Saying Goodbye

Issue #118

Thanks for reading my weekly inspirational newsletter. In this issue, I discuss greeting people and learning to say goodbye. If you enjoy the newsletter, please forward it to others.

Saying goodbye is difficult for some people. They linger, wanting to stay longer in the company of their friends or family. Saying hello is difficult for other people. They are shy and afraid to meet new people. Are there people in your life to whom you have difficulty saying goodbye?

I have said goodbye to thousands of people over the years. I said goodbye to the people who attended my seminars. We knew each other for two or three days. We were almost like ships passing in the night. We came together as strangers, shared a few stories, laughs, and tears before parting, often never to see each other again.

I have often said goodbye to my family because I traveled thirty to fifty percent of the time, depending on the year. It is much harder to separate from those you love than from strangers you meet in the classroom, on an airplane, or in a restaurant. So I have learned to say goodbye and to keep moving.

Saying hello to strangers can be very difficult for me. I was very shy growing up and still am when I walk into a room of strangers. When I am speaking, I have learned to approach people who come into my classroom and greet them. But if I attend a seminar as a participant, I usually don’t approach strangers.

Creative leaders must learn to say hello and goodbye if they are to be successful in marketing their creative work. And in today’s world, we have to market our products. We have to attend book signings, art fairs, radio talk shows, and, if we are lucky, TV talk shows. We have to be good at saying hello and goodbye.

How about you? Do you have a difficult time saying hello and goodbye? Do you meet people easily, or are you filled with fear? Do you avoid saying goodbye?

Remember to plant seeds of hope in the hearts of others!

Thanks for reading Creative Seeds of Hope. I will stop by again next Tuesday with a new message. Goodbye.