Saturday, January 19, 2013

January Blog A Day: #18 Advice

As a rule, I don't give unsolicited advice.  I've known too many people who think that their input is invaluable whatever the situation and really should be heard, and I do not want to be one of those people.  If someone asks me for advice, I will think about it and, if needed, pray about it, and then respond.  If it's a sticky situation, I will sometimes write a draft and think about it for a bit before I actually respond so that I can make sure I'm striking the right tone.

If someone I know is going through a situation that I have also experienced and seems to be looking for input, I will give it.  Sometimes I just offer support and wait to be asked, if they decide they would like to bounce ideas off of me or ask questions.  If I have a suggestion for something that has worked really well for me, like a technique I've used with my kids or an item I found helpful as a mom or cook or some other area of functioning, then I will often throw it out there in case they are interested.

I do try to be careful about overstepping, though, and giving advice where I'm not sure it's wanted.

Would that more people did the same.

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