rix78's Xanga

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:23:55 GMT

This is my last post from the Law Offices of Oddenino & Gaule. A placed that has provided many good memories and worthy challenges. I'm glad to go, but I'll miss it here too. On to the next step....

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 16:13:19 GMT

It's Tuesday. Two more days until I leave my job here for good. I'm bored out of my mind right now. I think two weeks notice was more than enough. Now I'm just finishing out the remaining days of what feels like a prison sentence. This feeling of unproductivity is life draining.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:54:05 GMT

It's Monday. Three more days until I leave my current job. I'm excited about what is in store next. A little anxious about the uncertainty, but thankful that I'm closing a chapter on my time here.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 17:53:20 GMT

I have the absolutely most beautiful, sweetest, cutest, funniest, and most amazing girlfriend! Soomi rocks my world! And no I'm not writing this because she might be reading this, because I tell her so already. And I don't care if everyone else thinks this is cheesy. Anyone that knows me, knows that I have enough cheesy-ness in me to fill the state of Wisconsin. (See even that line was cheesy.) I can't contain myself.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 21:16:11 GMT

I feel absolutely paralyzed right now as I sit in my office knowing that I'll be leaving my job next week. My 15 months at my current law firm has been an interesting roller coaster of emotion. I've experienced great challenge and excitement practicing law for the first year. I've also experience absolute frustration and difficulty, feeling like I'm not where I need to be. I still want to practice law because I feel like I've been gifted to do it well and that I'm passionate for the cause of justice. I feel like as a lawyer I've been equipped to deal with the root causes of injustice in our society. Yet I feel so far from actually seeing myself bear fruit in this area.

I only hope and pray that when my last day is over and I step into the great unknown that God will guide my path and open a door for me to a more fulfilling practice area. Time for more transition in my life. But then again the only constant in life is change, right?

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Sat, 03 Dec 2005 00:33:57 GMT

Breaking news...I'm quitting my job. I submitted my letter of resignation this past Wednesday. My last official day is December 14. Just couldn't hack it anymore here. The people are cool, and for the most part my bosses have been good, except one of them who lately has be difficult to work for. Ultimately, it was the fact that I hated family law. I didn't go through three years of law school to become a divorce attorney. I hated dealing with those messy situations and didn't feel like I did a whole lot of good.

I hope my next step will be more fulfilling.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 20:56:08 GMT

I recently saw the movie "Walk the Line" about the late rock icon Johnny Cash. It's really worth seeing if you haven't caught it yet. I was really moved by the movie's portrayal of a "good man" dealing with his own inner demons. The movie depicted Cash's struggle with drug addiction, as well as his love affair with June Carter, who eventually became his wife for over 30 years. I think Cash's life is a testament of God's grace, and how God loves to give us all second chances to restore our often broken lives. It will be interesting to see if this movie gets any Oscar nods, considering another singer biography, "Ray," won for Best Picture last year.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 19:59:48 GMT

The holidays are rapidly approaching. I must say that I'm really looking forward to them. It'll be nice to get some time to relax and slow down. I've come to the realization that I used to have much more good days than bad days at work. The ratio was like 90/10 or 80/20. Now for some reason, I'm starting to feel like the lackluster days outnumber the good ones. Either I'm hovering around 50/50 or 40/60. If this trend continues then some drastic measures may have to be taken.

God grant me wisdom as I try to figure this work stuff out.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 20:20:24 GMT

Well, after my last posting on the topic of motivation. I find myself very deflated right now. It's been a tough work week. I'm so looking forward to the weekend, but it feels so short lived. But enough about what isn't cool about my life.

On Wednesday the small group that I've been a part of for the last year had a meeting and we discussed what it means to be part of a spiritual community. I've been burnt out on co-leading the group and needed to voice honestly how I was feeling. As a group we knew that we had something special in our connection to one another and we all wanted to continue on this journey together. Well to make a long story shorter, we all decided to take ownership of our small group and commit to investing more into each other's lives. I'm excited to see what the future has in store for us.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 00:02:59 GMT

The start of the work week has me thinking about the topic of motivation. What motivates us as human beings?

Certainly, many things, and if we're honest, some good and some bad. Pure ambition. Selfishness. Money. Sex. Power. Indeed, all the things that make up a good rap song.

But we're also motivated to do good. Altruism, selflessness, improving the lives of others, and love are all inspirational to us. The goal then must be to be motivated by these higher desires of ours. Desires that only God can highten and bring to life more fully in us.

I've been musing on this issue because I've noticed in my legal practice certain types of cases fire me up more than others. While the intellectual challenge of certain cases is appealing, ultimately it's when I'm working on a case that provides a real opportunity to do justice that gets me going. Whether it's righting a wrong or helping out someone that really needs legal assistance. It's these things that motivate me.

So to make a long rant shorter, I guess what I'm looking for in future career direction, is a position that allows me to do more good on a daily basis. While I'm able to do some of that at my current job, and I'm learning a lot, I know that my calling lies elsewhere.

So what about you? What motivates your life?