Why is it so hard to be a happy lawyer? with Dannie De Novo

Dannie De Novo

corporate attorney and elite happiness coach

Dannie De Novo is a corporate attorney, an elite happiness coach, and an international speaker and bestselling author. After having battled depression and anxiety for most of her early life, Dannie set out on a course to learn what true happiness was for her and for the sake of her baby girl. Now, Dannie regularly appears on TV news and talk shows as an expert on creating happiness and purpose, combating loneliness and depression, and managing anxiety.

Connect with Dannie:

As lawyers, we are so concerned about how we look to our peers and to other people in the profession. There's a certain affluence that comes with it.

Dannie De Novo

Episode 55

Show Notes

Brief summary of show:

Why is it so hard to be a happy lawyer?

It’s no secret that being a lawyer is challenging. There are incredibly long nights, many deliverables, and for high achievers, it can become overwhelming. In fact, many lawyers struggle with their unhappiness in silence.

Joining me for this conversation is Dannie De Novo.

Dannie is a corporate attorney, an elite happiness coach, and an international speaker and bestselling author. After having battled depression and anxiety for most of her early life, Dannie set out on a course to learn what true happiness was for her and for the sake of her baby girl. Now, Dannie regularly appears on TV news and talk shows as an expert on creating happiness and purpose, combating loneliness and depression, and managing anxiety.

We talk about:

 [3:30] Navigating mental health struggles from a young age and going in and out of institutions

• [14:10] Why driven, high achievers tend to be unhappier

• [17:30] Changes you can make in your life to find more fulfillment 

• [20:55] Tips for lawyers to get out of that mentally tough place

• [32:10] Dannie’s book recommendation

Dannie Denovo's Book

From the publisher:

Almost every religion, spiritual practice, philosophy and person grapples with fear. The most repeated phrase in the Bible is “Be not afraid.” The ancient Greeks spoke of phobos, panic and terror. It is natural to feel fear, the Stoics believed, but it cannot rule you. Courage, then, is the ability to rise above fear, to do what’s right, to do what’s needed, to do what is true. And so it rests at the heart of the works of Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle, and CS Lewis, alongside temperance, justice, and wisdom.
 
In Courage Is Calling, Ryan Holiday breaks down the elements of fear, an expression of cowardice, the elements of courage, an expression of bravery, and lastly, the elements of heroism, an expression of valor. Through engaging stories about historic and contemporary leaders, including Charles De Gaulle, Florence Nightingale, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Holiday shows you how to conquer fear and practice courage in your daily life.
 
You’ll also delve deep into the moral dilemmas and courageous acts of lesser-known, but equally as important, figures from ancient and modern history, such as Helvidius Priscus, a Roman Senator who stood his ground against emperor Vespasian, even in the face of death; Frank Serpico, a former New York City Police Department Detective who exposed police corruption; and Frederick Douglass and a slave named Nelly, whose fierce resistance against her captors inspired his own crusade to end slavery.
 
In a world in which fear runs rampant—when people would rather stand on the sidelines than speak out against injustice, go along with convention than bet on themselves, and turn a blind eye to the ugly realities of modern life—we need courage more than ever. We need the courage of whistleblowers and risk takers. We need the courage of activists and adventurers. We need the courage of writers who speak the truth—and the courage of leaders to listen.
 
We need you to step into the arena and fight.

Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday

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