So lifelong learning, I'm not real sure where that has come from. I really, really enjoy just learning new things for a variety of reasons. So today's topic is obviously lifelong learning. As I said, it came, I suppose, maybe around that COVID time. I did my law degree because I was told I was too dumb. So that was why I became a lawyer, not because I was passionate about being some high-flying lawyer, attorney or something. So, yeah, I did my law degree to prove people that I was not dumb and obviously I've been doing this for fourteen years this year and I really enjoy it. But I was even probably pre-COVID. I have had clients who have suicided. And I know I have clients that have mental health issues. And I knew that it wasn't enough just to be a lawyer. There are so many other things that are going on in somebody's life. And I'm not saying we're therapists or counsellors or anything like that, but it's like where does that duty of care start and end? You know a client that's suicidal or has mental health issues or whatever it might be, addiction issues, you can't ignore that. You know, I've literally had clients contact me every single day because I was concerned that they were going to suicide because they you know, the fear was that either they would tell me or I would just feel it in my gut that something wasn't right. And do I have an obligation to get a client to contact me every day to see if they are still alive? I don't know. To me, I can't not know. And I would be concerned and panicked if I had not told them to please contact me, just send me a quick email saying, yep, I'm good or whatever it might be. And you can obviously provide everything that you can, like Lifeline, Beyond Blue, whatever resources, but it doesn't mean that they're going to do anything. So having some clients that have suicided, one in particular who was a client of mine before I was even a lawyer, really, really affected me. And then obviously COVID had come and it was much the same. I mean, we were locked up practically for two years. We became teachers overnight and I had to homeschool our kids. We were told when we could leave the house. We were told when we had to stay at home. Some of us were lucky enough that our professions were deemed essential services and we could go to work and come home. It was really, really hard for people. And I believe that the rates for suicide and mental health absolutely skyrocketed during that time. And I was looking for something else that I could complement in my legal practice and complement what I already knew. And that is, I think, where... the lifelong learning has started. So it didn't come from my parents. I think I remember my dad doing like an engineering course when I was at school. So it certainly wasn't something that I had grown up with, but I just felt that I needed to do more and no more so I have done um I've studied under marissa pierre and I've become a hypnotherapist and anti-t therapist that's about to turn into a clinical therapist which I'm super excited about and yes that is something else that I've added to my to-do list I have done collaborative coaching. So in a family law sense, I can be a collaborative coach. I've done collaborative legal practice. So that's the idea of trying to stay out of court and work collaboratively, can't even say that word at the moment, with a team. So that could be with a site, that could be with a counsellor, that could be with a financial planner, an accountant. whoever it might be. So it's working as a team and a family law matter instead of all working separately. I've done mindfulness instructor to work out, even if it's just small little bits that I can get my clients to do, it's like, right, so take, you know, a minute out to, you know, give yourself a nice hand massage with some nice scented lotion, for example. So it's just me trying to add as much as I possibly can. And I don't think that's ever going to end. But just for me to feel like I'm just going that little bit over and above what a standard lawyer would do. There's many other benefits of lifelong learning that I have had as well, and I had to put some down on the note here. So I didn't forget, but personal growth and growth and improving myself as well, like the techniques I have learned, I have used myself, and it's made me realize, oh, I do this because of this type of thing. So it's not only equipping me with more knowledge to help people, it's helping me and myself in my everyday life as well. Obviously, new skills that I am learning, so that mindfulness stuff, finding out why people have addictions and you know where that can stem from and why people go back into a DV relationship having leave another DV relationship and why people start a new relationship but that relationship ends like the old one because they're going into that new relationship with the same baggage and the same thoughts and and everything. So it might seem initially that all the extra stuff that I've done is not relevant, but it's actually super relevant and I probably haven't discussed exactly why it is relevant and obviously just for the reasons I said. That's why it's relevant. It gives me a great understanding as to why people do what they do, why people make those decisions and sometimes the same decisions over and over again, whether they're good decisions or bad decisions. It helps me to know, right, so you're back with me again because you just entered into this new relationship, practically the same terms as your past relationship, and that hasn't worked because it's based on your old relationship. So all of those things really, really do help me in understanding clients that come to us with their issues. Curiosity probably fits in with that as well, and I've probably already touched on it. It's curious to know why