Cultivating a sense of meaning and purpose in work and life. Aligning our work and lives with our values, goals, and interests.
By Joan Bibelhausen, LCL
When I leave my house for work every morning, I stop to listen. Sometimes it is eerily quiet, especially when there is snow on the ground. But most often, the sparrows that hang out in the shrub near my porch quickly remind me that I’m on their turf as they fly away together in a huff. If I wait long enough, one by one, many return; they know where their food comes from. Then I may hear a cardinal at the very top of a chimney or a tree. During migration seasons, my Merlin app helps me sort the warblers from the finches. In the spring and summer, I’ll hear and see a robin, whose scientific name is Turdis migratorius. I’m always amused when that name pops up on the app.
When I stop to listen, to pay attention, I am filled with a sense of awe. Dacher Keltner, author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, describes this sense as “moments when we have a sense of wonder, an experience of mystery, that transcends our understanding.” If I take the time to experience it, I can feel that every morning.
This sense of awe can stay with us as we think about the meaning of the work that we do. As with every activity, there are difficult and boring parts. In a broader sense, these are elements in the difference we are making, the people we are helping, and the way we are contributing to something larger than us. That is spirituality. Something larger than us.
How do we harness this in the legal profession? We can reframe, step back and take a breath, as we engage with a party or client or begin work on a case that is on our desk.
As you enter a project, a client meeting, etc., stop to think about where the value will be. Is it the way you will deliver an update whether it is good or bad news? Can you set an intention to learn something about your ability to persist in the face of adversity if the conversation will be difficult? Will you be able to advance a project to the next stage by focusing for a distinct period of time and then stepping away mindfully to give your brain and body a rest?
By focusing on the meaning of our tasks, we see something bigger than us. We make meaningful connections and are better able to draw boundaries when needed. And occasionally something will happen with a client or in another way that brings us awe. One lawyer told me that they felt it when they signed a new client and watched that client’s stress level be reduced because of the trust they placed in the lawyer. They felt that awe because they were open to it. Something bigger than themselves.
Of course we will have stressful situations, difficult work environments and sometimes mental health issues, including substance use, where more is needed and LCL is available to help. Asking for help is recognizing that there is support that is bigger than you. It’s a spiritual decision.
This week my morning sense of awe will be enhanced by the smell of lilacs. Where will you find yours?