During the interview, we talked about my history with perfectionism, overthinking, introversion, and doubt. But we also talked about how voice was a surprising lifeline for me. Unlike many people and despite my introversion, I had always been drawn to speaking because I loved teaching and explaining things to others As an auditory learner, I have found that teaching and speaking out issues helps me understand things better.
When I stated meditating, I learned to trust my voice and let it guide me. As I have discussed here before, the first step with this was to begin writing regularly. Eventually, though, I also began speaking and teaching mindfulness, meditation, and compassion too. As you can imagine, this was not an easy process and I had to learn to figure out what voice corresponded to this new piece of my identity.
And you know what I learned? It wasn’t a new voice at all. My meditation teacher voice was the same as my lawyer voice and my mom voice and my good friend voice. This new part of me had been there all along and what I needed to do was trust it and start using it more.
If you are someone who hates public speaking or wants to think about your inner voice, this is an interview for you. Doreen is also an excellent resource on this and I hope you connect with her and check out her book. As for the full interview, You can check it out here or watch the full episode on YouTube.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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Claire E. Parsons is a partner at Wood + Lamping LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has practiced for the last fifteen years in the areas of litigation, employment, local government law. Claire lives in Kentucky with her husband, Brian, their two daughters, and dog.
Claire is an active leader in her community and in the legal profession. She has led innovative charitable programs in her community, statewide legal organizations, committees relating to the promotion of women professionals. Claire is also a frequent writer and speaker for these and other organizations. She has published and spoken about numerous topics, ranging from complex legal issues, to law practice, networking and marketing, as well as mindfulness and wellness for lawyers and other professionals. She writes regularly on LinkedIn and even co-authored a book this year with 19 other women lawyers about how they used the platform to network and pursue career goals during the pandemic.
In 2013, Claire began a mindfulness practice early in her law career and as she was learning to be a new mom to her eldest daughter, Sophie. When Claire began the practice, she saw it gradually transform her life for the better by helping her to reduce overthinking, manage stress, and infuse compassion practices into her daily life. Over the next few years, she continued to study mindfulness practices and attend retreats.
In 2018, Claire began speaking and writing on these topics and she quickly became regarded as a resource for professionals as someone who can explain meditation practices in an approachable and practical way. In 2020, she completed the online meditation teacher certification program with The Mindfulness Center founded by Deborah Norris, Ph.D., to refine her understanding of the science of mindfulness and its practical applications. In 2021, Claire also completed the 500-hour yoga teacher training from My Vinyasa Practice as well as numerous courses relating to compassion practices, including Mindful Self-Compassion and Compassion Cultivation Training. Claire enjoys sharing her experience with mindfulness in her practical, and often humorous voice, to help humanize the legal profession and to make life a little easier for her community.
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