Finding a prestigious job at a large firm came first. My salary was greater than I could imagine starting out, and it increased from there. I hoped to become financially successful while in law school, so it seemed everything was going exactly as planned. I was encouraged to work harder if I wanted to earn more. I poured all of my efforts into becoming a great lawyer and obtained all the trappings of success.
I was excelling at my craft. My skills were increasing, and the firm noticed. I received more salary and greater bonuses. It seemed like the sky was the limit; I could afford anything I wanted to buy. No possession was really out of reach. I thought I had arrived and achieved success.
However, I began to realize that all of this work at achieving great success as a lawyer didn’t lead to greater relationships with people. In fact, my relationships outside the firm were minimal. I attended a local church but made few meaningful connections there. I also participated in professional organizations. There I found people who were just like me: driven by a thirst for success where the focus was gaining more wealth and status, not developing meaningful relationships.
In the end, success seemed empty. I had status. I had wealth. But, I knew something was empty on the inside. I began to question myself: Was my life simply about gratifying myself and serving my own ends? Was there more to life? To me, that led me back to evaluating the relationships in my life. If I was going to have a life of significance and not just success, I knew I had to make more time to develop relationships with people who mattered -- my wife, my kids, and friends -- people who cared about me and desired the best for my life.
I’m thankful for the success I have achieved in my career, but I’m even more thankful my success led me to ask bigger questions and ultimately find my significance through building deeper relationships with others.
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