Say Yes to The Nudge

I write best when the house is silent and most are in deep slumber, solving the problems of the world.  Somewhere between 4 and 6 a.m., ideas bounce down our hallway like the agile cat we had years ago, Odie, jumping on the bed, and… pouncing. That’s my nudge.

I’ve always imagined I’d write a book or two. I haven’t… yet. But lately, the nudges are not so subtle. GUS ... God, Universe, Spirit ... is rapping on my door, my window, and yes, the headboard. It’s time. It’s time.

For thirty years, I’ve been tapping out stories from my wonderfully messy life. Hard and raw. Miraculous and joyful. Some of you have read them on my site and sent notes that made me tear up. Thank you. You kept my candle burning.

A while back, I started a book with my sister-in-law, my close friend and confidant, Deidra. She knows me well. She’s kind, spiritual, patient, and talented as an artist who sees what the rest of us miss. I bailed on her in that process. Lost my way. My content scattered. I got off track. Life happened. We knew we’d return it, and lately the pieces are clicking again… family threads weaving into something that finally makes sense. I’m excited about this ... a true family collaboration.

Then came another big nudge. Years ago, in my Enneagram certification program, I met Ali (Allison). My soul knew her before my brain did. She leads from Type 4, like I do. Deeply spiritual. A minister. Soulful artist. Quiet power. From the beginning, we said, “We’re going to create together.” It took years of weekly Zooms, life happening, and much guidance from GUS. Now we’re building something new that we’ll share next year. I’ll practice pieces here. Expect real. Expect raw. Expect beauty. Goddesses will be involved.

Now…back to “nudges”. I think they’re holy breadcrumbs. Little instructions that ask for action, not appreciation. If I ignore them, they float off to the next person who’s willing. If I say yes, the next step appears. Not the whole staircase… just the next step. I tend to want to figure out the “whole staircase”.  I’m learning that the “next step” is enough…and to be grateful for it. 

One of my earliest “_yeses_” changed my life. I was a single mom staring down bills and doubt. A job posting crossed my path ... a stretch, maybe a leap. I wasn’t fully qualified…yet.  I felt that electricity that says pay attention. I almost talked myself out of it… then GUS nudged...HARD. Apply!! 

So I did. I got the job. It paid more than anything I’d ever made. I learned fast, worked hard, and loved most minutes of it. That nudge fed my kids and rebuilt my confidence. Practical miracles count too…thank goodness!

A softer story. A few winters back, I felt the nudge to call an old friend. No reason. I dialed anyway. She answered in tears ... her day was coming apart, and she felt alone. We didn’t fix anything. We just breathed together. Laughed a little. Promised a hike together. That tiny nudge stitched something quiet back together in both of us. Not every yes moves mountains. Some just warm my heart.

People think nudges lead to smooth roads. Nope. I don’t expect that because I would be disappointed. I still hit bumps. When I do, I’m prepared and I make it simple:

• Rest for a minute.

• Talk it out with someone safe.

• Step back and ask, am I aligned with my real intention?

• Reconnect with Spirit and listen again.

• Take the next small step I can actually do today.

If you’re wondering how to hear your own nudges, here’s what helps me:

• Get quiet on purpose. Ten minutes. Phone in the other room. Breathe. 

• Ask one clear question. Not five. One. “Show me the next right step.”
  OR if you’re like me…just wait, listen and it will come when she’s ready.  (Like I said, mine is an early riser) 

• Notice your body’s yes and no. My no shows up in my throat and tummy, and my yes shows up in motivation and not surprisingly, in fear. 

• Take one tiny action within 24 hours ... send the email, make the list, buy the canvas, set out the running shoes..

• Write it down. I keep a little “Nudge Log or Idea book.” It helps me see the pattern when I forget. I’m divinely guided.

And if you’re worried your nudge isn’t “big enough,” let that go. Big is just loud. True is the point.

As for writing my books, the nudges are getting bossy. Deidra and I are collaborating and getting it down. 

 Ali and I are shaping an experience that’s honest, useful, and a little wild. 

I’ve lived long enough to say this with my whole being ... the projects that change us don’t arrive because we’re fearless. They arrive because we’re willing. Willing to begin. Willing to be seen. Willing to listen when GUS clears her throat and says, “Hey, you… this way.”

So here’s your invitation. Think of one nudge that keeps tapping you ... the class you keep bookmarking, the apology you owe, the sketchbook you hid in a drawer, the resume you haven’t updated, the trail you want to walk before the snow. Name it. Do one tiny thing in its direction today. Tell me about it. I want this space to be where we cheer each other on, not from perfection, but from motion.

I’ll keep sharing my yeses and my messes. And when the new projects with Ali and Deidra land, you’ll be the first to know. 

Love is ALL there is,

Diana