Doing the Work

July 20, 2020

What does someone mean when they say they are “doing the work”?

Those words can mean so many things. They can mean:

• Doing self-work to discover more about what we value in ourselves
• Working on coping with difficult things in a way that feels sustainable
• Working on nurturing the relationships in our lives that nourish us
• Working on navigating the relationships in our lives that make us feel drained

and more recently, “doing the work” can mean working to make the world a more equitable, anti-oppressive and anti-racist place.

Below, our Youth Consultants* have listed the types of support they need to keep doing the work in their lives. Do any of the points below stand out to you? What do you need to do whatever work is needed from you?

• Continued understanding of the complexity of our lives
• Respect for different communication styles and levels of capacity
• Communication around specific needs and wants when asking for help!
• Learning to work together to make concrete goals happen
• Validation – everyone wants to have their voice heard!
• Finding a balance between assertive and caring
• Having boundaries respected
• Time! It takes effort and time together to build comfort with one another to get where we want to be!
• Building a community

*CTYS’ Youth Consultants are a group of Young Leaders that support the agency through a variety of youth engagement opportunities. Stay tuned to the blog Vision Restored to hear more of their insights.