Are you holding your breath at the end of the month as more attorney lay-offs are announced? Are you staying awake at night strategizing about how to keep money flowing into your practice? Are you tired (and bored) of using traditional business development methods? If you answered "Yes" or "Absolutely, but so what," let me share with you how a Legal Goddess can generate business in a more creative and joyful way.

In a previous blog, "Who Is A Legal Goddess?" I defined a Legal Goddess as a woman lawyer who combines her feminine energies of passion, collaboration and inner wisdom with the masculine energies of commitment, courage and action. Is this a clever turn of phrase or some airy-fairy concept? No. It is based on good common business sense. You are in business to create profits and to serve clients.   The mindset you choose to go about doing business and being in business is different.

To transform into a Legal Goddess, a woman lawyer has to be willing to:

"Who Are You Meant To Be?" read the caption on the cover of the November, 2009 issue of O Magazine.   I have been writing and coaching clients about being authentic for some time and was curious about the article.  One of the contributors to the Oprah feature, Anne Lamott, noted that to answer the question of finding how to become ourselves we must first "gently stop being who we aren't."

Frequently when I am with groups of women lawyers, I hear about dreams and expectations of making a difference in their work. Sadly the conversation turns to frustrations about how these dreams and expectations are not realized. "This is not what I signed up for." "When do I start enjoying my work?"

How do you know if you are stuck in your legal career or just having a rough time that will pass? Here are a few clues that your feeling is not something that will soon pass away.

Does "getting ahead" at work mean generating greater efficiency as well as revenues, priortizing work and personal time, learning how to navigate changes, volunteering to assume leadership roles, being the go-to person for solving problems and seeing opportunities rather than road blocks? If you answered "yes" to all of the above, you appreciate the importance of using soft skills in today's work environment. They are not just good if you have them but can be drivers of your career. They make you stand out as a valuable asset to the organization.

Social media (blogs and social media sites) connect friends, family and classmates; provide easy access for photos, music and videos; and perform other functions that have varying degrees of value to the general population. Social media also has an untapped potential to leverage a career.

Many years ago I was a single woman looking for a new car. I did not know how to negotiate for a good deal and was afraid to go to the dealer showroom. Then I found a website, www.fightingchance.com that changed my perspective. Using their process, I successfully negotiated for the car I wanted for the price I could afford. Dealers competed for my business and extended unbelievable offers. When I picked up my car, I was overjoyed to find it parked next to the showroom. I signed the paperwork which was ready when I arrived and drove away. No hassle. What power!

Last year I created Family Comfort Foods cookbooks for three brides in the family. There were favorite comfort food recipes from the bride's and groom's families along with photographs of food-related events (picnics, holidays, birthdays). These comfort food recipes create "foods that feed your soul & hug you from the inside out," and make things better when you have had a bad day or just feel sad. Check out this website for suggestions from top chefs for their favorite comfort foods. http://www.pbs.org/opb/meaningoffood/food_and_life/comfort_foods/

Attorneys know stories: "war" stories, client stories, historical organizational stories and "he said, she said" interpersonal stories. Have you ever considered the possibility that storytelling could bring clarity and energy to your work place?