Hello and goodbye in the same moment in time…think about the implications of this in your life. There are times that I struggle with who I am, whether or not I am living authentically, if the words coming out of my mouth are really reminiscent of the life I am trying to live. I shared this with a friend and her response was how courageous and vulnerable I am as I share my story, my journey. How I am leaning into the pain, the uncertainty of my past and not running away, and then moving forward into the future and all the new possibilities…hello and goodbye at the same time.
The emotions of hello and goodbye are very different. One is the signature of beginnings, the other is an end. Most people love the hello and all the possibility that comes with it -the birth of a baby, seeing a good friend, meeting someone for the first time, a new job. All of these experiences hold the expectation of hope and what could be. While there may be some fear, it usually subsides very quickly as we settle in and enjoy the experience.
Then there is the goodbye, which usually signifies an ending. Someone leaving, a change in location, ending a career, sometimes this can be a good thing, but how many times have you said, or heard the phrase, “I hate goodbyes.” We get comfortable with what is now and at times fear what is to come, the change that is about to take place, sometimes chosen, sometimes not.
When you are on a journey from your head to your heart, to discovering your greatness, the hello and goodbye can both be equally daunting. There are times the hello is to an emotion or feeling that has been buried so long that you didn’t know it was there and it can knock you right out of your heart! Other times, it is to a new way of thinking, a new default within yourself, a new way to living life, which can be overwhelming and make you question your very existence. On the flip side, the goodbye can be one of the most freeing things you will ever say and you allow yourself to lean in and feel deeply to heal, then breathe deep and forge ahead into all you were meant to be. Yet in truth we often hate the goodbye due to the familiarity of what it offers even though it has served no purpose but to feed the WMD’s (worry, misery, doubt) in our life.
The hello and goodbye practices on your journey to greatness are on either side of a very fine line. It is necessary to choose the side of the line that brings hope and healing into our lives to propel us into the greatness we were born with and that leads us into our hearts. This choice is both the hello and goodbye at the same time, the letting go and moving forward at the exact same moment. I believe this is one of the most courageous acts you can do and you choose to live a life you never know existed. It is the 18 inch journey from head to heart, and discovering you are enough, no matter how dark the present moment.
