If you are like me, over the years you have received many pieces of advice. Some good, some bad, most of it was in one ear and out the other.

Our direct support workers have many hats –teammates, referees, cheerleaders, chauffeurs, sounding boards, or anything in between. Whatever our clients need, our staff is up to the task of providing it.

I thought I would share with them a few pieces of simple advice– whether it be helpful in the moment or many years down the line, I’d bet that at least some of these gems have passed through the lips of our care workers onto the clientele they are helping to succeed. If not – maybe these are a few they could add to their arsenal!

You can sleep when your dead
This one was passed down to me from my father. You would assume he would want his kids to go to sleep but he always encouraged us to use our time wisely and not waste it lying around because you never know when it runs out.

Don’t expect other people to solve your problems
This nugget came from my first supervisor who encouraged me to think of solutions to my own work problems before laying them all out for him to solve. It really encouraged me to think independently and outside the box.

Pace yourself
This is another parental piece of advice which was mostly used when I went out with friends on a Friday night but over the years I have adapted it. It reminds me that there is time and I don’t have to complete every project immediately. I can slow down and enjoy the process.

Meh
This is a new slogan that was introduced to me from my partner and I’m still trying to figure it out. I would ask him, ‘Do you want to go to the new critically acclaimed movie?’ ‘Do you want to take out the garbage?’ ‘Do you want to go with me to a wedding?’ Often his response would be ‘Meh.’

When I would question it, he would say, ‘Why do something I don’t want to do just cause it’s expected.’

It makes sense. Life is too short to please everyone. ..But I still made him take out the garbage.