The Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief

You Are Not Your Thoughts: Building Resilience and Well-Being Through Mindfulness

“There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing.”-Brian Tracy

Welcome (back) to the Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief! Each week, I share insights and practical strategies to help us cultivate well-being and thrive — both personally and professionally. This week, we are looking at our thoughts.

Have you ever had a thought that shocked you? Something harsh, self-critical, or even completely out of character? You’re not alone. We all experience thoughts that seem intrusive, irrational, or unsettling. The important thing to remember is this: we are not our thoughts.

Thoughts are like clouds drifting across the sky of your mind — some are light and fluffy, others dark and heavy — but none of them define the sky itself. They come and go. Some are helpful, some are not. Mindfulness teaches us that we don’t have to grab onto every thought and take it as truth. Instead, we can observe them, acknowledge them, and let them pass.

Why Thoughts Don’t Define Us

Our minds produce thousands of thoughts a day — random, reactive, repetitive. Many are shaped by our past, our…