“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”
― John Allen Paulos
This might not be super reassuring during this time of “uncertainty,” but allow me to reframe. Certainty is an illusion. I am going to say some things I know you know already, but knowing and really knowing may be two different things. This is what I have relearned over the last week or so. We strive to create a sense of certainty. But it’s not real. Anything can happen. At any time.
You may want to argue about it. You may say, yeah but I can create a circumstance of relative safety. But go with me for a minute.
Some of us are feeling profoundly insecure right now. And why? Many things have changed. For some of us though, what is frightening is the story in our heads. I have worked with most of my clients this week on the changes occurring. One thing we have been talking about is how to run a reality check on the voice inside your head. What is that voice saying?
• I am going to lose my business
• I am going to lose my job
• My clients can’t afford to pay me
How much of this is true? Some, perhaps. And how much if it is not true? Now, more than ever, is a good time to check your story. Not, “Could it be true at some point?” But, “Is it true?” Byron Katie created a great test for these kinds of thoughts:
Q1. Is it true?
Q2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
Q3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
Q4. Who would you be without that thought?
(www.thework.com)
We make up (believe) a lot of things that are not fully true. And the fully part is the important part. The unexamined belief will run your life. Some questions for you:
• What are you making up about this time period?
• How much of it do you know is true?
• How much of it is scaring you?
• Do you know that part is true?
• What is another possibility?
• What else could be true?
• What is the opportunity here?
Sometimes, when you are in the middle of a frightening situation, it is hard to answer these questions. So maybe have someone else ask you these questions. And maybe you will do this for that person.
Take a stand for things to be different.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
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A Guide for Attorneys Working From Home
(With or without children)
(With or without crisis and uncertainty)
What? A live (Zoom) event for lawyers, to express, hear and overcome challenges specific to working from home in the current climate.
Why?
• A lot of lawyers are finding themselves in a “new normal” – working from home, often with a spouse and children, in a place that may or may not be conducive to productivity
• Many lawyers with children are feeling guilty for working at home and stretched between parenting and working
• Many lawyers are feeling unproductive
• Many lawyers are distracted by a level of anxiety and uncertainty about the future
Join Cami McLaren from McLaren Coaching in finding a way to feel in control, stay on track and be productive in uncertain times; maintaining your mental and emotional health; and improving your current outlook.
This live Zoom training will include a workbook on the materials covered.
When? Thursday, April 2, 2020, 12noon-1:30pm
Where? Zoom – you will receive the link when you register.
Email cami@mclarencoaching.com to register.
Cost? Free
