Tuesday, 4 February 2025
Simply live the life you want. I firmly believe that life is simply about living. It’s all about the experiences you have, and the people you chose to share them with. We’re all here for a blip of time and I’m not about to waste one precious second. Life is too short.
Life being short became all too real when my mother passed away at the age of 49 from cancer. Then 10 years later my father died at 66 years old after suffering a heart attack. I was there for both of them through the whole process and wouldn’t trade that blessed experience for anything.
I used to be a personal support worker. Man, I loved that job and did it for 14 years! I worked at a local nursing home for the last nine and a half years of my career. During my time there, I trained nursing staff and was part of our palliative care team.
I must say that was the highlight of my nursing career. To be with someone during one of the most vulnerable times of their life is a true honour. It was my job to make sure they were happy and comfortable. It was my job to make sure my fellow human being was supported as they moved on from this life. I’ve held countless hands, cried countless tears and had countless embraces with residents and their families.
My favourite quote of all time is from my grandma: “Do it with love.” She may have stolen it from someone else, but that’s ok. It perfectly sums up how I feel about life and serving others.
We did a lot of singing and laughing as well. Those rooms were always filled with music. And the stories they would tell me! Funny, sad, action packed, like everything! Even first hand world war two stories. It is not lost on me how special that is.
I also got great advice from pretty much all of them: live your life the way you want while you can. Don’t let anyone tell you how to live it.
After Dad’s passing in 2011, I did a lot of soul searching about what to do with my life next. I had unfortunately suffered a back and shoulder injury while working as a PSW and knew my days in nursing were numbered. I would be serving others, that was a give in. I can’t help myself. I made the decision to combine my loves of human nature, property and entrepreneurship and decided I shall become a real estate agent!
This new career had to work because I physically couldn’t go back to nursing. My doctor said if I didn’t stop doing a physical job, I would end up in a wheelchair before I was 40. I needed to make a lifestyle change, pronto.
I thrive on learning and research so that’s what I did. I learned everything I could about this new venture so I could get it right. I read every book, watched videos, and talked to everyone I could.
I was hungry for business, and food, so I took just about every client who came my way. By my third year in business, I was doing very well, but I was also burnt out and lost. What’s worse is I felt like I was wasting precious time. I couldn’t go on like this.
I did the best thing I’ve ever done-hired a business coach. She helped me understand and manage myself. She also helped me get systems in place so that I could have a life and stop basically being on call 24/7. No one is here long enough to learn how to do everything. You have to reach out for help.
My world was suddenly full of new opportunities, perspectives and people. Everything my heart longed for. My business grew and I gained the confidence to join my local real estate board of directors, eventually serving as President in 2023. Now, that’s an opportunity I would not have had. What an incredible experience.
I went from the security of a biweekly paycheque, to complete chaos, to structure in my life and business. I went through a couple of lifestyle changes to get to where I am now and I’ve come to realize the residents at the nursing home were absolutely right: Make a lifestyle change as soon as you want or need to, before you’re forced to.
When something profoundly happens, you naturally take stock of your life. You start to put your ducks in a row to make the change. This is exactly why I put together my Simplify Your Life Method. Your next lifestyle change should simply bring you the joy and happiness you long for too, so you can live life your way.
