Of the many, Many, MANY things I have crammed into my brain in the past 3 weeks, one thing sticks out as being the most sanity securing idea ever...Pick two things that you enjoy that you want to continue doing during law school, and continue doing them.
When I first read that I thought, don't be ridiculous, I'll have time for more than two things. Um...further reflection leads me to say, no, not so much the case. I'm not speaking in hyperbole when I say I have put more effort into the last three weeks than I did my entire freshman year of undergrad. I'm not sure if that's depressing or simply a testament to my seriousness about this lawyering thing. In any case, it's a lot of work, and this is just one class.
But even with just one class, I realize the importance of balance. Are we seeing a bit of a coincidence with my self-professed year of balance? (while not widely reported on, a huge success on most accounts)... I spent the entire first half of this year working on balancing myself to get ready for this "adventure", and I'll be damned if I give up on it now. The last three weeks may have careened wildly out of control but I chalk that unbalance up to, working & school, out-of-town visitors, and basic terror. I've got three more weeks of class, and then three weeks of freedom before it starts for real. I plan to get the equilibrium back.
And based on what little I have learned at this point, I say that one of the things I'm not giving up...reading...I will continue to read for pleasure. There's not going to be a lot of pleasure reading, but there are few things in the world that bring me as much joy as reading, and I think giving it up would be a severe detriment to my sanity.
The other thing I am not giving up is a little more intangible. Me... I'm not giving up myself.
These last few years; in Seattle especially, I feel like I've really come into my own. I know who I am, what I want, what I like, and what I don't. Maybe it's cheating, because there are a lot of things I can roll into the idea of not giving up myself, but I'm gonna try. Using the balance I have tried to perfect in the past few months, I will not give up juggling, knitting, puns, Battlestar Galactica, playing with the cats, blogging, cooking, laughing, running, friends, journaling, trying to garden, James McAvoy, discussing Harry Potter, naps...I will not give up the things that make me, me.
Sounds like a tall order? Well, if all goes as planned, you'll be able to mark my success in future blogs.
