors and as activists for social change. I work with my clients to deal with the challenges they face working within a restrictive and often conservative legal culture that promotes hiding your authentic self under a professional mask and suppressing both your own and your client’s emotions.

l look forward to hearing from you if it feels right. Always go by HOW YOU FEEL. If this feels exciting - reach out for a free Clarity Call.

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