Pursuits of Happiness |
JEB : And that is what helps you focus better in your practice ? JG : Correct .
JEB : Correct , and then the physical part also helps you focus better in your practice ?
JG : The physical part makes you feel better and obviously one performs better when one ’ s mind and body are oxygenated .
JEB : Right . And it ’ s a balance , right , because even the quote that I just read was about bringing peace to others in peace , but you are in an art that involves fighting and you are in a profession that involves fighting . So is there a way to be engaged in a profession that involves fighting in a peaceful way ?
JG : I think we all have dealt with lawyers that are consumed with being belligerent and confrontational . Quite frankly , I view those lawyers as insecure and weak in a very fundamental way . There is a big difference between an aggressive advocate and a jerk . Aggressive advocates can sometimes be very effective . Jerks almost never are . So that is the key about being aggressive without being a belligerent jerk ...
JEB : Is to not let it consume you . That makes sense .
JG : Yes , because I tend to think that conducting oneself consumed by the aggression leads to other behaviors that are problematic for people in their personal lives . We don ’ t see it because we only deal with
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those people professionally . But I guarantee you those behaviors are there in their personal lives also and can wind up causing them real problems .
JEB : These interviews focus on worklife balance and unfortunately , some of the people I talked to found that they had to retire to fully pursue whatever their passion was where some of the younger ones felt like that could continue a balance . But I ’ m hopeful that you are not retiring in order to give 100 % effort to karate , but you are still finding that you can balance them both ? JG : Yes .
JEB : Even at almost 60 ?
JG : Yes . I think that , well certainly I don ’ t practice as much as I would like to . When I retire , I certainly want to practice more and my bucket list still contains 3 or 4 other martial arts that I want to experience .
JEB : A bucket list of martial arts ….
JG : … yes , when I retire . But in the meantime , I think that you still must find a balance during your law practice , otherwise , you are going to give an ill accounting of yourself when the time comes to look back on your life and evaluate if it was all misspent .
JEB : Right . You only live once , so you have to do something that excites you but you also have to put food on the table …
JG : Yes , that is correct . Now , I will tell you one thing that weighs on my mind at
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the age of 60 is that if I was my father , I would have 3 years left to live . I am thus glad that I have not waited to pursue my passions .
JEB : Right , well , not necessarily for you . But you are obviously taking care of your mind and your body and I assume you plan to live to 100 .
JG : Well , that ’ s right , but I mean if you put off the things that are important until after you retire , you may never get there .
JEB : You may never get there . So would your advice to our readers be to not wait to pursue your passions ?
JG : I would not wait and it ’ s a cliché , but I think one has to make time for these things because ultimately , if you don ’ t , you may regret it .
JEB : And you have a successful practice , and you do put food on the table .
JG : Some days it is actually much more successful than is manageable . I am fortunate that my practice has been successful . There are times when it ’ s a struggle to pursue my passions in spite of that . Most days when I get up in the morning I say “ gee , I really should get into the office early and not go train because I have something that I really have to do .” So it is a constant struggle trying to maintain that balance .
JEB : The argument in your head . JG : Yup .
JEB : The fight about which thing is more important . JG : Exactly .
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JEB : So you stated that the practice of martial arts has governed your life and your practice . Do you have a quote or mantra that describes this or keeps you going ?
JG : I guess I would summarize it with an old GoJu proverb , and I sometimes actually say this to myself when I walk through the door here in the morning , going back to the meaning of GoJu , which is hard / soft : “ be as hard as the world makes you be and as soft as the world lets you be .”
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JEB : Yeah , that ’ s brilliant . Seems like helpful words to live by and totally relevant to the practice of the law . I think I ’ ll have to end the interview here , and leave that thought hanging . Thank you so much for sharing . JG : And thank you . It was a pleasure . |
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Do you want to nominate yourself or a fellow VBA member to be interviewed for Pursuits of Happiness ? Email me at jeb @ vtbar . org .
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