Many of you know that several lawyers I coach read books and then share their takeaways from the book with me and sometimes with others in a group they formed.

Melissa Lyon is an energy lawyer in the Fox Rothschild Denver Office. She writes on the firm’s Energy Law Blog and as you will see from her bio, she’s been selected as one of the “Top Women in Energy” by the Denver Business Journal in both 2015 and 2016.

I have enjoyed reading her blog posts over the year we’ve worked together. Here is a link to a recent post, Did you just ask me to dance the Contango? It will give you an idea on why I enjoy reading Melissa’s posts.

Melissa is one of the lawyers I coach who is an avid reader. I’ve asked her to share with you her takeaways from a couple of books.

Melissa Lyon

Last week, I read the #1 New York Times Bestseller, “You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life” by Jen Sincero in connection with my ongoing business development meetings with Cordell.  It seemed like a natural fit with my business development plan I have been working on…and it did not disappoint!

The short and skinny on this book is that it does not pull any punches.  It is a tough love reminder of how awesome you truly are and that you really can accomplish what you want.

Sometimes we all need a swift kick in the pants, and author Jen Sincero gives it to you.  The tone of the book reminded me of talking to my blunt and feisty grandfather in a way – true to his Wyoming roots, he tells me often to “buck up, cupcake.”

It is true, sometimes we do just need someone to tell us bluntly to buck up, dust off your chaps and get back on your horse.  There are times when we just need to hear that and be reminded of who we are…

That we are crazily awesome and wonderful and that we will accomplish everything we set out to.

Jen Sincero, a success coach commonly referred to as a “motivational cattle prod,” is direct and mildly vulgar at times, which made the book feel like a conversation over coffee or cocktails with a good friend that has zero filter.  This kept the book from feeling too kumbaya and more real life, which I appreciated.

This book is a roadmap to getting very clear on exactly what makes you happy, what is your priority and what makes your heart race and makes you feel most alive.  Heavily focused on the well-known “law of attraction” (what you focus on, you create/manifest more of in your life) it sets out the path to changing the way you think so that you can make your goals happen.

One concept that truly resonated with me was to treat yourself like you are your best and closest friend.  It is so easy to be your own worst critic, to focus on your weaknesses instead of your strengths and to dwell on every mistake you make and every misadventure that befalls you instead of focusing on all of your amazing accomplishments and challenges you have risen to.

I appreciated the idea that you would never treat your best friend in such a horrible fashion – so you must treat yourself the same way you would treat your best friend, someone you value.

A reminder to focus on how awesome you are is never a bad thing, nor is being reminded to decide to be the best version of yourself every damn day.

Choosing to be grateful for the many miracles in your life attracts more good stuff, and true to Cordell’s guidance that you have to believe you are capable of achieving what you want, this tough love reminder will help you truly believe with every ounce of your being you are capable of manifesting the life that you want.

Because you are a badass.

Jen Sincero also writes a blog worth checking out – “Blog of Badassery.”

As you know I am writing a novel about a Badass lawyer from the Rio Grande Valley called upon to defend a billionaire Texas Oilman in the age where the average juror would like nothing better than seeing a rich man, even if self made, put in jail and his company destroyed.

I don’t want to tell you too much about the story, but let’s just day that the billionaire has hired a PR firm to help him win. You can get some ideas where that might lead.