When I think back on being 20 and choosing to be a lawyer, there was a lot of, “why not? That seems like a cool path.” There was less of, “how will this serve?” or “will this contribute to a more harmonious world?”

I see now that whether my work created harmony or discord was always the important question.

Pema Chodron invites us to ask, “am I going to practice peace, or am I going to war?” That’s the question I would ask my 20-year-old self today. It’s the question I ask my 65-year-old self as often as I can remember: “Today, will I be practicing peace?”

What about you? Are you practicing peace? Or do you wake up each day, ready for war?