October 2nd, 2011

First Week of October-Getting Better

Sometimes when we are learning a new skill we are faced with falling short of what many others who are experienced at the skill are able to do. Sometimes we think we know what we are doing but we fall short of what we have done in the past and what we believe we are capable of doing.

Falling short of what others are able to do, or of what we think we should be able to do, is not a bad thing. It is reality when it happens. We need to accept reality. We need to learn from our experiences.

Falling short is an opportunity to get better. Success is not introspective. When we succeed we tend to take success for granted. We rarely learn from success.  Falling short is introspective. We tend to reevaluate our performance. We learn when we reevaluate. When we learn and fine tune we get better.

So applaud falling short. Recognize you have been in the arena. Recognize you have battled. Recognize you can learn and get better. And getting better is what it is all about.

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September 25th, 2011

Fourth Week of September-Power of Now

A few years ago I read Eckhart Tolle, The Power Of Now. This week I am reminded of his book. The premise is simple. Live in the present. As Tolle explains we have a choice to continue to rehash the past either condemning yourself for past mistakes or reliving past glory days; live in the future usually by telling yourself if this and that happen I will be happy; or, live in the present. By far the hardest of the three choices is to live in the now. This is because mentally it is easier to live in the past or imagine the future.

The problem with living in the past or imagining the future is both are at the expense of the present. To appreciate where we are now, to experience where we are now, to accept where we are now is hard.

But hard is good. And living in the present is good. It is the only way we can excel. By living in the present we dedicate ourselves to being the best we can be each moment. Forget the past. Do not fret about the future. Be the best you can be now.

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September 18th, 2011

Third Week of September-New Beginning

I recently attended a trial lawyer’s seminar where we explored who we are as people. We discussed how we need to know ourself before we can know our client.

We discussed how we need to know our client at a deeper level. Until we understand the emotions of our client in the context of her traumatic injury we do not have the ability to tell her story.

These realities are hard to implement into my life as a lawyer. I must look into the inner me to get to know what I am all about. Once I do this I need to identify what about me is moved by my client’s case. I can then reach the emotional depth of my client’s case, and  effectively argue her case.

At this point in my career I have been a lawyer for 30 years. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But getting to know myself is not a new trick. Getting to a deeper understanding of my client is not a new trick. These steps are steps to be taken for a new beginning. A new trip into a deeper understanding of me, a deeper understand of my family, and a deeper understanding of my clients.

The Photograph used in this post is a photograph by artist Ron Smid of The Canada Gallery-beautiful work form a talented artist.

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September 11th, 2011

Second Week of September-911

Today I was in the second day of a golf tournament. Before we started the 9:00 am shotgun, the tournament director assembled all of us near the American Flag which was flying at half mast. He called for a moment of silence for all those killed on September 11, 2001.

Today is the tenth anniversary of the 911 tragedy. We all remember that day as we should. All of us alive on September 11, 2001 know the world changed on that day. The change is still with us and always will be. Change in the form of terrorist acts. Change in the form of security. Change in the form how we view one another.

On how we view one another, it is important to be accepting of  those who have different religious beliefs. It is important to accept those who dress differently. It is important to understand the world is a global village and different cultures and different beliefs are what make the village an interesting place.  As we move forward let us remember 911 and  let us accept one another and appreciate our differences.

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September 4th, 2011

First Week of September-Vacation

Being a lawyer with lot’s of clients, deadlines, and endless stuff to do it’s easy to work, work, work. But it’s important to remember a quality lawyer is a well rounded lawyer. A quality lawyer is a fresh lawyer. It’s a disservice to clients to be burned out.

This means it’s important to have down time. It’s important to be away from work. It’s important to spend quality time with family and friends.

Find the time to get away. Find the time to recharge. Make the time for a vacation.

When on vacation forget about work. Live in the moment with focus on vacation spot. Relax, read, forget about time and recharge. Your law practice will survive. and when you return relaxed and refreshed it will thrive.

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August 28th, 2011

Fifth Week of August-A Friend

The older I get the more I realize life is about relationships. For most our closest relationships are family. After family we have friends. My father told me years ago a person is fortunate if he has one friend. A  friend  continues as a friend through thick or thin, good times or bad times.

When we have not seen a friend for a period of time and we reunite it is like we never were apart. A friend is not judgmental. A friend accepts us for who we are. To a friend it does not matter if we are successful in the eyes of others. What matters is we are who we are without pretense.

I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for my  friends. For my part I will do my best to be a friend and thereby make life better for the person who calls me their friend.

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August 22nd, 2011

Fourth Week of August-The Bicycle

The bicycle is the most efficient and civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.

Iris Murdoch, The Green and the Red

It is important to remember this statement from Iris Murdoch. We need to appreciate the bicycle. Using a bicycle is a good thing. It is efficient, saves the environment, and is good exercise.

Even if we do not bicycle let us share the road with the noble bicycle. Let us be on the lookout for the noble bicycle. Let us applaud those who use this noble means of transportation.

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August 14th, 2011

Third Week of August-A Life of Simplicity and Beneficence

 

 

Below are edited excerpts from J. L. Low, F. G. Tait A Record, (1900), a book commemorating the life of Frederick Tait a British golfer and soldier who died in battle in the Boer war. These excerpts demonstrate the power of a a warm, friendly, honest person.

That, knowing him so little, and meeting him so rarely as I did, I yet felt the warmest regard for him, is a proof of his singularly winning nature. His life was a life of real beneficence, for he brought sunshine whenever he came and a reflection of his own constitutional happiness.

Liettenant Tait’s life was not one of  stirring incident. It was the young life, of a soldier serving his country; yet there was no one better known or more liked in his circle, and this fact is in itself significant, for it shows the power that an amiable personality, coupled with honesty and simplicity of character, may, almost unconsciously, wield over people. It is an influence too subtle to be defined, yet too strong and certain to be gainsaid.

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July 31st, 2011

First Week of August-Natural Rhythm

Natural Rhythm happens without causing or making. Natural Rhythm happens without meddlesome, combative, or egotistical effort. Natural Rhythm is trusting our inner nature, and the way things flow; it is trusting the natural order of things and operating with minimal effort.

When we operate in our Natural Rhythm we put the round peg in the round hole and the square peg in the square hole. There is neither stress nor struggle. When we try too hard things don’t work. When we trust our innate ability and flow with the situation we are in our Natural Rhythm and things work out fine.

Benjamin Hoff, The Tao Of Pooh (PAT edit)

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July 24th, 2011

Fourth Week of July-Deep Relaxation

 

Relaxing is voluntarily giving up control, letting go, surrendering tension. Deep relaxation involves a measure of trust. We must let go of tension and trust we will be all right.

To begin we put ourself into a corpse pose, laying flat on our back, legs fully extended with feet about 12 inches apart. Arms out stretched, palms up, with hands about a foot away from body. Eyes closed. Now do long, slow breathing. With every exhalation we let the body settle deeper into the ground, as though the force of gravity is increasing.

Next we begin systematic attention to our  body beginning with our feet. We concentrate on our feet while we let go of all tension there. We continue do this in a piecemeal way as we move up the body. At every part of our body we take as much attention as we need to release tension at that area.

After we have systematically gone through our entire body we let our breath become as soft and gentle as possible. We let our attention rest on our breath in a feather-light manner. We do not intensely concentrate. We just pay attention in the easiest possible way.

Christopher Kilham, The Five Tibetans (edited by PAT)

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