LAWYERS HELPING LAWYERS

Every year, when it begins to look like spring will never come, the Uta*h St*ate B*ar Associ*ation engages in this huge campaign to assist the troubled lawyers of this state. It's my favorite Journal issue of the year, I keep it in the office bathroom until next year's issue comes out and I can replace it with a new, better edition. Last year it was all about our tragic, inappropriate and continual drug and alcohol abuse. The Journal cover this year, featured this fabulous photo and the articles include---

A Friend in Need

What to Expect when you call Lawyers Helping Lawyers

Why are so Many Lawyers Depressed

"Ain't Stress Grand?"

A Sober Look Back (that's sober as in kickin' the habit, not as in serious)

Stress in Practicing Laaw & How to Minimize it from the Perspective of a Family Law Practioner

Stress Management for New Lawyers

Reducing Stress

That's not all, just the articles that I liked best.

So anyway, it's an issue that is just filled with uplifting facts, like

"Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have determined that Lawyers ranked number 1 on the list of occupations that were most depressed."

"A survey of 801 lawyers in the State of Washington found that 19% of the respondents suffered from clinical depression and 18% were problem drinkers."

I'm not even going to get into the suicide stuff.

Now that you are worried about me and feeling really sorry for me, I thought I would get to the point of this post. While I was in the bathroom crying and reading my magazine, I came across a solution -- it was right there in the Journal. A book review of "The 4 Hour Workweek: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich" The book is by Timothy Fe*rris if you want to pick it up at your local independent bookstore. I'm immediately drawn in by anything with a colon---so I jumped right on that article.

This guy decided to simplify his role and make himself "expendable" by reducing his work hours to 4 per week. With the extra time that he created he was able to "accomplish an amazing array of tasks, which include:

1. world record holder in tango

2. Princeton University guest lecturer

3. championship cage fighter

4. fluent speaker in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and German

6. researcher regarding the Glycemic Index

7. break dancer in Taiwan

8. actor on a successful TV series in Hong Kong and China

9. TV host in China and Thailand

10. participant in motorcycle races

11. shark diving enthusiast

12. bestselling author

13. ultra-successful blogger!!!!!!

That's right, that's the bottom line, the final advice in this long diatribe about stress. And I think it's right on the mark. It's the life that would make me really, really happy. Especially the cage fighting. Other than the Princeton gig, it's everything I've always wanted. So, as soon as I clear all this work off my desk, I'm out of here. Call my cell if you need anything.