The power of gratitude by A. Harrison Barnes with the benefits of getting and keeping a job by being thankful explaining the dangers of negative thinking in attorneys during their searches for new employment without appreciating their jobs.

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The Power of Gratitude: Getting and Keeping a Job by
Being Thankful
[By A. Harrison Barnes]
Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude. - Wallace Wattles
After years of counseling attorneys during attorneys are taught to think and the ways What all of this says to me is that the
their searches for new employment, I have their arguments are consequently attacked practice of law does create some problems
realized that most attorneys do not appreciate and critiqued. A constant awareness for attorneys. It is not my role to judge
what they have and are, for the most part, of weakness, a constant need to be on the veracity of all of the reasons for these
ungrateful. I think there really is an epidemic guard, and a constant need to cover all problems; however, what I will say is that I
of sorts of ungratefulness among attorneys. shortcomings do not necessarily make for a believe that they exist. I also feel that a lot of
Most do not appreciate their jobs and are happy person. these problems exist because attorneys are
enormously critical of themselves and others- simply too hard on themselves. Attorneys
regardless of whether they are earning In order for attorneys to be effective in their often inflict their critical views of the world
$30,000 or $2 million per year. This lack of existing positions and successfully get new (which they need in order to be good at their
appreciation for what they have achieved and positions, they need to have gratitude and jobs) upon themselves. It is when this occurs
what they have holds most attorneys back put themselves in states where they are that the problems begin.
from reaching their full potential and results appreciating what they have achieved and
in a great deal of dissatisfaction with the what they are becoming. In this profession, Negative thinking does little good. There
practice of law. there is very little time spent on learning is a quote from Buddha that says, “All we
to appreciate the good and a great deal of are is a result of what we have thought.”
Most attorneys are extremely aware of time spent on comparing and cutting down. This is so true in the practice of law. By
what they do not have and what other This article will discuss how attorneys can constantly focusing on what is negative about
attorneys have. They are aware of where use the power of gratitude to become more their jobs, most attorneys end up attracting
they are working and what their employers effective in their current jobs, job searches, more negativity to their lives and careers.
pay compared to other employers. They and careers. The constant and never-ending focus most
are aware of what other attorneys in their attorneys place on what is not right about
offices are working on and what they are The Dangers of Negative Thinking and Not their jobs, what is not right about their
not working on. They are aware of how Being Grateful careers, and what needs to change serves
many hours they billed and how many hours only to attract more negativity to them.
many other attorneys in their offices billed. As part of my job, I often find myself having
They are aware of what sorts of cars they conversations with colleagues regarding When you focus on the negative in your
are driving and what sorts of cars other the states of mind of attorneys. Invariably, career, you are serving to attract more
attorneys are driving. Because attorneys much of this conversation tends to turn to negativity to you because this is what
continually obsess over these sorts of things, issues having to do with how depressed you are looking for. For example, if you
very few attorneys are able to find happiness many attorneys are, the prevalence of believe there are no opportunities in your
in their careers. suicide in law compared to its prevalence in law firm, you will constantly see your
other professions, the fact that the average working environment as a place with limited
In my life, I have had more than one career. litigator dies in his or her 50s, and the higher opportunities. When you see your world this
Compared to most professionals out there, incidence of divorce among attorneys. This way, you will look at everything happening
attorneys are more aware of what they list of supposed maladies continues almost around you as something that supports your
are lacking. This awareness about what is indefinitely, and I learn about new problems particular belief system. If you do not get
lacking probably has its roots in the ways quite often. a good assignment, you will believe there
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are no opportunities. If you see someone An example used by Festinger (1957) solid career options. I saw many enormously
leave your firm, you will believe there are may assist in elucidating the theory. capable attorneys give up the practice of law
no opportunities. If you hear something A habitual smoker who learns that completely.
negative about your firm from someone smoking is bad for health will experience
working there, you will believe there are no dissonance because the knowledge that In terms of cognitive dissonance, these
opportunities. smoking is bad for health is dissonant attorneys were simply looking for what
with the cognition that he continues to supported their belief system, which
In 1957, Leon Festinger wrote A Theory smoke. He can reduce the dissonance asserted that the market was bad.
of Cognitive Dissonance. This book has by changing his behavior; that is, he Everywhere they turned, they were seeing
generated thousands of studies and has could stop smoking, which would be evidence to support their belief that the
offered an extremely influential theory of consonant with the cognition that market was horrible. This ultimately led
social psychology. According to Festinger, if smoking is bad for health. Alternatively, many of them to leave the practice of law.
