"The human being is simultaneously that which he is and that which he yearns to be." Abraham Maslow.

Maslow was another Honest Abe. He taught us that we can be happy under very adverse circumstances if we are engaging in work that seems to be using our talents and making some progress. "If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away, I'd still swim,” he said. “And I'd despise the one who gave up."

Lately, I have not been very happy in my work. It feels like I am swimming and swimming in an ocean with no sight of the shore. I am not a quitter, but I have had to stop exhausting myself to get my bearings.

The person I yearn to be is a professional who can deliver good service at a fair price.  I want to be usefully employed.  And I want to work with other people who are useful and well-paid in an economy that is making progress toward the establishment of peace, order and justice.  This was the American Dream of an entire middle class and it once seemed to be obtainable and sustainable.

What is obtainable and sustainable?

The difference between optimism and cynicism is not in the assessment of what is true about the world.  The same set of circumstances can be an exciting challenge to one person and a cause for despair to another.  The difference in outlook depends on whether today’s tally is accepted as the final score. 

 I often rely on Abraham Maslow to get my bearings.  He was a psychologist who saw the depths of human motivations, and who lived his own life according to his philosophy.  An optimist but no Pollyana, he showed scientifically that if we truly connect our deepest values with our highest aspirations, we will be moved into action.  Maslow names this process “impulse voices from within.” 

 My own despair is because the economic rules have changed. Today’s legal costs have raised the price-tag of peace, order and justice to the point of unfairness to the middle classes. We who were raised to believe that we were the engine of the economy are all discouraged.  Most of us believe that our financial resources will be insufficient to meet our needs in the future.

Affordable Legal Services

            Like spiraling health care costs, high prices for legal services seemingly bar consumers from obtaining competent professional advice and assistance in matters that impact inheritance, real estate, business dealings, and caring for the young, the elderly and the disabled. People buy cheap substitutes, or do-it-yourself kits.  Or they simply procrastinate until a crisis. 

If I have caught you while you are in the doldrums of procrastination or when you are on the verge of making a hasty decision, please let me be of service with this totally free and useful advice:

 1.  Research your issue.  Don’t let sales pitches substitute for professional opinions.  Ask the friend who tells you that you need a revocable living trust how come he is making the suggestion.  If you are unemployed and need to be self-employed, get books and read about how to form a business entity and structure a business plan.  Understand that there are no one-size-fits-all-solutions in the law. 

 2.  Help others recover from traumatic encounters with the legal system.  What happened to someone else does not have to happen to you.  Take the time to listen carefully to the stories of nay-sayers.  When someone has a bad experience, her brain will blow up the memory of it in order to help her avoid a repetition.  Jilted lovers, accident victims, fired employees will advise you not to trust men, or travel on highways, or work for a large corporation.  Help her to deflate her fears and you may find your own courage as well.

 3.  Seek suggestions from various disciplines.  Talk with a lawyer about what your accountant said.  Talk with a clergy person about what the lawyer said.  Test your plan of action with the mentors (both internalized and in-person) who have helped you grow in self-confidence and wisdom.

 4.  Avoid professionals who speak to you in lingo. Every profession has its own vocabulary. When you are eavesdropping on a conversation between doctors, accountants or archeologists, you are likely to be totally in the dark about what they are saying. But when you ask a professional a direct question in plain English, you should receive a response that respects and employs the richness of our shared language. A good communicator takes responsibility that his message will be understood. 

 5.  Do the work.  At some point in our lives each of us has cried out: “Just tell me what to do.”  Whether the problem was a friend who betrayed us or a computer that crashed, a panicked need for supervision is not a reliable adult impulse. Consult a professional.  Expertise provides an over-view.  An expert knows what your action-choices might be. An expert should be able to help you in understanding your choices.  But there is work for you to do in reaching a decision.  You have to reach.  Reach deep into yourself.  Reach out for guidance. Reach up for inspiration. 

I believe in the Value of What I do.

 Legal problems affect our health, our property, our relationships with family and the legacy by which each of us will be remembered.  To help people with their legal problems is worthy work  Lately, I have been dissatisfied with my toolkit. Lately I have met with new twists and turns in paths that used to be straight.  But I am a seasoned veteran and I know that human systems draw on many intelligent people working together. 

 When I assess this situation, I notice that the people and the problems that come through my door each day are challenging my skills.  Things are not easy.  Maslow does not say we are satisfied with tasks that are easy.  Satisfaction comes in accurately perceiving the role that we play and truly believing that progress is being made.