The Perils Of "Being" A Lawyer

This question of identity: what does it mean to "be" a lawyer? Is it something to earn, like a degree? Or something to pass into, or be sworn into, after taking the bar? And what does it mean to "be" a mindfulness practitioner? Is there some right of passage? Some number of hours of silence to cultivate, or endure? Some tap on the shoulder by elders, or teachers? Or are these not identities at all, but aspirations? And if so, what sustainable forces can we bring to our practice?