Display of Confidence

It's a standoff. Two cowboys, back to back, step off away from each other, aware that the other will be soon turning around, taking aim and hitting their mark. The sun overhead is at it's height, the dusty road is wind-swept in swirls and on-lookers are poised for the action.

The cowboy displaying confidence fortells the future. Ease of manner, which comes from faith in their strengths and focus on their goal, is the survivor's attributes. Ability to think in the moment. Nimbleness in reaction. Each of these traits come from being unclouded by fear.


I loved watching the old westerns that honed in on these standoffs. Likewise, this ease of manner comes to mind in the courtroom. Whether the standoff is between jurist and attorney, between court and council or between the two legal minds, standoff moments are simply displays of confidence during times of peak points of survival.

Back in the day, cowboys practiced on their own for these critical calls to concentration. Pacing away from the can on the fence, they imagined the moment of climax, aimed and fired. Daily they polished the gun barrels, steeled their minds and displayed the confidence that would some day keep them alive.

Today that confidence is needed in the courtroom. The wild wild west can be tamed. When is the last time you practiced for this moment?