My Day My Day

A couple days before our wedding, I told me A "this is MY DAY, MY DAY." His friends had come into town and he picked a couple of them up and it annoyed me because I didn't want him so busy running them around that he was late. As usual I was late and he was early.

This post is about My Day.

Earlier this week I posted that I had settled a case. Well as has happened many times before the settlement sorta fell apart. This type of thing used to burn me up but now I just continue on. The first time it happened I fired the client, sent her a letter, her files and was done. People get greedy. First they may want to protect their right then suddenly they think the deserve some big pay out.

My special ed clients don't pay me so they don't have the financial incentive of a high bill to settle.

Today we proceeded to mediation and it was the most pleasant mediation I have ever experienced. The mediator was fabulous. We agreed very quickly and got what the parent wanted and I got to increase my bill. I'm sending kisses to my client for being difficult because her difficulty increased my bill- which again she doesn't have to pay.

The mediator had been a managing partner in a large law firm in L.A. & S.F He had worked there for 25 years. He said he looked at his life and decided he didn't want to spend the rest of it not really enjoying his work. He went into private practice, said he and his wife made changes sold their house and downsized and he has loved each day. He works as an administrative law judge in addition to his private practice. He said he had also taught public speaking to the 7th and 8th grade class at his the private school his wife runs. I'm sure he's still well off but it probably took time to get there in private practice.

He was much better than the judges who don't enjoy the work and see it as just work. I usually have a light and cheery spirit when I'm working because I enjoy what I do and how I do it. I interact with some attorneys and just wonder why they stay so angry, so miserable. It's crazy. The ones who love what they do are so jolly. It's unfortunate people can't figure out that money and status aren't the most important things. People shouldn't be so focused on the freedom of retirement that they sacrifice 5 days as week, 8 hours a day, for 20 years with a unfulfilled spirit and salivating over the next vacation period. Do what you love.

He said he wished he'd made the changes earlier. He made me realize I am truly a forward thinker Yes I am patting my back. Mr. A and I downsized in the beginning- at my suggestion. Mr A is so much happier now then when he was making a high salary in a job he didn't love, just so he and later we could enjoy some life we could really only have on weekends.

I still plan for us to own that house in Bel Air (or at least be able to afford it if we wanted) but I know that personal fulfillment doesn't have to be deferred to acquire the good life.

Now I'm gonna have to sing Kanye West song- Good Life.

I'll keep you posted on how this strategy of personal/career fulfillment and wealth works out for us.