Balanced Lives and Women in Law4 August 2011 by Anne Kirkpatrick Brown
Everything we do now is aimed at being “bigger, better, faster.” All of the sudden, the explosion of technological advancement has transformed our world into one that functions on a global scale. Information is moving at a dizzying rate and we are all breaking our necks to keep up.
The traditional 40 hour work week has become a thing of the past. Doctors work upwards of 60 hours a week, sometimes even 80 or 90 hours. Lawyers these days are expected to work at least 60 hours a week, sometimes significantly more. Many people work two, even three jobs just to pay the bills.
We have become so obsessed with efficiency and the bottom line, so concerned with the end result, that we’ve lost sight of the things in life that make us balanced and happy people.
This is what Dr. Linda Spedding is trying to change through her work with Balanced Lives, Women in Law and her own law practice. She has facilitated a forum through these groups to teach lawyers how to bring spirituality and balance into their lives amidst the whirlwind of today’s society.
She is forging vital avenues of communication between lawyers in an effort to connect them on a global scale. Her goal is to change the face of law by creating a judicial system that does not promote and perpetuate conflict, but instead one that resolves conflict and results in a satisfactory resolution for all involved (the lawyer included).
As one of a handful of lawyers who is eligible to practice law in three jurisdictions (US, England and Wales, and India), she has the connections and the knowledge to turn her vision of balance and healing into action. And this is exactly what she is doing, in her law practice, in her writing and in her life.
When Dr. Linda Spedding became a lawyer in 1975, women were still a novelty in the field of law. She says of this experience, “My early years of practice took place when women lawyers were few and it was unusual to advance without a legal family tradition or connections.” But she advanced nonetheless, thanks to an acute intelligence and a strong vision of positive change.
Dr. Spedding has always possessed a vested interest in people and improving the self in her life and in the lives of others, what she calls practical spirituality. “As I matured and traveled extensively, particularly after going to India and assisting a humanitarian ethnic minority charity, I developed a greater interest in taking responsibility for self, having positive thought and a balanced lifestyle.”
Experiences like this spurred Dr. Spedding to bring this ideology to her professional law practice—“I found that I did not fit into the usual lawyers’ chargeable hour lifestyle, and after some experience with that, politics and power play in various firms and organizations of different size and origin, evolved my own consultancy practice.”
In pursuit of this goal to enlighten other lawyers, Women in Law was conceived. “Observing the profession’s decline from a position of respect in society to an – often – unnecessary evil, I returned to consider how my substantive practical experience could be used to make a difference: hence Women in Law.”
This is a project that Dr. Spedding, as an international lawyer- and legal author and editor – initiated in 2002. In her own words, the exchange of ideas through Women in Law will “enable a vital support system to lawyers wherever they practice.” She believes that Women in Law will be able to provide “mentoring, life coaching; professional training; positive change in legal practice and professional life, drafting and writing.”
This project “emphasizes lifework balance” and encourages “open debate, communication and the sharing of experiences—good and bad—from women throughout the world” in order to come to reasonable solutions with firms who do not offer flexible work schedules to women who want to practice law and care for their families. Women in Law strives to teach lawyers how to balance their personal and professional lives so they can attain true happiness. It focuses on the wellbeing of lawyers as well as their clients.
Women in Law enables lawyers to give and receive advice (in governance, environmental, sustainability issues). It is a channel of communication that Dr. Linda Spedding has created.
Below is an excerpt from the article “A Question of Balance” by Dr. Linda Spedding that was published in the second issue of Women in Law’s online newsletter:
“A Question of Balance”By: Dr. Linda Spedding
My qualifications have granted me passport to a way of life that enables self-sufficiency, flexibility and fun; but the real basis for my life has been my interest in ‘practical spirituality.’ According to the dictionary, balance is stability of mind and body. I propose a definition based upon the acronym:
Be always loving and naturally calm everywhere.
We all need inspiration for a happy healthy life. For every individual the inspiration can be different. In my life, this has largely come through my interest in the power of the mind and thought that has developed with Adhyatmik Foundation, Inc and associated organizations. “Adhyatmik” is a Sanskrit word meaning “enhancement and advancement of body, mind and self.” The rich culture, philosophy and way of life demonstrated by the Sanskrit Vedic texts are exemplary, enabling profound understanding of the meaning of life: their relevance is profound and practical for all in this hectic changing society.
