The best way of defining a person is by his actions and values.
Understanding and knowing what you stand for is a step towards defining who you are.
The legal profession is a job description. A lawyer’s value system defines his career.
Below are some of the values one may choose to imbibe:
- Authenticity
Authenticity means being true to yourself. An authentic lawyer discerns external pressure that influences their thinking and actions in particular ways. - Compassion
Compassion is positive. Compassion is not an emotion. Compassion means refraining from being vindictive, identifying with the person’s plight, and recognize that it could be your own. - Co-operation
Achievements are not accomplished alone but through the collective efforts of others. You receive co-operation from others when you use the energy of your mind to create goodwill towards others. - Courage
Being courageous means being brave in the face of fear. Courage makes you take righteous action. It makes you overcome tiredness and not give up on the task. It clears thoughts of self-doubt. - Detachment
Detachment is a state of freedom from outcome. It means you carry out tasks without possessiveness or arrogance. You are not attached to the results. This feeling makes you take courageous actions. - Dignity
A balance of self-respect and treating others with respect creates personal dignity. It means to speak truthfully and honestly, retaining your self-awareness at all times. A dignified person does not react negatively to provocation or come into personal conflicts but handles the situation through tact and patience. - Discipline
Discipline means you honor your commitment regardless of the circumstances. It means to adopt a practice and do it with continuity. - Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is a power that carries you across any task with creativity and passion. Problems appear to be mere challenges to be overcome.
An enthusiastic person is a magnet for positive outcomes. They see every situation as an opportunity to learn and grow. - Equanimity
Equanimity means maintaining an emotional balance during success and failure, praise, and blame. You are calm and composed even during challenging times. - Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the power to letting go of all the bad memories. It gives you the strength from within to be in the present moment awareness. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. - Freedom
Freedom is the power to act based on your conscience. A good lawyer is a free man. Tolerance and patience are the virtues of freedom that make you act rationally. - Honesty
An honest person has no contradictions in his thoughts, words, and actions. Honesty means being straightforward and not distort the truth. Honesty makes you courageous and enables you to stand by your principles. - Humility
Humility is an attribute of successful lawyers. Humility is a feeling of power that you can experience by letting go of your ego.
A positive ego empowers others. A negative ego destroys the individual. - Happiness
Happiness is a natural outcome of living by the correct values that match your conscience.
Notes:
Values are a choice what an individual makes for himself.
Make an effort to introspect and imbibe a few of the above as part of your own.