Just remember 5 years ago, you dreamed about being where you are now!
Well, I did it! I managed to get sick…not just any sick…definitely not Covid sick…. But sick enough to feel like my head was floating between my ears. Super disorientated and exhausted. Do you know the irony? On Sunday night, I had completed my planning for the week, files ready to go, tasks organized, letters drafted, case law research complete…and with an extra hour on my hands, I thought it would be a great idea to complete a healing meditation. You know – positive thinking and all that?!
Since 2017, I have been dealing with an odd auto-immune disorder, it took until February of 2020 to receive my diagnosis of IGG4 affecting my eyes. Don’t google images if you do not have a strong stomach! So – I decide, Sunday night, that I am going to focus my energy on healing, positive thoughts, inflammation reduction and pure vitality…
I did something wrong… Monday morning I woke up…as they say ‘sick as a dog’. It is simply a cold, lets be real. But this one kicked me in the proverbial behind. Knocked me off my feet and had me truly considering what went wrong. After all, I did ask the Universe for healing…I just didn’t think it would give me the cold of all colds to help me process my healing. Watch what you ask for!
Well, as you do when you are down in the illness dumps, I may have been experiencing a self-pity party while scrolling on my phone. Up popped a post that grabbed my attention…
“Just remember 5 years ago, you dreamed about being where you are now”.
This hit me hard. Gratitude has been a common theme and practice in my life. But sometimes I feel disconnected from the feeling of gratitude. I.e. I could list all of the things I am grateful for…but, struggled to muster up that feeling in your heart of pure bliss that makes your eyes water.
When I saw this Facebook post, I asked myself, where was I on June 2, 2018? Five years ago, I had just obtained my articling position. I left my court clerkship at the law courts in New West (commuting from Abbotsford to New Westminster everyday), to article in downtown Vancouver, 2 blocks from the courthouse! I thought I had made it! Little did I know what my articling experience had in store for me. My principal did not believe in hand holding…or teaching for that matter. His philosophy was you learned best by doing. So, off I went to court with a very thick file, my client’s story and the case law I had researched. Ohhhh…did I have so much to learn!
Five years ago I was living hand to mouth, as my principal would pay when he remembered, and remove my practice fees from my paycheque as ‘that was not included in the deal’. And, having graduated from law school, there were no more reserves in the coffers… Oh! Who am I kidding, there were no coffers!
I was on call 24/7. My law firm’s specialty was working in volatile family cases where domestic abuse and child safety concerns were prevalent. In other words, it was not abnormal to get a call from my boss late at night or in the middle of the night if he became aware of a case needing counsel. I had to learn to say ‘my services are best used during court hours’. But let’s be honest, a rookie articling student doesn’t feel comfortable saying that to their boss or their clients!
So, concisely said, the summer of 2018 was exciting, new and very stressful. My autoimmune disorder was in full flare, I became very clear on which area of law I did not want to practice and living off an articling budget was drastically going to change my love and desire for coffee and dinner dates out! I did however, master my homemade Mac n’ Cheese recipe!
5 years ago, like a mantra, I would repeat over and over again, ‘Good Morning My Lord, my name is SABIR, first initial R, spelled S-A-B-I-R, counsel for XXXX.’ Like a chant, I would visualize myself in the court room, repeating this phrase, until it felt second nature. Until I could believe that one day soon, I would be counsel, introducing myself to a Judge in order to present my case.
5 years later, that mantra has become a phrase that I use commonly, sometimes multiple times in a day. The phrase ‘for the record’, is no longer a colloquial expression, but a phrase I use regularly. 5 years later, I have opened my own Law Corporation and I am surrounded by a team that I love and adore. Let me tell you, my office is composed of the most incredible team of people that put a smile on my face when I walk through the door. That is why, one of the things I no longer think twice about, is buying lunches at restaurants and bring in treats at the office. I want my team to know how much I appreciate them! Because 5 years ago, I was the secretary, legal assistant, designated paralegal, assistant, cleaning lady, lunch boy, coffee runner, bank runner, and articling student. I wore all the hats!
Thanks to this cold, I had the opportunity to pause, to take a look at what I had hoped for myself five years ago. I was able to pause and appreciate exactly where I am today, what I have and all of the incredible miracles that have happened in my life. I married the love of my life in a Covid wedding, I have a beautiful family and am a S-mama of the two most beautiful girls. I really am healthy (despite this cold and a funky eye), I live in a beautiful home, I have a career I have worked so hard for, and clients that inspire me on the daily.
I have built a business in the last three years that has allowed me to pursue my interests, women in business and community contribution. And while none of it has been a cake walk…or walk in the park…all of it has been absolutely worth it. So, where did you want to be five years ago? What have you accomplished. Because, as the saying goes, the days will go by, whether you pursue your dreams or not!
Come join me in July for my Women Entrepreneur’s Mastermind and create the business and life you have dreamed of. Those who register by June 15, 2022 get a free business consulting and coaching session with me! Contact my team at Info@SabirLaw.ca for more information.