Walt Hampton, J.D.

Creating the Work & Life You LOVE

Lost and Found Again

by Walt | Sep 25, 2025 | Success | 2 Comments

My eyes scanned the shelves. I nodded and I smiled.

I recognized that I owned nearly all of the self-help books in the store. And I knew in that moment that I was finally on the road to getting better.

That was decades ago now. Yet I remember clearly the bleakness of that time. How very lost I felt.

Divorced; single parenting; raising boys; practicing law.

Making lunches; taking kids to school; racing to work; getting the calls from daycare, the fever of 102º; the homework; the soccer games; the parent-teacher meetings; the calls from the principal; and, oh yes, the clients and the cases and the employees and the office management.

Falling into bed at night, exhausted and depleted. One day melting into the next; every day like the last.

And wondering: Is that all there is? What in god’s name is the point?

Dante wrote,

Midway on our life’s journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost. To tell about those woods is hard — so tangled and rough and savage that thinking of it now, I feel the old fear stirring… .

(Yup. He sure had that right.)

The truth is: All of us get lost from time to time. We lose our way. The road gets rough and savage and really hard.

None of us escapes. (It’s what brings many folks to coaching.)

And there really is no way out of that dark wood.

The only way out is through.

Good teachers and mentors and therapists, and of course dear friends, can help us along the way.

But only we can do the heavy lifting.

Nietzsche wrote, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’

Rediscovering our purpose, reclaiming our sense of meaning, finding again that grand vision for our lives, allowing for the possibility of our dreams, getting in touch again with what quickens our hearts, what fires our imaginations: This is where the work is done. These are what finally lead us to the forest clearing.

Because your purpose is your power; and a purpose-driven life is a life on fire.

I remember climbing Mt. St. Helens after it had erupted, the volcanic ash ankle deep, two steps up, one step back. A demoralizing slog.

But the view; oh the view from the top, across that landscape of renewal and regrowth: It was magnificent.

And the slide back down the hill such fun.

It’s kinda like that.

So don’t despair. You will find your way through.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Purpose work is some of the toughest work people do. I know that it’s some of the toughest I have ever done. Coaching folks along this path is a tremendous privilege. I’d love to be your guide. Email me when the time is right: [email protected]

Stay Curious

by Walt | Sep 18, 2025 | Success | 0 Comments

There is so much rancor in the world right now. So much division. So much anger and hostility.

And it’s not just “out there.” It shows up at work. It shows up in our families. It even shows up at our own dinner tables.

When the temperature rises, it’s easy to retreat. To hunker down in our corners. To surround ourselves with people who see the world exactly as we do. It feels safer that way.

But safer doesn’t always mean better.

One of the things I loved most about law school was that we could disagree—passionately. We could argue cases, precedents, and principles all day long. And then, when classes ended, we could head out together for pizza and beer. The debates didn’t make anyone wrong or bad. We still cared for one another. We still laughed and enjoyed each other’s company.

That experience has stayed with me. It taught me something powerful. Disagreement is not the same as division. Debate is not the same as disdain. We don’t have to demonize the people who see things differently.

Not all of us see the world in the same way. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s better that way. Diversity of thought, of background, of experience—it’s what allows us to grow. It’s what sparks creativity. It’s what keeps us from getting stuck in echo chambers where all we hear is the sound of our own voices bouncing back at us.

But for that growth to happen, we need to choose curiosity.

Curiosity shifts the conversation. It takes us from “You’re wrong” to “Help me understand.” It allows us to ask questions instead of firing back answers. It helps us see the human being across from us, rather than the “enemy” we’ve created in our minds.

Curiosity softens us. It invites connection.

It doesn’t mean we’ll always agree. It doesn’t mean we’ll suddenly see eye-to-eye on politics, or faith, or how best to run a business. But it means we’ll stay open. We’ll stay engaged. And when we do that, we keep alive the possibility of respect—and maybe even relationship.

The world doesn’t need more people retreating into their corners. The world needs people willing to sit at the same table, willing to listen, willing to stay curious.

Because in the end, we’re in this together. We share this world. We share our workplaces, our communities, our families. And we’ll only thrive if we can learn to live together—not as clones of one another, but as fellow travelers who choose to honor the dignity of every person we encounter.

So the next time you find yourself ready to shut down, to turn away, to dig in your heels—pause. Ask a question. Listen to the answer.

Stay curious.

Now More Than Ever

by Walt | Sep 11, 2025 | Success | 2 Comments

Good coaches have coaches. In fact, when I train and certify coaches, I require that the candidate be working with a coach.

For the last eighteen years, I have relied on my own coach. Because like every other human being, I have the capacity to doubt, to falter, to feel overwhelmed, to get down, or to get in my own way. My coach is a wise guide, a mentor, and a mirror.

I cannot imagine not having her in my life. Especially now.

