How To Accept Help

I wrote this for my sister:

1. Take a deep breath.

2. Acknowledge that things are a little rough, shaky, and/or exhausting right now.

3. Imagine how nice it would be to have help. Help is so helpful!

4. Take another deep breath.

5. Identify and brainstorm about the toughest moments of your day or week. Write them down if you can find something to write with/on.

6. Imagine very specific things that would help you—examples:

“It would help me to have somebody to tell how hard it is right now; or to tell the one good thing that gave me hope in a really hard day/week; or someone to help me lighten up; or someone to please, please, please not tell me to lighten up.”

Or very specific things that you could hand off—examples:

“I need someone to help me with housework, yardwork, cooking, groceries, paying my bills, getting organized, going to yoga, having time to play with my kid, playing with my kid for me so I can drink a glass of wine and stare into space.”

7. Imagine that people, even people you’ve never set eyes on before, want to help you. Imagine that!

8. Take another deep breath.

9. Put your request out the world…use e-mail, phone, fax, carrier pigeon, sidewalk chalk.

10. Behold what comes back to you, which never would have, if you hadn’t taken all of those breaths and JUST ASKED!

11. Take another breath.

12. RELAX for awhile.

13. Profusely thank everyone.

14. Find someone else to help!