people do what they do. So it's not just going, yep, okay, you've done it again. You're an idiot. It's like, right, so you've done it again. Why have you done this again? I need to understand, like... you know, walk me through it. So it helps me. And I think it really assures the client as well that I'm like, okay, so this has happened again. Let's work out, you know, how we've got here again. So that curiosity element is also really, really important. The opportunities. So the people that I have met and who now are in my life and in my network are are so important. Had I not have done those extra studies, I would not have made really close new friends and I would not have made, you know, networking relationships with people where I can refer clients to like psychs and accountants, financial advisors, you know, whoever, I now have more people in my black book to go, right, so you need to go see this person or I suggest you go see this person or whatever that might be. So the people that have come into my life from the extra training and the extra studies that I have done has been absolutely phenomenal. Like I could not picture my life without some of those people in there because not only have they supported me me um but some of them have even supported my clients they've helped me see it from their perspective for example and I've helped them see it from my perspective as a lawyer and somebody that has done some extra training so all of that really works together as well so just the amazing people that I have met um as I said have you know I couldn't imagine them not in my life now um Yeah, that's, it's probably not too much else. I'll probably go and repeat like the sense of purpose. So again, I feel like I have to be more than a lawyer. Being a lawyer, it just is not enough anymore. A lot of clients have mental health issues. A lot of clients are obviously affected by suicide. And that doesn't just necessarily have to be in a family law scenario. Like, you know, we have probate matters as well, where Clients are super stressed. The estate might be contested because somebody decides that they're worth more money than somebody else. And helping clients even through that stressful process, those techniques come into play in that as well. Estate planning. When people come to us and do estate planning, sometimes they're absolutely packing it. For me, I want to normalise that death thing. It doesn't bother me. And my kids are the same. My kids are like, right, do you have a will? Do you have a will? You need a power of attorney. Like they hit everybody up that they see. So that's normalised for them as well. But for some people going through that estate planning process, is super stressful. And I've even had clients delay it, because I know people that have just made their estate documents, so like their will, for example, and then completely healthy, then a couple of days later, pass away. So, you know, you're dealing with that element of clients as well. So it's not just in that family law side of things, it's you know, any legal process. And it might not even, you know, we might have a client that's come to us for a legal process, but they've been affected by, you know, another factor that, you know, we're not aware of and that we don't have to be involved in because it doesn't concern us. That is why I've done what I have done. Sometimes I probably take on too much and I do all the things and then I get really sick because my body is like, yep, we're done. We're going to put you on your ass so you don't move for the next week. So that definitely happens. So I know I overdo it a little bit and I have been trying to not do things as much um the next thing we're doing is the clinical studies so that I'm definitely excited about and I would definitely be doing that and I probably won't stop I'm sure there are so many other things out there that would assist me and my clients and you know my family and my friends um that you know I could pass that knowledge on to them and help and support them as well so lifeline learning to me is very important and maybe that's something that you haven't considered before and maybe you should um I've done lifeline courses where I've become um a I can't remember the term I don't want to say it wrong but like I've done courses with lifeline I have kind of started the process of being a support person through lifeline on on the telephone so don't think that you're too old to to be exploring something new I'm not saying it's a complete career change or or anything like that but really don't discredit the the learning that you can do to either satisfy some sort of need in yourself or to support family members the people that are coming up on my podcast might not necessarily have to do with law, but they are people that are super knowledgeable in their fields. And I know that I have clients that struggle with certain things. It could be in relation to kids. It might be health. It might be burnout. It might be whatever. And those people come in handy because they're like, right, you need to go see this person because this person can help you with that. Or you need an accountant. So go see this person because this person will be able to help you. So don't just think about the learning of that. Think about the connections and just the joy of knowing something new and maybe being able to use that for either yourself or for family and friends around you so Lifeline learning for me is super important. I do enjoy it. I said I do too much. But, yeah, for me it's, yeah, it's my purpose. If there is more that I can know to help clients and just people in general, then I know that, you know, it's all been worth it. So that's today's podcast on why I love lifelong learning. Thank you for joining me and I will catch you next time.
