Anxiety to Advocacy: My Journey to Becoming a Lawyer
Growing up, Juliet Asiamah Ateko suffered with crippling anxiety and self-doubt. Exams left her paralyzed with fear and convinced she wouldn’t amount to anything. Today, she is a successful lawyer in her home country of Ghana. Here, she looks back on how her Buddhist practice helped her transform her limiting beliefs and achieve something beyond what she thought was possible.
Anxious About Everything
I grew up in a Soka Gakkai family, but it was my desire to confront my fears that really led me to begin practicing Buddhism. I was afraid of everything, and it affected every aspect of my life. At school, I never managed to finish exam papers as I would spend most of the time doubting my answers. It was heartbreaking to realize after every exam that the answers I doubted were always right. Each time I sat an exam, I doubted myself, sweated profusely and felt my heart beating so fast. This struggle deeply affected my performance in school.
I felt I could never be like them.
At Soka Gakkai meetings, I found members’ stories about how they used the practice and philosophy of Buddhism to confront their challenges empowering, yet I still felt like I amounted to nothing; I felt I could never be like them. I admired their determination and wished I could show such courage.
I felt even more miserable when I could not gain admission into the senior high school I had chosen because I failed a core subject. I felt foolish and disappointed again, especially because I had studied a lot and knew, deep down, that I could have passed if not for the doubts and fears that crippled me during the exams.
I admired their determination and wished I could show such courage.
Through my dad’s support, I eventually gained admission into another school though it was one I’d never liked. I studied a lot but was still burdened with so many fears. My classmates couldn’t understand why I was always nervous during exams, as I did well in class and could explain things to them clearly. Yet, I failed a core subject again and could not gain admission to university. That was the breaking point for me, it confirmed my doubts—that I amounted to nothing.
An Intervention
My family realized how disappointed and depressed I was and began to chant a lot for me. My parents encouraged me and sent me to an aunt who lectured at a polytechnic to assist with my situation. I remember crying all the way there.
My aunt was lecturing when I got to the school. She took me to her office and went back to class. The whole time she was away, I chanted to become happy like all the young women who shared their experiences at the Soka Gakkai meetings I’d attended and to become someone who could care for the person in front of me.
When my aunt returned, she had my results slip and a newspaper in her hand. She looked straight into my eyes and said, “You only failed math, all your other grades are good. You are not a poor student.” She even suggested that I could become a lawyer! I wondered who this woman thought she was speaking to. All I could say was “I can’t.” “You,” my aunt said firmly, “can become anything you set your mind to.”
‘You can become anything you set your mind to.’
She then called a number from the newspaper—it was a law school at a private university that was advertising its four-year law program. My aunt never gave up and did whatever she could to help me. Thanks to her, I was able to gain admission to the university to read law.
I felt very hopeful and determined to be successful.
Success and Supporting Others
To become a lawyer, I had to graduate from both university and law school. Tuition was expensive so, while studying at university, I worked part-time to save money for law school.
The university was in Accra, so I relocated there and became the young women’s group leader in my local Soka Gakkai area. I dedicated myself to ensuring that every young woman I encountered became extremely happy and continued with their Buddhist practice. Today, the experiences of these young women inspire me immensely.
A piece of encouragement from President Daisaku Ikeda that I strove to put into practice was to be a cheerful sun of happiness. I participated in many Soka Gakkai activities; it was joyful working behind the scenes for the happiness of the members. I did not realize how much the practice had transformed my life until I was in my final year at university. I passed all my exams without any fears or doubts at all and graduated as one of the best students in my group.
This experience served as a springboard for my success at professional law school. My colleagues would turn to me for explanations of difficult courses, and I was always amazed at how I found the wisdom to discern things and explain them clearly. I passed my bar exams successfully and had the greatest opportunity to train at a renowned law firm and at the Lands Commission, where I gained a wealth of experience that has benefited me greatly to this day.
A Boss Who Challenged Me
When I joined the law firm where I currently work, it was still new and had only one lawyer—the managing partner. The firm had virtually no clients. What made me stay was the deep connection I felt with my manager—she felt it too. Looking back, I have no doubts that when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and work for the happiness of others, our lives move in a positive direction.
The firm has become the place where I have gained vast and invaluable experience as a lawyer. Although stressful, my three years of practicing law feel like thirty. Within my first year, we had a lot of client referrals, with cases in diverse and complex areas of law. I served as lead counsel on all of them. My senior challenged me so much that I became able to handle trials and complex commercial negotiations unaided. She is always grateful for my commitment.
Although often drained, I never missed an opportunity to encourage the young women I support. Because of them, I strive to reach out, meet up and participate in meetings just to ensure that they never give up and are happy.
Nichiren Buddhism is a philosophy that gives hope. After all, I, who was once indecisive and lacked the courage to take even a single step forward, was able to become a lawyer dedicated to serving others.
Adapted from an article in the July 28, 2024, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan.
