Finding Peace in Each Breath

Description

I’m about as American as it gets – 4th generation San Franciscan on one side and on the other, descended from Jews who fled Europe to Canada first, then quietly made their way down into Nebraska with what they could carry, which our family is pretty sure didn’t include anything fancy or legal, like immigration papers.

I was raised to believe in the pursuit of happiness and that when the going gets tough, the tough get going: those characteristically American endeavors. I see the wisdom in both. I’ve done both, most of my life.

I can also feel the stress in in both – in the constant pursuit, and in being tough and getting going, again and again and again.

It’s possible that this strategy is not altogether a bad one, especially for lawyers who are ambitious or deeply committed or both. But at the very least it’s missing a component: peace. And I’m not convinced peace is available in the pursuit.