The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 39/90 – I Love My Clients

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 39 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I feel satisfied with my work.

    I Hustled My Face Off Today (H/T to Gary Vaynerchuk for the slogan)
    I Hustled My Face Off Today (H/T to Gary Vaynerchuk for the slogan)

    Today was one of those days where I felt like I was doing client work almost nonstop. I’m working on a few custom contracts and I had to consultations today. During one of my consultations, I felt like I was going on mile a minute talking about intellectual property and social media legal issues. I paused and asked my client if you understood what I was saying, and he said, “Yes, this is exactly what we need.” I loved that. I love when I know what I do is making a difference in my clients’ lives.

    As an existentialist, it is imperative that what I do creates significant tangible differences on others or my surroundings, because if it doesn’t, then why am I here? (Yes, these are real issues and thoughts that I grapple with on a regular basis.)

    And can I say that my clients are freakin’ awesome? I love the how smart, creative, and diligent they are. The majority of them are in absolute joy to work for.

    In case you missed it: Day 38 of the 90 Days of Awesome – So Happy for my Friend who Got some Incredible News!

  • Day 38/90 – Happy Dance

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 38 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I got awesome news from a friend in the Bay Area!

    All Smiles for my Friend Today!
    All Smiles for my Friend Today!

    For as long as I’ve known one of my friends, he’s had Hepatitis C. (In my life before law school, I was a mental health therapist for people living with HIV and Hepatitis C. I’ve seen some of the medical issues that they have to deal with first-hand.) This friend has been dealing with a lot of medical issues this year. Although I don’t wish medical issues on anyone, it was nice to have someone to commiserate with when I was going through the medical mystery of my chest pains and heart problems this last winter.)

    My friend tried a new Hepatitis C treatment this year that was brutal for him. He sounded so miserable, but it was discomfort he was willing to endure for the chance to clear the virus from his system. I got an email this morning from my friend – the treatment worked! He’s Hep-C-free!

    Hearing that news was a great way to start my day.

    In case you missed it: Day 37 of the 90 Days of Awesome was less than awesome, but I’m still trudging the road.

  • Day 37/90 – Grumble Grumble

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    Ruth Carter

    It’s Day 37 of the 90 Days of Awesome, but to be honest, today didn’t feel awesome. When I thought about writing this post, my mind went blank when I tried to recall what made today awesome.

    Sometimes I have to work to remember this. Photo by Sheila Dee, used with permission.
    Sometimes I have to work to remember this. Photo by Sheila Dee, used with permission.

    There was nothing particularly bad about today. There were plenty of things that made me happy in the moment – client work, standing desk, dictation software, writing two blog posts, submitting a proposal to speak at a conference – but I felt like today was more of a day rather than an awesome day.

    I noticed I’m more irritable than usual, which can be a slippery slope from me. I hate when I get easily annoyed at stupid stuff. If I ask the question, “What the fuck is wrong with me?,” I know the simple answer is along the lines of, “You’re a trauma survivor,” or “You’re an addict.” Those answers feel glib tonight, though I suspect Occam’s Razor would agree with that.

    Being in recovery has taught me that when I’m on and comfortable, it’s best to HALT. “HALT” stands for hungry, angry/anxious, lonely, and tired – four keep triggers for addicts. So let’s apply it:

    • Am I hungry? No. On the contrary, my stomach hurts.
    • Am I angry? More irritable than angry.
    • Am I anxious? Always.
    • Am I lonely? A bit. However, I won’t let most people near me right now. No offense, but most of you annoy me too much.
    • Am I tired? Yes. I’ve had crap sleep for the last two nights.

    So now what? I got to go to bed. Hopefully a good night’s sleep will help me have an awesome day tomorrow.

    Or as Matthew McConaughey would say, “Just keep livin.”

    In case you missed it: Day 36 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Sitting Second Chair in a Courtroom!