Have you ever thought about your character strengths could improve your legal work? You could become a better lawyer, if you learn how to master your character strengths with mindfulness. Do you know your character strengths and how you use them for your legal work?
Every beginning is tough!
When I started my law firm in 2011 in Zurich, I focused on the art business, which was very fulfilling, because I organized events, held speeches, met all kinds of artists, art and cultural experts and lovers, as well as art collectors. As a lawyer I had to build a strategy to find clients in a new city, Zurich, from scratch, since I studied law in Berlin/Germany and took my bar exam in Lugano/Switzerland. In fact, at the beginning, I was taking every kind of client and this was making me happy, because I could help people with my legal services. When the time passed by and the legal firm was growing, I wanted to focus just on the legal profession and became more selective about the cases and clients I wanted to represent. During this time, I worked long hours and invested so much time in managing my employees, that work was a good escape to not watch the sadness in my private life. I tried to establish my wellbeing with spas, luxury, massages, vacations and so on. As you can imagine, this was not a sustainable solution. This is why I decided in 2013 to take care of my mental health by starting psychotherapy.
This was, though, just the beginning of a long transformation process, which led to my actual position as holistic lawyer.
What I did not know at the time – and to be honest the psychotherapy was not of great help in this matter – was the reason for my inner struggle with some cases or clients. You might know from your own experience: some cases are easy from the emotional point of view, whereas with others, you cannot sleep at night. Whether you are afraid of committing mistakes or because the relationships with the clients, other parties, courts and authorities are challenging. How did I find my solution? Well, thanks to one of my most important character strengths: the love for learning. I scrolled my leaves up and started researching, attending courses, becoming a coach and so on. The solution was already inside of me, but I did not have the right glasses to look at the truth of who I am.
Which are the benefits of mindfulness?
You can learn how to work smartly by finding other options for solving your cases and raising the happiness of your clients, because you learn to be in touch with your emotions. It is more than being rationally or psychologically skilled, because you connect to your client on an emotional level that makes you happy and brings another focus on the billable hours, money and happiness in your life.
What is more, think about sleepless nights from the point of your health and not from responsibility and money making. If you over time do not sleep well or insufficiently at night, this is a sign that you are out of balance. Sooner or later your body will send signals that you have to change the way you live. If you act accordingly, you will be safe. But if you ignore them and you do not practice mindfulness in order to have a practical tool to be able to say yes to you, you are destined to suffer.
You might know people who suddenly have a heart attack or any other health issue. Ask yourself: which approach do they have to themself and others until that point? Were they afterwards able to change their way of thinking and living?
How can you master your character strengths?
You have several options. You can take psychological tests, you can start an introspection journey with a counselor, but to be honest you should not think that hiring a coach, going to a course and having a healthy lifestyle would be sufficient. There are tools and counselors who can help you, but the truth is that you have to work hard. And the work is harder than any law degree and bar exam. This is also a reason why so many people are not open to self-development, because they have to look at their own shadows eventually.
There are no shortcuts!
You have to bring mindfulness into your life, in order to open the Pandora box of who you are. The bright side is the reward: love and happiness! You learn how to be grateful and thank all the people who believed in you and also who made you work harder. I love this video of Roberto Benigni, who describes the matter of self love and happiness in such a moving poetic way.
My mindful suggestions for mastering your character strengths
- Start with meditation, yoga, qigong by avoiding to be driven.
- If you are new to self-development, you can take this free test in order to understand better your character strengths and reflect, if you already integrate the top four strengths in you legal job.
- Write a journal about your feelings.
- Have a mental health program with a professional.
Master your character strengths with me
If you contact me, I will work with you in a holistic way, which means that I work on body, mind and spirit level by expanding your awareness and giving you specific daily assignments for your wellbeing and happiness. If you look at your professional issues with a growth mindset, you can discuss them with me in order to get to the root of who you really are.
Last, but not least: join the Swiss Mindfulness Weeks 2022: https://holistic-law.com/events/