What Happens When You Reply To 100+ Birthday Wishes

Listening To: Do Re Mi by blackbear.

Happy Birthday Me!

Don’t. Even. Lie. It feels kind of good to have so many people to take note of your birthday, even if it’s just on Facebook. In the hierarchy in my head, it’s FB wishes, Messenger Notes, Texts, an actual PHONE CALL (it happens!) and THEN I am in love if you got me a gift.

Last year I had every intention of sending a message to each person who posted on my timeline, but I kept putting it off. Too much time had passed without actually sitting down and doing it and I let another year go by.

This year, I decided to sit down and send a personal message to 100 of the people who posted on my timeline.

Here were my initial thoughts:

• Was this weird?

• How long was this going to take?

• Should I feel guilty that it’s three weeks late?!

They posted first, even if I never met them, so screw feeling weird. Couldn’t take longer than a few hours, right?! And screw the guilt!

So I sat down and sent 100 messages. It took about 2 hours by the way.

What I got from it was more than I ever could have expected. I connected with people. Real people.

“You go girl. In 5 years from now you will be even bigger and better. And what I see of you and feel of you ... you will always be humble and kind and loving your heart.”

— A Facebook Friend

#Throwback to my 30th on the Big Island with Lynn, Charlie & Joann. That cake tho! ❤️

I won’t bore with you the details, but here were the results. I…

• Connected with a childhood friend that I now have plans to visit in January!

• Received an incredibly encouraging message from someone who quietly follows me on social media.

• Scheduled 3 1-2-1’s with business connections!

• Talked on the PHONE with 4 people I haven’t connected with in ages.

• Offered love and compassion for a dear friend who was struggling right at the moment I sent the message.

And most importantly, I felt more connected that I have in a really long time. Social media is easily this spastic space of “fake” and shallow connections, but it can also be a place where you strengthen the relationships you might have otherwise let drift away.

Takeaway: Connect with out asking. Connect without guilt of it being ‘too long’. Live a little.

💋Besos, Sharon