{"id":118062,"date":"2025-05-06T15:59:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T23:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/06\/make-it-count-live-your-best-lawyer-life\/"},"modified":"2025-05-06T15:59:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T23:59:44","slug":"make-it-count-live-your-best-lawyer-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/06\/make-it-count-live-your-best-lawyer-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Make It Count: Live Your Best Lawyer Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, I was standing beside my friend and client David as he succumbed to his terminal illness. I\u2019m not sure if he can hear me or if he even understands my words as I tell him about the mundane things going on in my life. I want to tell him how much our friendship means to me but know my next few words will undo me completely. So, I stay quiet. I stay still. I just be<\/em> with him. He passed away just a few days after my last visit at only 53 years of age.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, David was diagnosed with glioblastoma. If you\u2019re not familiar, it\u2019s an aggressive brain cancer with a survival rate that is under 8%. David battled this disease like the warrior he was, even returning to work for a short stint, wanting to get back in the game.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019ve read any of my previous books or articles, you know I\u2019m typically an upbeat writer. But I felt compelled in this moment to share something different. In the saddest or most challenging of moments, there may be some life wisdom here worth sharing. It\u2019s a fact that we\u2019ve all endured painful times \u2014 and we know there will be more to come on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Here are three reflections that might help you carry on, even through life\u2019s hardest chapters.<\/p>\n

1. Build a meaningful life.<\/strong>
Meaning looks different for each of us \u2014 and that\u2019s the point. It\u2019s personal. When I think of David\u2019s legacy, I see it in his two remarkable daughters, in the love he shared with his wife, and in the decades he spent helping others as a dedicated attorney. He spent his life in the service of others in court and at his coffee table at home.<\/p>\n

Take a moment to reflect: What does a meaningful life look like for you<\/em>? Are you on that path? If there\u2019s anything loss teaches us, it\u2019s that time is far more precious than we often realize. What can you do today \u2014 right now \u2014 that will bring meaning to your life and to the lives around you?<\/p>\n

2. Give yourself credit.<\/strong>
We\u2019re often hardest on ourselves. We focus on what\u2019s missing, what we could have done better, or how far we still have to go. But what about how far you\u2019ve already<\/em> come? David came to me ten years ago for coaching, seeing that his talents for rainmaking could be improved. I knew he would be the ideal client for me, because he valued education and always kept the commitments he made. I recognized in him from the start that he was a winner. Someone who had more than he even knew.<\/p>\n

Think back to who you were in junior high or high school. Could you even fathom the depth of your knowledge, skill and lifestyle you now have before you? You\u2019re practicing in one of the most demanding \u2014 and meaningful \u2014 professions out there. Maybe you\u2019re serving on a board, supporting a charity, or raising amazing kids. It\u2019s all so incredible, yet we focus on what we didn\u2019t do or what we don\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve accomplished so much, so far. So pause. Appreciate your progress. And, I\u2019m not sure which ancient philosopher said this, but \u201clove thyself.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Make space to enjoy life.<\/strong>
I know attorneys billing 3,000 hours a year. Others are drowning in admin or churning through email jail (200-500 emails a day). It\u2019s not sustainable. And more importantly \u2014 it\u2019s not living.<\/p>\n

Where\u2019s the travel? The family time? The space to recharge? Even David, in his limited capacity traveled with his family to Hawaii this past year.<\/p>\n

Sometimes we have to say \u201cno\u201d or make bold decisions to reclaim our lives. I\u2019ve never heard anyone in their later years say, \u201cI wish I\u2019d billed more hours.\u201d Think about how you\u2019re spending your time \u2014 and how much actual life<\/em> you\u2019re getting out of each day.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean you should abandon your ambition. But it does<\/em> mean that joy, connection, and presence deserve a spot on the calendar too.<\/p>\n

When I reflect on my friendship with David, I\u2019m grateful beyond measure. And after a near-death experience of my own, I\u2019ve come to understand just how finite \u2014 and how incredible \u2014 this one shot at life really is.<\/p>\n

Let this be your moment to pause. To shake something loose. Take a breath and check in with yourself. What does happiness look like to you? What kind of legacy are you building? And most of all, remember this:<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve come so far. You\u2019re valued. People love you. And there\u2019s still so much more life left to live.<\/p>\n

