My Wake-Up Call (So You Don't Need One)

I want to help you hear what your body’s telling you (before there’s a serious problem!).

Around 20 years ago, my doctor told me I needed a blood transfusion, and I had to go to the hospital. I’m in the car and started driving. The whole way there, I was trying to decide. I had to be in court. And I remember thinking, very seriously, I don't have time for a blood transfusion. I was actually deciding whether to go to the hospital or go to my office.

My health was on the line, and I treated it like a scheduling conflict.

I went to the hospital. But that drive stayed with me, because it showed me exactly how far gone I was. That was my wake-up call, and it's where everything I teach now began. I started taking long weekends every quarter to fill my oxygen tank. I found meditation. And I learned about the pause, the small space where you can actually hear yourself think.

THE PROBLEM

Lawyers are trained to override. Tired, hungry, sick, scared. Doesn't matter, the brief’s due. And it works, for a while. That's what makes it so dangerous.

You'll recognize the small versions.

The annual physical you've rescheduled three times. The headache you take two Advil for and work straight through. The upset stomach you blame on the coffee or food. Lunch at 3:30 pm, eating over the keyboard.

None of these feel like a crisis. They feel like any other day. That's how you end up in a car one day, weighing your own health against a hearing, and thinking it's a reasonable question.

WHY THIS WORKS

When you're under constant pressure, your stress response narrows your focus to the threat right in front of you, the deadline, and tunes out signals from your body. It's useful in a real emergency. It's a problem when every day feels like one.

A pause, even a few slow breaths, gives the thinking part of your brain a chance to come back online. From there, you can see the whole picture, including yourself in it.

The answers are in the pause.

THREE THINGS TO TRY THIS WEEK

Body first, inbox second. Before you open an email in the morning, take three slow breaths, longer on the exhale. Then check and see if your jaw’s clenched. Are your shoulders up? Loosen your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Feel your feet on the floor. Feel the air on your face. Just check in before the day takes over.

Treat it like a court date. Pick the one appointment you keep moving (the doctor, the dentist, the haircut you've needed since June) and put it on your calendar the way you'd calendar a hearing. Maybe get your hearing checked. Non-negotiable. You wouldn't blow off a judge. Don't blow off yourself.

Ask the client question. When you catch yourself overriding a need, like skipping a meal or pushing through the third late night in a row, ask what you'd tell a client or a good friend in the same spot. You'd tell them to take care of it. You already know the answer. Give yourself the same advice.

THE TAKEAWAY

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You don't need a blood transfusion to decide your health matters. I needed a scare to learn that, and I'd love for you to skip that part. The pause isn't time taken away from your work. It's what lets you keep doing it for the long haul, and still enjoy your life. For me, it's how I learned to laugh again.

THIS WEEK'S RECESS

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Book the appointment you've been putting off. Today, if you can. Then leave it on the calendar, even when something "urgent" comes up.

Let me know how it goes! (Yes, I really want to know, and I read all responses myself.) ☺️