Lawyer vs Teacher

Lawyer vs Teacher

I’m not a fun person to argue with. When my pride kicks in, I find it all too easy to use my legal training to cross examine others and back them into a corner with leading questions. As you can imagine, Corlette hates it when I go into attorney mode. But God...
If Your Enemy Needs Electricity

If Your Enemy Needs Electricity

Rich, a dear friend of mine, had a horrible conflict with his neighbor, Cynthia. A property line dispute that began with debates in the back yard had evolved into heated arguments. Eventually Cynthia filed a lawsuit. As an attorney and certified conciliator, Rich felt...
Have You Ever Been This Kind?

Have You Ever Been This Kind?

When was the last time you did something that was so amazingly kind that others will remember your actions the rest of their lives? If it’s been awhile, I encourage you to take two minutes to watch a video clip of some young men who refused to play basketball against...
Manipulative Double Messages

Manipulative Double Messages

One of the most effective ways to undermine a relationship is to use double-messages to manipulate other people. This all-too-common process was perfectly illustrated in a recent edition of Baby Blues, one of my favorite cartoon strips. Wanda has clearly mastered the...
The Three Faces of Fear

The Three Faces of Fear

Fear usually triggers one of three reactions: control, anger or withdrawal (the latter two actually being forms of the first). This is a key insight for improving both your self-awareness and your other-awareness: whenever you encounter control, anger, or withdrawal,...
Giving a Kidney Models RW

Giving a Kidney Models RW

Before I became a lawyer, I worked as an engineer on a team that designed hemodialysis machines. While talking with patients going through dialysis, I learned how hard it is to live without a kidney. Therefore, when I heard about a taxi driver who gave his kidney to a...