\n

Steve Fretzin is a bestselling author, host of the BE THAT LAWYER Podcast, and business development coach exclusively for attorneys. Steve has committed his career to helping lawyers learn key growth skills not currently taught in law school. His clients soon become top rainmakers and credit Steve\u2019s program and coaching for their success. He can be reached directly by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>steve@fretzin.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Or you can easily find him on his website at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>www.fretzin.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or LinkedIn at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stevefretzin\/<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Make It Count: Live Your Best Lawyer Life<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t‘This could’ve been done on Zoom, but I have to be here just like you.’\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A few days ago, I was standing beside my friend and client David as he succumbed to his terminal illness. I\u2019m not sure if he can hear me or if he even understands my words as I tell him about the mundane things going on in my life. I want to tell him how much our friendship means to me but know my next few words will undo me completely. So, I stay quiet. I stay still. I just be<\/em> with him. He passed away just a few days after my last visit at only 53 years of age.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, David was diagnosed with glioblastoma. If you\u2019re not familiar, it\u2019s an aggressive brain cancer with a survival rate that is under 8%. David battled this disease like the warrior he was, even returning to work for a short stint, wanting to get back in the game.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019ve read any of my previous books or articles, you know I\u2019m typically an upbeat writer. But I felt compelled in this moment to share something different. In the saddest or most challenging of moments, there may be some life wisdom here worth sharing. It\u2019s a fact that we\u2019ve all endured painful times \u2014 and we know there will be more to come on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Here are three reflections that might help you carry on, even through life\u2019s hardest chapters.<\/p>\n

1. Build a meaningful life.<\/strong>
Meaning looks different for each of us \u2014 and that\u2019s the point. It\u2019s personal. When I think of David\u2019s legacy, I see it in his two remarkable daughters, in the love he shared with his wife, and in the decades he spent helping others as a dedicated attorney. He spent his life in the service of others in court and at his coffee table at home.<\/p>\n

Take a moment to reflect: What does a meaningful life look like for you<\/em>? Are you on that path? If there\u2019s anything loss teaches us, it\u2019s that time is far more precious than we often realize. What can you do today \u2014 right now \u2014 that will bring meaning to your life and to the lives around you?<\/p>\n

2. Give yourself credit.<\/strong>
We\u2019re often hardest on ourselves. We focus on what\u2019s missing, what we could have done better, or how far we still have to go. But what about how far you\u2019ve already<\/em> come? David came to me ten years ago for coaching, seeing that his talents for rainmaking could be improved. I knew he would be the ideal client for me, because he valued education and always kept the commitments he made. I recognized in him from the start that he was a winner. Someone who had more than he even knew.<\/p>\n

Think back to who you were in junior high or high school. Could you even fathom the depth of your knowledge, skill and lifestyle you now have before you? You\u2019re practicing in one of the most demanding \u2014 and meaningful \u2014 professions out there. Maybe you\u2019re serving on a board, supporting a charity, or raising amazing kids. It\u2019s all so incredible, yet we focus on what we didn\u2019t do or what we don\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve accomplished so much, so far. So pause. Appreciate your progress. And, I\u2019m not sure which ancient philosopher said this, but \u201clove thyself.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Make space to enjoy life.<\/strong>
I know attorneys billing 3,000 hours a year. Others are drowning in admin or churning through email jail (200-500 emails a day). It\u2019s not sustainable. And more importantly \u2014 it\u2019s not living.<\/p>\n

Where\u2019s the travel? The family time? The space to recharge? Even David, in his limited capacity traveled with his family to Hawaii this past year.<\/p>\n

Sometimes we have to say \u201cno\u201d or make bold decisions to reclaim our lives. I\u2019ve never heard anyone in their later years say, \u201cI wish I\u2019d billed more hours.\u201d Think about how you\u2019re spending your time \u2014 and how much actual life<\/em> you\u2019re getting out of each day.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean you should abandon your ambition. But it does<\/em> mean that joy, connection, and presence deserve a spot on the calendar too.<\/p>\n

When I reflect on my friendship with David, I\u2019m grateful beyond measure. And after a near-death experience of my own, I\u2019ve come to understand just how finite \u2014 and how incredible \u2014 this one shot at life really is.<\/p>\n

Let this be your moment to pause. To shake something loose. Take a breath and check in with yourself. What does happiness look like to you? What kind of legacy are you building? And most of all, remember this:<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve come so far. You\u2019re valued. People love you. And there\u2019s still so much more life left to live.<\/p>\n

\n

Steve Fretzin is a bestselling author, host of the BE THAT LAWYER Podcast, and business development coach exclusively for attorneys. Steve has committed his career to helping lawyers learn key growth skills not currently taught in law school. His clients soon become top rainmakers and credit Steve\u2019s program and coaching for their success. He can be reached directly by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[email\u00a0protected]<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Or you can easily find him on his website at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>www.fretzin.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or LinkedIn at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stevefretzin\/<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, I was standing beside my friend and client David as he succumbed to his terminal illness. I\u2019m not sure if he can hear me or if he even understands my words as I tell him about the mundane things going on in my life. I want to tell him how much […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":118063,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/happy-diverse-team-lawyers-partner-with-associates-300x205-d63N37.jpeg?fit=300%2C205&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}