There’s an epidemic of anxiety and depression among lawyers that leads to disproportionate numbers of lawyers attempting and committing suicide. It’s important to recognize the signs of burnout and mental health issues before it gets too far.
1. Don’t judge. When my mom had cancer, I was studying for the Bar. Luckily that meant I had time to take her to some of her doctor’s appointments. This made me feel pretty good about myself. I envisioned myself a little Mother Teresa and...
They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That holds true for burnout. All lawyers know someone who’s experienced it – and often experience it themselves. It’s much easier to climb out of burnout or to avoid it altogether if...
Recently, I had the pleasure of celebrating the life of a truly remarkable person whom I had never met. I accompanied someone to a gathering to honor one of his friends whom had passed recently (unrelated to Covid). It was a surreal experience meeting with...
With the murders of eight people in an Atlanta massage parlor taking up the entire news cycle (and, as I’m editing this, the mass shooting in Colorado), it’s been difficult for me to concentrate on personal finance. Many people assume I feel scared or angry...
Recently, I celebrated the second anniversary of the day I left my law firm job. And while it’s been tremendous, and I have no regrets about leaving, it hasn’t been complete smooth sailing because of certain psychological problems with early retirement. Most people question the...
Too many people think talking about money is tacky. I’ll admit it’s uncomfortable and awkward, but anything worthwhile and unique has some built-in hurdles. Instead of talking money with friends, people turn to experts. Experts, however, don’t much care if you succeed or fail. They...
There are no shortage of marketers and, let’s face it, parents, telling us that we’re not good enough. It’s easy to fall into that trap, but I’m here to tell you – you’re good enough, you’re talented enough, and, goshdarnit, people like you. You have...
Being bad at math is often used as an excuse to be bad with money. Never mind that one still needs to learn about and manage one’s own finances. Still, no matter how badly one’s math grades were – money is not about math; it’s...
This seems like a uniquely divided time in our country. It seems like a time when discussing politics without hate, or even discussing politics at all, is impossible. Half of Americans feel uncomfortable discussing politics with someone with whom they disagree. 50% of Americans say...
With the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, it’s difficult to keep friendships alive, let alone strive to be a better friend. Of course, that doesn’t mean that this is a time when we can let our relationships fall by the wayside. We need our friendships now...