Alternatives to saying "I hope this e-mail finds you well"

If you're in the corporate space and get a lot of e-mails, it's likely that you've received or sent a communication that starts with a pleasant greeting. Common examples include: 

"I hope your day is off to a great start"

"I hope you had a lovely weekend"

"Happy <<insert day of the week>>"

This last one was already weird to me. The day of the week is likely irrelevant. What if I work on Saturdays and I'm off on Mondays...then my vibe and energy might be different than yours. Let's stop assuming that everyone works 40 hours from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday….mmkkkkk :)

There's one greeting that sorta makes me giggle every time I see it: 

"I hope this e-mail finds you well"

Maybe the e-mail finds the recipient in their PJ's drinking tea while snuggling their dog. Or late-night hunched over a computer with too many other e-mails. Or driving to work with a screaming toddler in the back seat. That e-mail is "finding" the recipient in some sort of state, and sure it's nice to hope the human on the other end is doing well. 

Each of these  greetings (and many many more) are fine sentiments in theory. I'm sharing a greeting, a kindness...so at face value that's good right? My Gemini Sun wants to communicate (allllll the damn time) and my Scorpio Rising wants to go a bit deeper. I want folks who receive my e-mails to know I care about their wellbeing and from now on, I'm putting my holistic wellness practitioner spin on it. 

So effective immediately (that's another phrase hustle culture loves to use), I'm starting each e-mail with one of the following:

"I hope this e-mail finds you aligned"

"May this e-mail be supportive in your day"

"I hope this e-mail finds you nourished and loved"

Wouldn't you rather receive an e-mail with that greeting? It gives you a chance to pause, to reflect: "Am I aligned, supported, nourished or loved?" If I'm not feeling this at the time the e-mail finds me, I might be able to shift my energy to fit the state I hope to embody. 

I believe there is a difference in the questions, "How are you feeling?" and "How are you doing?" We are not humans doing, we are human beings. So to ask about another human's feelings is more direct and it sees them for where they are in that moment. It's less about achieving (the doing) and more about noticing (the feeling) 

What I'm doing and what I'm feeling might be different. Maybe I am doing things to make money but I am feeling stressed about the outcome. Or I'm feeling tired but I am happy to be doing something that I love. 

Notice how you start a communication, either written like an e-mail or verbal when seeing a person IRL, as it sets the tone. You can try one of the following: 

"How has your energy been lately?"

"What has brought you joy today?"

"What delights have you witnessed lately?"

"What new things or ideas are interesting to you right now?" 

Ask the right question / share the right statement to get the best, most robust answer. This answer is a bid for connection…and that’s at the heart of who we are as humans. We are a deeply connected species so let’s use our written and verbal communications to nourish these connections.

This is a cool practice and one I'm looking forward to incorporating more. Give it a try and let me know how it lands for you.