Hope All's "Well"

My hopes for you as we step further into 2024 + announcing a new interview series

A quick update before we dig in -

1. Can you help me reach my goal, of selling 50 of my new downloadable guided journals by the end of the day? I’ve sold 44 so far. We are SO close!

As I said last week, I’m not going to receive a prize if I reach that amount by that date. 50 journals is a personal goal that I’ve set for myself and my business, to start this new year, and this new adventure in my life.

Launching my coaching business is the biggest investment I’ve ever made in myself. Helping me meet this goal is like investing in me.

This guide combines my two loves, coaching and writing. This is the work I was meant to do. Help me meet this goal so that I can share Authentic by Alexa with as many people as possible this January and beyond.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now, on with the essay!

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A week or so ago, I was writing an email and couldn’t stand the platitude of “hope all’s well!” anymore. Instead, I wrote this,

It takes me 5 minutes to write the opening line of an email these days. I used to write “Hope all’s well!” or some version of that, automatically.  But I’m not sure what it looks like for all to be “well” anymore. As a deeply feeling person, I’m aware that there are beautiful and horrific things happening right now, on a very global and very personal scale. So the idea of writing “hope all’s well!” feels a little bit, well, wrong. 

So instead of saying that,  I’ll say this: I hope you’re taking care of yourself, finding joy and comfort when you can, and of course - staying warm.

A few days later, I found myself writing yet another email. Sometimes, I can’t believe how many emails I write. Do you ever wish you could’ve taken a class on emails in school?

In this one, I almost wrote “hope all’s well” on autopilot and then switched it to “hope your year is off to a good start.” I questioned that greeting too. I certainly wouldn’t characterize my year as “off to a good start” given certain past events.

And yet, a lot of good has happened.

And despite some of the horrible things that happened, I’m still holding out hope that more good will come.

Hoping.

Hope.

The thing with feathers, as Emily Dickinson said.

I’ve become so jaded lately that I somehow lost sight of that word - hope.

When I say, “hope all’s well”, I’m not saying “I assume all is well and that nothing bad or inconvenient is happening in your life!”

What I’m really saying is, “I know the world is complicated, messy, and hard, but I really hope that things are okay in your corner of the world. I hope good things happen to you today. I hope that good things come your way.”

Or maybe I’m saying, “I know that this week has been a nightmare and that there’s an unbelievable amount of suffering going on in the world, and that keeping up with the news cycle and trying to understand what is going on can feel like a full-time job. I hope you’re finding some peace, taking care of yourself, and making space for joy, as an essential piece of activism. What I’m emailing you about feels trivial, and yet we’ve all subconsciously subscribed to the contract of going on with life as usual no matter what - so here I came am emailing you. Sorry to bother you with this, take your time responding.”

I’m saying, “I know you’re probably dealing with something heavy of your own because I’m dealing with something heavy too, and despite that — no, because of that, I am wishing you well.”

Not ‘well’ as in ‘everything’s great and perfect and wonderful.’ ‘Well’, as in taking deep breaths, doing your best, and taking care of yourself.

I hope that you see an adorable child in their winter coat and mittens and hat, who waves at you from their stroller and plays peekaboo with you in the grocery store line.

I hope you have a really good meal.

I hope you cry from laughter. And if you’re crying from pain, I hope there’s someone there to hold you. And if there’s no one there to hold you, I hope that a loved one is a phone call away to comfort you.

I hope you got eight hours of sleep last night.

I hope something takes you by surprise, in a good way.

I hope something magical happens for you.

I hope you’re having a good day.

And.

I’m aware that you might not be. So if that’s the case, I hope you can go easy on yourself. I hope you can find some moments of peace in the chaos.

I hope you feel all your feelings and survive, as Glennon Doyle says.

All the feelings. The messy feelings. The unexpected feelings. Make room for all of them.

And if you can’t make room for all of them yet, and don’t quite know how to accept and honor your full self — I hope you’re being compassionate with yourself. I hope you know that even a small step towards authenticity and integrity, is a worthy step.

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Today is the last day of January. The “end” of my New Year Authentic You series.

But really, it’s just the beginning.

Authenticity Tuesdays have been my favorite part of the year so far. These conversations have been vulnerable, eye-opening, and deeply fulfilling. While I don’t have another one on the calendar yet, there will absolutely be many more gatherings in the future. I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I have a lot more authenticity coming your way.

Alongside the group chats on Authenticity Tuesdays, I’ve also been having some amazing one-on-one conversations with some amazing people. I can’t wait to start bringing you inside of those conversations, starting next week.

You’ll be hearing from fellow writers, life coaches, therapists, a dietician, and more, every Wednesday at our usual time, for all of February.

I have learned so much so far. These conversations have challenged my way of thinking and left me with more questions than answers.

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in talking about what authenticty means to you - reach out at alexajordancoaching@gmail.com to chat.

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As for my weekly personal essays, they’ll continue. Maybe on alternating weeks. Maybe I’ll pop in your inbox on a day other than Wednesday if you’ll have me.

As I share those authenticity interviews, I’ll also be thinking about the future of my personal essays, and how I want to share them. What I want to be paid, and what I want to stay free.

I’ve been sending you a personal essay every week since May 17th. A little over 8 months. And I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m already thinking about our anniversary this spring.

I love sharing my wild cozy free self with you. I love our weekly check-ins. I love the community I’ve found here.

All I’m doing is thinking about how to best expand our wild cozy free community, and be intentional about how I’m cultivating it. It is really, really hard for me to take this little pause - but it also feels important.

I’m so grateful to have you here, in my little corner of the world.

I hope you’re well. I hope you’re well.

I may have trouble opening emails but I never hesitate at the end, when I write, “sending my best.”

I am absolutely sending you my best. Every bit of it. My best wishes. My best* self.

*My wild cozy free self is my best self. I think yours is too.

Thanks again for being here.

I’ll leave you with my new favorite anthem from my favorite band, Sammy Rae and The Friends.

And cut off your hair if it's too long
Write yourself a coming home song
Learn from the things that you've done wrong
Leave a light on for yourself
Doing alright ain't a damn crime
Feeling it all for the first time
(Just getting into your prime)
Leave a light on

PS Can I ask you a favor? Will you share this post with a friend who might want to join the Wild Cozy Free community? Or several friends?

PPS Maybe tell those friends about my goal to sell 50 journals by the end of the day? Literally just six to go!

PPPS Did you know that the reason it’s PPPS, and not PSSS is because PS stands for post script? A lot of people think it’s PSSS, and they’re really writing post script script script.

PPPPS The first two PS’s were genuine, but the second two are a big inside joke/reference to my first full-length play, FINE, in which one of the main characters spells out what PS stands for - shoutout to the original cast of FINE at Vassar, pictured below.