Do You Get the Urge for Going, but Never Seem to Go?
“I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town. It hovered in a frozen sky, then it gobbled summer down. When the sun turns traitor cold … I get the urge for going, but I never seem to go.”
Joni Mitchell didn’t write these lines in her song, “Urge for Going ,” because she had lawyer friends who hated their jobs but never seemed to go for something better. But it could be an anthem for them, for unhappy people who want to make a change in their careers but who never seem to go.
Mitchell’s song, ostensibly about the coming of winter, is really about people who live unfulfilled lives because they don’t have the courage or the energy to change, while others get the urge for going, and they get the wings to go.
Many lawyers complain, at least to themselves, about the long hours, unappreciative clients, the tedium. the boredom, the poor quality of life, the nasty bosses and even nastier judges, and yet they endure.
“The warriors of winter, they gave a cold, triumphant shout. All that stays is dying, and all that lives in getting out.” They know there is a way out – they know of others who have left and found a new way — yet they endure.
“And bully winds came around, and push them face down in the snow.” Still they endure, face down in the snow, out of fear or laziness. There are many out there who do have the courage to face the unknown, to face their fears, and to find the energy it takes to make a change for the better in their lives. I am proud to have helped several thousand of them do so.
“I had a man in the summertime,” Mitchell writes, “but he got the urge for going and I had to let him go.”
I truly feel sorry for those who remain stuck and who have forfeited their lives. They follow the lyrics of the song. “Winter is closing in. I’ll ply the fire with kindling and pull the blankets to my chin. I’ll lock the vagrant winter out and bolt my wandering in.”
Some people bolt their wandering in. Others have the urge for going, and find the wings to go.
Which are you?
Thanks to Joni Mitchell and to Tom Rush, the foremost interpreter of this amazing song.
If you are an attorney and you’ve been thinking about exploring your career options and or discovering “what else is out there” for you, but are not sure how to even start the process, get in touch with our team today for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job campaign.