Someone played this clip for me and I had to send it to soooo many people in my life. I wanted to share it here, too. This hits the nail on the head with all of the things I have learned and found myself repeating to people who ask me about being a lawyer. It’s not that I have regret. But I have struggled and wish I knew better what I was getting myself into! Ah, first-gen lawyering…
This is also just brilliant and funny. Enjoy!
Woah.
Son of a lawyer (alcoholic).
Grandson of a lawyer (alcoholic).
Staying here in the home of a divorce lawyer. She slept like 3 hours a night the week before we arrived preparing for three concurrent cases or something. I’m sure they were “uplifting” too (uhh, not).
I’m so so grateful my dad did not encourage or pressure us to be lawyers. My second oldest brother (of 8 kids) did become a lawyer. Now he’s a minister – I think trying to get his soul bak from the soul sucking experience of practicing law so near DC.
All that said, I like YOU! But you’re weird. 
I sent the clip to a gay pastor friend in Florida and he wrote back, 'Do you have a version of this song for pastors?" Ha. Seems like it is pretty universal for folks to simultaneously love what they do but also want to warn others and perhaps their past selves to not do it!
My questions for those who are willing to share -
If you entered into a profession that is so identity driven like lawyering or engineering or fill in the blank…at great emotional and financial cost then made a change, how did that impact your identity? Do you still call yourself an engineer or do you say you are now a recovering lawyer or chef or pastor?
What tips do you have for making that identity shift?
What if you still have a job in that industry but have formulated a new identity (like as a coach). How do you integrate the two?
It’s helped me to separate out a career label (computer programmer, entrepreneur) from what I value – my heartistry.
For example, I’m guessing there are some real skills you use when lawyering. That particular realm exercises certain qualities of thought, analysis, seeing different “sides”, asserting for what you put forth. And more.
If you took that along with other real skills into any other expression you’re still bring all that with you. Because the skills you have, and the person you’ve cultivated has so many different ways to express themselves.
It means that as a coach, I am also an entrepreneur and technologist and massage therapist and and and.
Right now, that is expressing itself as this reply to you… in a community I’m co-creating with you (something that I’ve also done in previous identities).
Really, if we look at it, doesn’t a label like artist or coach or therapist or lawyer or doctor or assistant or or or… are they not so superficial in categorization to be “almost” gross…?
Our metadata of who we are and what we can do and our orientations and beliefs and perspectives and energy levels and and and… so much variety that fail to hold to the labels we give – or are assigned.
That said… I want to honor that there’s a certain status we assign to certain labels. Sometimes as much internally (or more?) than externally. When I left the title of Chief Technology Officer behind, a part of me felt the “loss” of a simple status indicator. Heck, I used to have Business Cards! I do not anymore. I remember tapping around this in cycles during the transition period.
Today I’m clearer that I carry more of “What Matters to Me” in my core than the labels of technologist, consultant, emotional freedom coach, or even father or partner. THAT feels more integrating than the label-orientation or career classification name.
How does that feel to you?