Maintaining a Balanced Approach in Life:
Maintaining balance is the key to professional and personal success. The human being has devised many and varied approaches to satisfy herself physically, mentally and psychologically. Passing fads abound in terms of diets, forms of exercise and hobbies. Then, a time comes when all these methods become exposed as charades. You can feel empty—a failure. A much greater need is experienced, and that need, the demand for spiritual fulfillment, will always be there. It can be compared to a continuous pain. My experience is that the more you grow in spiritual understanding, the more you will be able to receive and to reflect true happiness. It is something that once attained becomes inexhaustible. This happiness cannot be bought, it cannot be found—it must be earned, earned by pure thought and action: it may be earned through selflessness, devotion, dedication, faith, service, sacrifice and humility. It will involve your heart and soul.
I believe that the mind is the only instrument given to the human being to triumph over worldly materialism—described in Sanskrit as the play of the world, maya, illusion. According to this philosophy, the mind can be purified by positive of contemplative thoughts. Negative thoughts can—literally—poison your mind. My approach in the spirit of practical spirituality is to try to avoid expectations, to embrace change, to live in the present and to be flexible in all things as far as possible. The Vedic philosophy or way of life emphasizes the importance of change and a positive attitude.
The mind is also influenced by everything that enters your body: food, drink, the air you breathe, skin cosmetics, etc. . . . You must develop a keen sense of awareness of what is healthful and pure versus those things that have been contaminated with chemicals, dyes and preservatives. In all of this, the key is to take responsibility for yourself, your happiness, your health and your prosperity. It is my view that there is no doubt that eventually you will achieve total happiness in this way. If you make complete faith and patience your companions on the journey, any unhappiness, doubt or confusion will vanish like a cloud. Life is meant to be a happy experience—whatever you age—that you can share with your loved ones.
At Adhyatmik Foundation and Balanced Lives, we have developed some modern day tips for life that may seem simplistic and yet are effective:
Successful Communication
Assertiveness
Positive Thinking
Listening
Cultural Awareness
Contemplative Practices for Effectiveness/Creativity
Stress/Time Management
Building and Retaining Sustainable Relationships
Positive Interaction
Personal and Professional Happiness
So smile and begin to Be always loving and naturally calm everywhere.
Everything we do now is aimed at being “bigger, better, faster.” All of the sudden, the explosion of technological advancement has transformed our world into one that functions on a global scale. Information is moving at a dizzying rate and we are all breaking our necks to keep up.
The traditional 40 hour work week has become a thing of the past. Doctors work upwards of 60 hours a week, sometimes even 80 or 90 hours. Lawyers these days are expected to work at least 60 hours a week, sometimes significantly more. Many people work two, even three jobs just to pay the bills.
We have become so obsessed with efficiency and the bottom line, so concerned with the end result, that we’ve lost sight of the things in life that make us balanced and happy people.
This is what Dr. Linda Spedding is trying to change through her work with Balanced Lives, Women in Law and her own law practice. She has facilitated a forum through these groups to teach lawyers how to bring spirituality and balance into their lives amidst the whirlwind of today’s society.
She is forging vital avenues of communication between lawyers in an effort to connect them on a global scale. Her goal is to change the face of law by creating a judicial system that does not promote and perpetuate conflict, but instead one that resolves conflict and results in a satisfactory resolution for all involved (the lawyer included).
As one of a handful of lawyers who is eligible to practice law in three jurisdictions (US, England and Wales, and India), she has the connections and the knowledge to turn her vision of balance and healing into action. And this is exactly what she is doing, in her law practice, in her writing and in her life.
When Dr. Linda Spedding became a lawyer in 1975, women were still a novelty in the field of law. She says of this experience, “My early years of practice took place when women lawyers were few and it was unusual to advance without a legal family tradition or connections.” But she advanced nonetheless, thanks to an acute intelligence and a strong vision of positive change.
Dr. Spedding has always possessed a vested interest in people and improving the self in her life and in the lives of others, what she calls practical spirituality. “As I matured and traveled extensively, particularly after going to India and assisting a humanitarian ethnic minority charity, I developed a greater interest in taking responsibility for self, having positive thought and a balanced lifestyle.”
Experiences like this spurred Dr. Spedding to bring this ideology to her professional law practice—“I found that I did not fit into the usual lawyers’ chargeable hour lifestyle, and after some experience with that, politics and power play in various firms and organizations of different size and origin, evolved my own consultancy practice.”
