Most of us lawyers didn't choose the law for the money. (Okay, maybe a little for the money.)

But really? We wanted to make a difference.

Yet too many of us end up asking ourselves (at some point during our practice) whether we are actually making a difference.

We get caught up in the cycle: climbing the proverbial partnership ladder. Focusing on originations/billables. Getting away from what brought us to the law in the first place.

And when that happens, the fear of not making a difference sits in the background. Nagging. Persistent.

But it's not the only fear we carry. There's another one. Fear of what others will think should we branch off, go it alone, do our own thing, build our own way, and so on.

This fear grows into others (that are related):

• Fear of being different.

• Fear of "who does he/she think she is?"

• Fear of failing (especially when doing something different)

Sadly, the fear of what others think is usually louder than the fear of not making a difference.

It wins.

We tell ourselves maybe later. Someday.

But later and someday rarely come. And when they do, it's usually after a major life event (such as cancer).