Nudging: Offer to babysit

This Nudge is a late addition to my list, inspired by the sweet family across the street who recently welcomed a baby.

There are many layers to why I’m doing this. 1) I want to help. 2) I often think about how I’d be helping friends of all ages if we lived closer to each other. Because I can’t be there in person for several people I love, I like to imagine I’m adding service to the big pot in the sky and perhaps a neighbor is helping out one of them in the same spirit. 3) This is hard for me. As many of you know, I am childless-not-entirely-by-choice, and I still have moments in which I grieve my losses. Will this Nudge reopen those wounds? Possibly. But I feel strongly that this will be a good Nudge, a healthy Nudge, one that will help me expand my circle of friends and family of choice.

So, I’m going to suck up my courage this week and make the offer.

How might you make this your own? Perhaps offer to help out a neighbor or friend in some way. Perhaps you’ll decide to face down a fear. Or maybe you’ll lower your guard and accept someone else’s offer to help you for a change. Be brave, my friend.