In pursuit of this goal to enlighten other lawyers, Women in Law was conceived. “Observing the profession’s decline from a position of respect in society to an – often – unnecessary evil, I returned to consider how my substantive practical experience could be used to make a difference: hence Women in Law.”
This is a project that Dr. Spedding, as an international lawyer- and legal author and editor – initiated in 2002. In her own words, the exchange of ideas through Women in Law will “enable a vital support system to lawyers wherever they practice.” She believes that Women in Law will be able to provide “mentoring, life coaching; professional training; positive change in legal practice and professional life, drafting and writing.”
This project “emphasizes lifework balance” and encourages “open debate, communication and the sharing of experiences—good and bad—from women throughout the world” in order to come to reasonable solutions with firms who do not offer flexible work schedules to women who want to practice law and care for their families. Women in Law strives to teach lawyers how to balance their personal and professional lives so they can attain true happiness. It focuses on the wellbeing of lawyers as well as their clients.
Women in Law enables lawyers to give and receive advice (in governance, environmental, sustainability issues). It is a channel of communication that Dr. Linda Spedding has created.
Below is an excerpt from the article “A Question of Balance” by Dr. Linda Spedding that was published in the second issue of Women in Law’s online newsletter:
“A Question of Balance”By: Dr. Linda Spedding
My qualifications have granted me passport to a way of life that enables self-sufficiency, flexibility and fun; but the real basis for my life has been my interest in ‘practical spirituality.’ According to the dictionary, balance is stability of mind and body. I propose a definition based upon the acronym:
Be always loving and naturally calm everywhere.
We all need inspiration for a happy healthy life. For every individual the inspiration can be different. In my life, this has largely come through my interest in the power of the mind and thought that has developed with Adhyatmik Foundation, Inc and associated organizations. “Adhyatmik” is a Sanskrit word meaning “enhancement and advancement of body, mind and self.” The rich culture, philosophy and way of life demonstrated by the Sanskrit Vedic texts are exemplary, enabling profound understanding of the meaning of life: their relevance is profound and practical for all in this hectic changing society.
Maintaining a Balanced Approach in Life:
Maintaining balance is the key to professional and personal success. The human being has devised many and varied approaches to satisfy herself physically, mentally and psychologically. Passing fads abound in terms of diets, forms of exercise and hobbies. Then, a time comes when all these methods become exposed as charades. You can feel empty—a failure. A much greater need is experienced, and that need, the demand for spiritual fulfillment, will always be there. It can be compared to a continuous pain. My experience is that the more you grow in spiritual understanding, the more you will be able to receive and to reflect true happiness. It is something that once attained becomes inexhaustible. This happiness cannot be bought, it cannot be found—it must be earned, earned by pure thought and action: it may be earned through selflessness, devotion, dedication, faith, service, sacrifice and humility. It will involve your heart and soul.
I believe that the mind is the only instrument given to the human being to triumph over worldly materialism—described in Sanskrit as the play of the world, maya, illusion. According to this philosophy, the mind can be purified by positive of contemplative thoughts. Negative thoughts can—literally—poison your mind. My approach in the spirit of practical spirituality is to try to avoid expectations, to embrace change, to live in the present and to be flexible in all things as far as possible. The Vedic philosophy or way of life emphasizes the importance of change and a positive attitude.
The mind is also influenced by everything that enters your body: food, drink, the air you breathe, skin cosmetics, etc. . . . You must develop a keen sense of awareness of what is healthful and pure versus those things that have been contaminated with chemicals, dyes and preservatives. In all of this, the key is to take responsibility for yourself, your happiness, your health and your prosperity. It is my view that there is no doubt that eventually you will achieve total happiness in this way. If you make complete faith and patience your companions on the journey, any unhappiness, doubt or confusion will vanish like a cloud. Life is meant to be a happy experience—whatever you age—that you can share with your loved ones.
At Adhyatmik Foundation and Balanced Lives, we have developed some modern day tips for life that may seem simplistic and yet are effective:
Successful Communication
Assertiveness
Positive Thinking
Listening
Cultural Awareness
Contemplative Practices for Effectiveness/Creativity
Stress/Time Management
Building and Retaining Sustainable Relationships
Positive Interaction
Personal and Professional Happiness
So smile and begin to Be always loving and naturally calm everywhere.