two cognitions are relevant to one another, the smoker could reduce dissonance by
they are constant when one follows from changing his cognition about the effect What also sticks out for me about this time is
the other, and they are dissonant when the of smoking on health and believe that that I saw many attorneys keep going despite
obverse (opposite) of one cognition follows smoking does not have a harmful effect the slow market. In fact, these sorts of
from the other. Because dissonance is on health (eliminating the dissonant attorneys actually seemed grateful that they
uncomfortable for people on a cognitive cognition). He might look for positive had a chance to look at new opportunities in
level, people are motivated to reduce effects of smoking and believe that the market. Some of these attorneys said
dissonance and avoid information likely smoking reduces tension and keeps him things like “Well, I am not sure if I want to
to increase the dissonance. The more from gaining weight (adding consonant work in Hong Kong or in New York. I’m going
dissonance there is, the more pressure there cognitions). Or he might believe that the to have to think about this.” I remember
is to reduce the dissonance. risk to health from smoking is negligible thinking to myself while listening to these
compared with the danger of automobile attorneys, “Are these people insane? They
In Eddie Harmon-Jones’ and Judson Mills’ accidents (reducing the importance of think they have a choice?”
Cognitive Dissonance: Progress on a Pivotal the dissonant cognition). In addition, he
Theory in Social Psychology, the authors write: might consider the enjoyment he gets Looking back, though, I realize that
from smoking to be a very important part there was something very powerful in
Dissonance can be reduced by removing of his life (increasing the importance of the psychology of these attorneys. They
dissonant cognitions, adding new consonant cognitions). believed they would consistently have
consonant cognitions, reducing the good and exciting careers, and they looked
importance of dissonant cognitions, In the case of an attorney practicing law- for information in their environments
or increasing the importance of or looking for a position-when you are to support this belief at all times. What
consonant cognitions. The likelihood not grateful and continually looking for ended up happening, of course, is that they
that a particular cognition will change to negativity, you will find it. In fact, you will consistently did find good positions, and
reduce dissonance is determined by the almost always find it. in a horrible time, their careers actually
resistance to change of the cognition. improved.
Cognitions that are less resistant to In the years 2001 and 2002, there was a
change will change more readily than catastrophically bad market for corporate The Benefits of Being Grateful
cognitions that are more resistant to attorneys (especially junior corporate
change. Resistance to change is based attorneys in the United States). During In order to be happier and do better in your
on the responsiveness of the cognition this time, most corporate attorneys current position and find new positions
to reality and on the extent to which the knew just how bad the market was and effectively, it is essential that you be grateful.
cognition is consonant with many other were very, very aware of the complete Gratitude has to do with the sort of energy
cognitions. Resistance to change of a dearth of opportunities. Most corporate you are focusing on. People who focus on
behavioral cognitive element depends attorneys faced with such dire prospects negative emotions and are ungrateful will
on the extent of pain or loss that must and knowledge about the market simply likely attract more of the same to them.
be endured and the satisfaction obtained “gave up” when they realized that the lack Whether you feel you do not make enough
from the behavior. of opportunities meant there were no more money, resent others, or are dissatisfied
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with your work, negative emotions will not ending. Being happy with what you have and By focusing on the positive, you will draw
take you forward to where you want to go. In who you are is a powerful, powerful thing more of the positive to you. In addition,
fact, these sorts of emotions will simply build that will enable you to consistently improve. focusing on the positive will improve your
upon themselves as they attract more of the outlook and how you feel about the world and
same sorts of emotions over and over again. When you view the world and your job your life.
positively, others will feel good when they
Cognitive dissonance theory says that if you are around you. Your employer and/or While I have always been interested in the
are upset with the world and your job, you potential employers will feel appreciated. studies focusing on the reasons attorneys
will tend to look for evidence that supports You will be more excited about your work and supposedly have so many difficulties, I also
your views. Is this what you are doing? If looking to make a difference. Clients will know that most of these difficulties would
you are doing this, you should immediately pick up on your enthusiasm and gratitude for not be present if the attorneys kept their
begin focusing on something positive. Like working for them and will want to give you focuses on being grateful for what they have.
attracts like. more work. The more you focus on being Being grateful for what you have will bring
excited and charged up about your work, the you more to be grateful for in your career
People who do well and excel cannot help better your work will look to you. and life.
focusing on positive emotions and being
grateful all the time. As you begin to think Conclusions
about and focus on what you are grateful
for, you will be amazed at how much there Instead of focusing on what you do not
is for you to continue to be grateful for. As have, focus on what you do have and what is
an attorney, you should be grateful that you positive about your career. Your career has
have come as far as you have. You should be tons of potential, and so do you. Make lists
grateful for opportunities to work on other of what is right about your career and what
peoples’ problems. If employed, you should you are doing well. Make lists of what is
be grateful that you have been hired to work good about your legal employer and why it is
on others’ problems. The process of being good. Make lists of colleagues you like and
grateful and looking for the positive is never- why you like them.
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