bar exam quotes

This week, I actually had some time to read for pleasure (i.e., something other than legal pleadings, case law, or letters from opposing counsel).

I came across a couple quotes that I thought might be of interest.

Assessing Your Day

It is common to get bored, upset, or frustrated when studying for the bar exam.

So why not try the technique in this quote from Nicholson Baker:

If you ask yourself “What’s the best thing that happened today?” It actually forces a certain kind of cheerful retrospection that pulls up from the recent past things to write about that you wouldn’t otherwise think about. If you ask yourself “What happened today?” it’s very likely that you’re going to remember the worst thing, because you’ve had to deal with it — you’ve had to rush somewhere or somebody said something mean to you — that’s what you’re going to remember. But if you ask what the best thing is, it’s going to be some particular slant of light, or some wonderful expression somebody had, or some particularly delicious salad.

(Source: Steal Like An Artist.)

Difficulty Studying

If you seem to be having difficulty focusing when you study or even finding the time to study, is the Resistance the problem?

In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield talks about the self-generated and self-perpetuated Resistance within that keeps us from reaching (or even working toward) our goals.

In this quote, Pressfield lays the Resistance bare. Read it and see if you might need to conquer your own Resistance.

Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate, falsify; seduce, bully, cajole. Resistance is protean. It will assume any form, if that’s what it takes to deceive you. It will reason with you like a lawyer or jam a nine-millimeter in your face like a stickup man. Resistance has no conscience. It will pledge anything to get a deal, then double-cross you as soon as your back is turned. If you take Resistance at its word, you deserve everything you get. Resistance is always lying and always full of shit.

Look out, Resistance, I’m coming for you…

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