Like many professionals, I was unhappy with my current situation but did not change because I felt uncertain about my alternatives. I kept seeing glitches in the system, and I couldn’t unsee them. I was living in a beautiful place, spending my weekends hiking, skiing, or kayaking, and making more money than I thought I could ever spend. My colleagues were brilliant, and my clients were amazing. I was an intellectual property attorney working in a large, multinational law firm. Have you ever seen the Matrix? That’s probably the easiest way to explain it.” I told them the truth: “There’s no quick and easy solution. It was sad to hear how so many brilliant men and women chose to stay in jobs that made them unhappy when making a move-even within the legal profession-could have made a huge difference. By the end of the day, no less than ten lawyers asked me how I escaped my corporate law job. There was a collective head snap, and thankfully, the stares relaxed into smiles.

In one breath, I introduced myself and said, “I used to be an intellectual property attorney at a large law firm, and now I’m a psychologist and a professor.” Most attendees were either partners or associates at large law firms.

At lunch, we went around the table introducing ourselves. Recently, I attended my first CLE since I left the full-time practice of law. It’s the beginning of a new year, and like many attorneys, I’m not only breaking my resolutions but also scrambling to cram in my continuing legal education or CLE credits before the winter grace period ends.

Red pill blue pill matrix quote