Well, That Was Awkward

Well, that was awkward. If you've been opening my newsletter lately and wondering why I was addressing you as "Test First Name", you're not alone. Something went wonky in my email system, and instead of your actual name, you got the very glamorous placeholder. Not exactly the personal touch I was going for.

And yes, I reacted in all the usual ways — exasperation, heavy sigh, eye rolls, scrunched up face. (thank-you to those of you who let me know!)

Serendipitous, really. While I was digging in to fix the glitch, I had a moment of honesty with myself. I never really loved the mail-merge salutation anyway. Dropping your name in at the top always felt a little... performed. A little "look how personal I'm being!". And that's not really my style.

So I made a change. No more salutation. I'm just going to talk to you--as if we were sitting across from each other.

But here's the bigger thing--and those of you who know me won't be surprised--I don't love wallowing in the "oops". I love asking what's possible because of it.

Because that's the thing about bad moments, glitches, embarrassments, and the occasional "Test First Name." They're not just inconveniences. They're invitations. To pause, to question, to do something better than you were doing before.

So the next time something goes sideways (and you know it will), try sitting with these questions instead of the cringe:

What do I need to see here? And what else is possible?

You might be surprised at what shows up.

And speaking of showing up — I want to know what YOU think about the salutation change. Does the personalized greeting matter to you? Does it feel warm or does it feel like a formula? Do you mind that I removed it? Hit reply and tell me. I'm genuinely asking.

Because "Test First Name" turned out to be one of my better teachers this month.