The Wake Up Call for Lawyers

Here we are in the heart of the holidays, and there’s also so much else going on. For me it’s crucial not to rely on finding moments of calm, but instead to remember to create them. We all probably do that when we can...

If mindfulness begins with training our attention, what’s the recipe for its other components, courage and grace? For me, it begins with stillness. I get quiet and sometimes lovingkindness shows up. But sometimes what...

It’s almost Thanksgiving in the U.S. so we’re supposed to be practicing gratitude. want to be doing that all the time, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Do you know what I mean? The world is just in a difficult...

The thing about mindfulness practice is the benefits. I mean, that’s not the only thing - it’s not a benefit-driven endeavor. Hopefully there’s a little altruism mixed in. But the benefits are big. First, there’s the...

Congratulations to Tuesday’s election winners. For me it was a practice moment: feeling joy and hope, and not turning those into something else with regard to the losers. Which is a practice I can’t do without my basic...

We know the practice: present moment awareness. But how do we practice when things are so rough and torn? First, with love. The invitation, moment by moment, is, can I bring not only awareness, but also love? Second...

Now that everyone and everything is mindful (except the federal government), is mindfulness diluted? I was starting to wonder so I’m digging into the question, starting with, “What is mindfulness, or ‘wise...

When I look out at the human landscape right now, it feels like joy is in short supply. Sometimes it’s present, but plenty of moments cry out for an infusion of joy. The first step, or one of the first, on the...

We’re all on one path or another. Sometimes it’s the path of least resistance. Sometimes it’s the yellow brick road. Sometimes, to slightly misquote Robert Frost, it’s the path least traveled. For me the point is, to...

Good yontif you’re celebrating Yom Kippur. And to everyone, what is your day about today? What’s your intention for the day? And are you experiencing suffering? Not, are you experiencing pain and sorrow? We are all...

What causes suffering? An ancient question with an ancient answer, and surprisingly, it’s not the hard things in life. It’s the way we think about them. It’s not the ridiculous amount of work on my plate or the unfair...

In classical mindfulness there are six different realms, including the human realm which is considered the best one in which to wake up. One of the reasons for that, is that it’s not easy being human. We get old, we get...

There’s a misunderstanding that mindfulness is about suffering. The truth is, mindfulness is about the end of suffering and how to go there. It’s optimistic. Given the moment, that seems like something we can all use...

What does it mean to approach each moment, each day, as if it’s the most ordinary day? How would it feel to do that? And what if it’s not an ordinary day? What if it’s the day of a big trial, or your birthday, or the...

The Wake Up Call @499 Ten years ago, the Wake Up Call was an unlikely dream, of a place for those of us who were practicing both law and mindfulness, to be together. And here we are, at Wake Up Call #499. Ten years...

I sometimes think the world would run more smoothly if I were in charge. Or let’s face it: I often think that. Do you? The problem, or one problem (because there are many), with this kind of thinking is, first I have to...

There are people in the world who, at first glance (or second, or third), don’t seem to me to deserve positive regard. At all. Maybe there are people like that for you, too. But in an ancient tale, five people are...

Even when my intellect and emotional life feel like they’re in tune, I still have so many old, internal, tangles in my mind. And in any given moment, those tangles can cause me to tense up, grab hold, or turn away. My...

What happens for you when your body or mind signals that it’s time to relax, and you pay attention to the signal? From a Netflix perspective, it might be just that: turn something on; turn off all the rest. That seems...

I feel like we’re trying, every day, to be kind, and ethical, and to serve well. We’re even taking the time to cultivate these qualities. And I also feel like when we fail, it’s hard. And even harder to turn towards the...

Pretty difficult moment, and here we are at the 4th of July. How many more of these will we celebrate? But that’s not so much my question. My question is more about how I can do my best to be kind and to provide...

In Zimbabwe, there’s almost 90% unemployment. In South Africa, there are the remnants of apartheid. America has cancelled US AID to the poorest of poor, and is about to tax a huge lifeline: money that gets sent home...

I wonder about the power of generosity to set the tone of the law, or change it. Right now, we’re everyone to their corner and then knives out. What if we could be passionately on the sides of clients, causes, justice...

Not much can change on the global scale, or even in my community (or even in my house), if I’m not thoughtful and intentional about my own personal behavior. I know that. You probably know that, too. But I’d also say...

Recently I said something snarky and it got back to the person.For the whole day, I dreaded what would happen. When the worst did happen, I felt even worse: a slow, painful remembering of how imperfect I am, despite all...