Everything I'm Not is Everything I am

Everything I Am

"Now everything im not, made me everything i am.
damn, here we go again. people talkin shit, but when the shit hit the fan
everything i'm not, made me everything i am. "

Kayne West


Well last night I had the pleasure to hang out with a bunch of DWI Criminal Defense Lawyers in Manchester, NH. They were fun, and funny as well. We had dinner at a Brazilian Restaurant where they (the Gauchos) bring you skewers of meat. I mean lots of meat: lamb, sirloin, roast, pork, ribs, chicken, sausage, etc. They started out with a Salmon appetizer. Everyone has tongs to grab their meat from the Gauchos. Anyway, drinks and this meatfest brought out the fact that one of the attorneys joked about getting a call from a Powerball Winner. The question asked, "do you practice powerball/financial planning law?" Well quipped the lawyer, "I do now"...

It's a joke amongst lawyers that many do (practice) what makes money in the moment. My business card states: DWI Defense Attorney. I focus, I concentrate my energies there. They asked me whether I had another card that said "Personal Injury Lawyer" and another that said "Powerball Lawyer"...(Now of course I do not) ... in other words was I prepared to take on whatever business came my way? My answer no.

I mainly (primarily) practice what relates to cars and drugs. Plain and simple. I live in Ithaca, NY and Alcohol is a drug, so naturally the majority of my practice is Ithaca DWI Defense, and all other assorted traffic related violations.

Now living in a College town, at the base of Cornell University and Ithaca College brings an assortment of other student related criminal work. I am asked and often agree to take on these criminal matters. What I do not do is as important as what I do do (there is a joke in here somewhere):

I do not practice family law, corporate law, adoptions, wills, trusts, estates, real estate, divorce, landlord tenant matters, medical malpractice, bankruptcy, dog bites or Powerball Winner Law... I think you get my point. I do not take everything that walks in my door or calls on my phone.

My belief is that practicing what you enjoy, what you devote your time and attention to will flourish. This has been true for me. I think you do a great disservice to yourself and others to be and act in a way (render a service) you are not into. It is a fear based paradigm that tries to be all things for all people. I have always refused to buy into that level of thinking.

Kayne could not have said it any better... Everything I'm Not is Everything I am! Nuff said.