"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do."
— Henry Ford
In just a short time, I will graduate from law school and step into my role as an estate planning attorney. Even now, that sentence feels surreal to write. It isn’t that I ever doubted my desire to be here—it’s that for years, I allowed fear and uncertainty to convince me that this path was too difficult, too time-consuming, or simply "not for me."
The Gatekeeper of Dreams
For a long time, the LSAT felt like a gatekeeper to a life I wasn't allowed to live. The fear of failing—and what that failure might say about my worth—controlled my decisions more than I realized. I postponed dreams and questioned my abilities, choosing "maybe someday" over "why not now."
Fear had become comfortable, and the unknown was something I felt I should avoid rather than face.
The Shift: From "Good Enough" to "Willing to Try"
Everything changed when I began working for an amazing attorney at My Pink Lawyer. My mentor helped me realize that waiting for certainty was costing me time I would never get back.
She didn’t teach me through long lectures; she taught me through her daily actions and interactions. She lived fluidly and approached her work with an effortless confidence that left no room for fear. After a year under her wing, I stopped asking if I was "good enough" and started asking if I was willing to try.
Law school, especially later in life (unfortunately, I’m no spring chicken), demanded growth, discipline, and humility. It taught me a vital lesson: Failure is not the opposite of success; surrender is.
Why This Matters for Your Future
This realization is exactly why estate planning matters so much to me. I’ve learned that while we cannot control every circumstance, we can control how we prepare and how intentional we are with the time we have.
Estate planning is often misunderstood as a tool only for the wealthy or the elderly. In reality, it is an act of clarity, intention, and love. It is about:
Peace of Mind is a Choice
I know what it feels like to live in limbo, putting things off because they feel intimidating or time-consuming. But I also know the profound peace that comes from facing the "impossible."
Estate planning isn't about anticipating the worst; it’s about empowering yourself and protecting what matters most. As I begin this next chapter, I do so with gratitude for the doubts that shaped me. My goal is no longer just to draft documents—it is to help you step into clarity, confidence, and control.
Life is unpredictable, but preparation is a choice. Choosing intention over fear changes everything.
Signing off,
“Choosing Intention over Fear” Angela Smith