legal sanity

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post around this question: What inspires you in the law and in life?

I’m very drawn to the topic, and exploration, of inspiration. In these uncertain times, discovering what inspires us can be both grounding and uplifting.

Over at her blog, Build a Solo Practice @ SPU, Susan Cartier Liebel tells us about the lifelong inspiration she’s gained from her mom’s aversion to the words “I Can’t." We can also find inspiration in great design and natural beauty.

Some times, when we’re feeling particularly challenged professionally or personally, inspiration comes in the form of another human being; a friend, colleague or total stranger who gives us a sense of hope or much-needed perspective on the possibility life holds. My mother recently sent me a video story about golf enthusiast D.J. Gregory.

Born with cerebral palsy, the 30-year-old, against all odds, walked every hole of every 2008 PGA tournament. In all, he traveled through 44 tournaments, 180 rounds, 3256 holes and over 900 miles on foot. I was so inspired by his story and believe you will be, too.  Watch the video. It's well worth the 12 minutes. 

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No. I’m not taking a continuing ed philosophy class (although that might be fun) and this isn’t an original question.

It’s inspired by a pretty well-known quote from author/motivational speaker Zig Ziglar that first came to my awareness while I was watching a great interview with marketing expert Seth Godin. More recently, it popped into my head as I read Be THAT Lawyer, Carolyn Elefant’s thoughts on creating a niche law practice, and a post from SPU’s Susan Cartier Libel titled: The Big Question: “Should You Create A Niche Practice?” (and Part II). Carolyn and Susan add a lot to a virtual conversation that’s been going on for quite some time.

I’ve participated in the dialogue on niche lawyering through posts like these:

How are you doing? 

The thinking behind lawyer brand identity

Self-expression and business relationships 

Here’s what some other lawyers have to say about niche practice and marketing:

Overcoming The Niche Bitch (Chuck Newton)

Niche thyself: Key to legal blog success (Kevin O’Keefe)

Don’t Dilute Your Niche In a Down Economy (Tom Kane)

Do You Have a Niche and What Are You Doing About It? (Tom Kane, again)

Don’t Be Tempted to Abandon Your Niche (Sara Holtz)

Developing a Niche Practice (Rudy Rivera for the ABA’s GP|Solo)

Got an Itch to Create a Niche? (N. Andrew Rotenstreich for the ABA’s Young Lawyer Division)

And here’s some sage input from a couple of non-lawyers:

How to Dominate Your Niche (Brian Clark)

Make the world smaller (Seth Godin)

I think that many new and seasoned lawyers want to be meaningful specifics instead of wandering generalities. Niche practices can certainly help you meet that goal. If you’re wandering in indecision, you might consider taking this quiz asking Does Your Work Matter to You?

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Many of the lawyers I talk to share that, at some point on their legal career path, they’ve realized that they’re uninspired by their work. For some, this realization has led to a job or career change. For others, it’s the start of long-term discontent.

Recently, my daughter showed me an assignment from career week at her middle school. She had explored some career options and settled on a couple that really appealed to her. Both were in what I refer to as healing professions. When I asked why she chose them, she replied that she was inspired by the prospect of helping people understand, and feel good about, themselves.

That night, I found myself thinking a lot about inspiration - how crucially important it is to our success and happiness in and outside the law. Coincidently (or not), I was checking my RSS feeds and came across a captivating post at Garr Reynolds’ Presentation Zen. It was about the presentation that oceanographer Sylvie Earle gave at this year’s TED Conference.

Earle is an engaging speaker, to be sure. But, watching her talk, what’s most palpable and moving for me is how inspired she is by her work exploring and protecting the earth’s oceans. I find her inspiration contagious.

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