As I watch my 11 month old son mature and develop, I am reminded that achievement is earned, not awarded.

His progression from sitting to crawling to standing and eventually walking, mirrors my development in my law practice.  Sometimes you must struggle to succeed.

Powerful doses of dedication and determination can go a long way in lifting you over the hurdles in your path.  It is the determination I see in my son that inspires me.

He will stop at nothing to get what he wants.  He is not getting into trouble or “being bad.”  He is pushing himself past his limits (and ours) and is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing.

Thanks to my son’s inspiration, I try to tackle each day with the same steadfast determination I see in him.

I do this with the confidence that like him, I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

As previously discussed, my wife and son had departed for Montana last month and I was embracing the silence.

I did eventually reunite with them in Bozeman, MT.  There, I came to the realization that silence is not solitude.

What I was embracing was the calm serenity of the stillness.

In Montana, I experienced this on a grand scale.  The rivers, trees, mountains and fresh air surrounded me with a truly silent embrace.  The sounds of daily life were background to my peaceful existence.  The calm, reassuring demeanor of family enabled my tranquility.

Upon my return to New York, I was taking my son for a walk in his stroller.

I was bombarded with the droning onslaught of cars, horns, sirens and construction.  Life was loud.

I was immediately on edge and my son had trouble sleeping.

Silence is tranquility.  Ultimately, it comes from within but can be facilitated by our environment.

Sometimes we have to actively seek it out while other times, it finds us.