Hello…Goodbye
“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” ― Paulo Coelho
The end of a year and the beginning of another brings along a host of different emotions. Whether you are sad this year is ending or are anxiously awaiting the start of a new, it’s important to pause for a moment and consider what you will be saying hello and goodbye to.
Hello Goodbye was introduced to me at a leadership conference that I attended. On the last day of the conference, the hosts asked us to think of something we will be saying hello to as we began to incorporate the things we learned, and something we would say goodbye to as we prepared our departures back home. This simple, yet profound practice ended our time together in both cheers and tears. We shed tears as people assessed and removed the weights that had kept them from living lives they were meant to live. We cheered as people broke chains of bondage and dared to go after their heart’s desires. As you prepare to enter a new year, I invite you to try this practice for yourself. There’s power in proclamations!
In reflecting on your own personal 2023 journey, what are some things that you are willing to say goodbye to? These things do not have to be big and profound, because small changes often lead to big rewards. Therefore, when identifying areas in your life that can warrant a goodbye, do not skip over things you’d deem as insignificant. Consider these as you prepare for your goodbye:
Any type of goodbye, big or small/good or bad, can be hard.
Be fair to yourself and evaluate your capacity for the changes that goodbyes cause.
Your willingness does not always match your readiness, so give yourself grace in areas where you may be willing but not ready to say goodbye.
It’s also important to understand that your goodbye will create a loss, and that loss may create grief. Please note that if you do not feel immediate joy or peace when you decide what to say goodbye to, this does not mean that you are saying goodbye to the wrong thing. Do not be tricked into the fantasy that things must always feel good to be the “right” thing. Not everything that feels good is good. Honor whatever feelings arise and allow yourself time to grieve properly.
On the contrary, closing one door will inevitably open another. Be the one who makes healthy choices for you as you welcome 2024. Invite others into your decision making, should you need a checks and balances system, but you should be the ultimate decision maker. Your dreams and desires are beautiful, so work hard to protect them. Trust that you know what is best for you and consider these things as you prepare to say hello:
Make your hello a lifestyle rather than a one-time goal you are aiming to meet.
Your hello should be achievable, realistic, and challenge you to leave your current comfort zone.
No matter what you desire to say hello to, you must have the self-discipline, capacity, and plan in place to sustain it.
Consider this upcoming year a new chapter waiting to be written. What would you like written in the future pages of your life story? If past chapters have left you discouraged and disappointed with the hand you’ve been dealt, think of changes that you can begin to make to change the narrative. You do not have to continue to live in heartache and tragedy. Beauty can come from ashes, so dream big and do not lose hope that you can live a life of restoration and redemption.
Robert J. Braathe says, “Two of the greatest predictors of success are the ability to say hello and the ability to say goodbye.” Are you ready for your next hello to lead you to success? Are you ready to live the life you were called to live? If so, what is your Hello Goodbye?
We’d love to hear from you or assist as you develop your very own Hello Goodbye. Our dedicated team of counselors in San Antonio are equipped to help you receive what’s waiting for you and/or let go of what hinders you from success. Contact us today.
Hello 2024. Goodbye 2023.