Is something happening here? Has positive thinking hit the legal blogosphere?

Bulletin: A topic seems to be perking in the the e-land of legal bloggers. Or maybe it is an attitude, a skill, an intelligence, or the early spirit of Thankgiving. People are posting on the positive. David Maister's "Are we too negative?" sparked a rich discussion with 38 comments so far. Arnie Herz weighs in with "seeing the positive side of negativity in the legal profession." Julie Fleming Brown posted "Look for what’s right."

The Greatest American Lawyer in his "Wake Up and Make Your Wife Coffee" mentions the recent Larry King Live show on positive thought.

I was channel surfing last night and stopped on Larry King who had five guests on. I don’t know who they were but they each had a singular message. Life is what you make of it. You have the ability to see each situation either positive or negative. We have that choice at each and every moment of each and every day.

The transcript of that Larry King Live show on positive thought and the benefits of gratitude.
Added November 17, 2006: The transcript of Part 2 of Larry King Live show on positive thinking.
Added March 11, 2007: The transcript of Part 3 of Larry King Live show on positive thinking. (See note below.)

I am guardedly excited about this look at the affirmative, constructive, optimistic upside of practicing law. From the beginning here at idealawg, I have been a proponent of including a focus on "what's right?" in monologues and dialogs on the legal profession. My first interview was of Carol Metzker, co-author of Appreciative Intelligence. In September, I launched the Legal Highlights feature in which we hear from legal practitioners about what shines brightly in their legal career experiences.

I am not suggesting Pollyannas at Law. I am extolling the benefits of a balanced discussion, not just gloom, doom, and opprobrium. I will continue to mention the benefits of happiness to health, wealth, and excellent client service.

I close this quick bulletin with a message from Tojo Thatchenkery  (Metzker's co-author of Appreciative Intelligence) from his comment at the Maister discussion.

How do we change the deficit discourse? I like the Nike slogan here: “Just do it!” Some of us have written plenty about the genesis and dynamics of the deficit discourse (www.appreciativeintelligence.com). But when it comes to changing it, nothing is more practical than just doing it.

Note (added March 11, 2007, 3:09 PM Mountain): In Part 3 of the Larry King Live show (transcript linked to above), one of the panelists mentioned that there are more laws than merely the law of attraction. I believe he was referring to the seven principles described in The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy. They are the principles of mentalism, correspondence, vibration, polarity, rhythm, cause and effect, and gender.

Comments

[Sharon LIppincott]

Thanks Stephanie! These happiness posts keep the growing seasonal grayness at bay. I highly recommend the transcript of the Larry King show. I've forwarded that item to numerous people. I think I came across it, directly or indirectly, from a link on an earlier Idealawg post.

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Balance is very important, I would absolutely agree Stephanie. It all depends on how we look at the situation, and it doesn't hurt to look at the positive side of things now and again.

[GAL]

Thanks for the CNN link and the link to GAL. yes, there are lawyers who are very happy with their jobs. They typically don't work at traditional law firms. Somehow, it is hard to think positive with partnership breathing down your neck for billable hours.....

Go Stephanie!