We live in an age of distortion. Every day, it feels harder to know what to trust, who to trust, or where to turn. Technology has given us more data, more opinions, more voices, but it hasn’t given us clarity. Often it feels as if we are surrounded by reflections and distortions, unsure of what is real.

In times like these, a wise guide becomes indispensable. Someone grounded. Someone steady. Someone who can help us navigate the noise, filter the chaos, and keep moving toward what matters most.

There’s an old African proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. The truth is that none of us can see our blind spots by ourselves. None of us succeed entirely on our own.

It’s axiomatic in sports and entertainment. The top athletes have coaches, often several. The great performers rely on mentors, teachers, and directors. People at the very top of their games know that excellence is not a solo pursuit. It’s a product of guidance, feedback, and accountability.

The same is true in business and in life. Yet too often, people think of coaching as a commodity. A quick fix. A short-term solution to a pressing problem. But that misses the point. Coaching at its best is not transactional. It’s transformational.

It is a relationship built on trust. A place where you can tell the truth without judgment. A partnership that grounds you, challenges you, and helps you see a bigger vision for your life and work.

In my own journey, my coach has been that steady presence. A voice of reason when the world felt overwhelming. A mirror when I couldn’t see clearly. A guide who helped me discover deeper strength and new possibilities.

Now more than ever, in a world of uncertainty and noise, we need that kind of relationship. We need wise guides who can help us not just survive, but thrive.

If you’ve ever wondered whether the time might be right for you to have a coach, perhaps this is your moment. A simple conversation can open a door.

Need help? Let’s talk. Email me: [email protected]

When You’re Feeling Weary

by Walt | Sep 4, 2025 | Success | 0 Comments

It feels as if the world is on fire.

Cultural upheaval. Political division. So much anger. So much noise.

It’s easy to feel burned out, stressed out, stretched too thin. To feel worn down and overwhelmed.

In times like these, it’s more important than ever to have practices that ground us. That bring us back to center. That help us recreate and renew.

For me, three practices have been essential. They’re not complicated. They’re not fancy. But they’ve carried me for decades.

The first is meditation. A simple Vipassana practice. Sitting still. Following the breath. Watching the thoughts arise and fall away. Again and again. This practice has been my anchor for more than forty years. It keeps me steady in the midst of chaos.

The second is journaling. Every morning, pen to page. Free flow. No censor. No editing. Just allowing whatever wants to come. Thoughts. Feelings. Ideas. Dreams. Frustrations. Hopes. It’s a practice that clears the clutter and makes space for clarity.

The third is movement outdoors. Getting outside. Moving in my body. Walking in the woods. Running mountain trails. Scrambling along high ridges. Nature heals. The body knows. When I move out there, I come back in here renewed.

These are my practices. Yours might be different. Maybe it’s prayer. Maybe it’s yoga. Maybe it’s cooking, or painting, or listening to music. Maybe it’s time with your kids. Or sitting with your dog.

The form doesn’t matter. What matters is that you find what works for you. And then you do it. Regularly. Consistently. Especially when you’re feeling weary.

We can’t control the storms around us. But we can tend to the ground beneath us. We can nurture practices that hold us steady. That keep us resilient. That remind us of who we are and what really matters.

So, when the noise of the world gets too loud, ask yourself: What practice brings me back? What practice restores me? And then—do that.

Need help? Let’s talk. Email me: [email protected]

The End Is Near

by Walt | Aug 28, 2025 | Success | 0 Comments

The end is near.

Maybe the beginning too.

Summer is winding down. Labor Day weekend already.

Kids are heading back to school. And most of us will fall back into our same old routines.

For the kids, it’s new beginnings. Fresh notebooks. Blank pages. Clean slates.

For too many of us, it’s back to the same ol’ same ol’. The endless meetings. The deadlines. The hamster wheel.

But what if this season could be different?

What if September wasn’t just the start of another lap in the rat race… but a fresh start for you?

What if you finally began the thing you’ve been putting off? The business. The project. The book. The pivot you’ve been thinking about for months. Maybe even years.

What if you stopped waiting until January? Or “someday.”

Here’s the truth: you still have four full months left in this year. That’s one-third of a year. That’s a lot of time. Enough time to make real progress. Enough time to move the needle in a meaningful way.

The question is, will you let the time slip by? Or will you take action now?

Every year people wait until the calendar turns. They set big resolutions. They tell themselves, this year will be different. And then… it isn’t. Because nothing changes unless you change it.

You don’t need a new year. You need a new decision.

What if this September was your January?

What if you ended 2025 not with regret, but with momentum? With something built. Something started. Something you’re proud of.

The end is near. But it doesn’t have to be the end of your dreams. It can be the beginning of the next chapter.

If you’re ready, let’s talk. I help people like you create businesses and lives that excite them. Don’t wait. Don’t drift back into the same old patterns.

Email me: [email protected]. Let’s make this your new beginning.