Hi Friend 

Thank you sooooo much for helping me make this the best birthday I can remember in the last umpteen years!

When I was a kid, my birthday, so close to Christmas, always seemed to get short shrift. At 24 years old, I was separated from my high school sweetheart whom I had married at 21, and decided to do Christmas, my birthday...every day differently and consciously moving forward.

Instead of going to a family Christmas that didn't feel at all connected, I invited others who had no families and created my own Christmas celebration. And I had a birthday party, with dancing, friends, friends of friends and new beginnings, new traditions.

We all tend to robotically do things every day out of habit, or memories of the past

--some good, some not so good, but rarely with the newness of living into the future instead of memories of the past.

My New York City birthday parties got bigger and better year after year, until the best one ever was my 40th. I owned my apartment, with a view of the Empire State building on one side, and the World Trade Center on the other.

The balcony adjoined Keith Richards facing the fireworks around the Empire State building. Cher owned the apartment around the corner of the hall on my floor and Keith's entrance was across the hall. (I only saw him a couple of times and never did see Cher, but those are other stories.)

That party was the product of a vision I had. It was 1986 and there was a mixture of black and white friends, artists, musicians, actors, Wall St associates, and all my sisters, the oldest still living. She was blown away at the spread of Balducci's Hors d'oevres, the conversations, the dancing, the music. And an acquaintance asked, "Can I come live with you?" I said, "Sure, but maybe we should go on a date first." I stood on the spiral staircase looking down at this party and was filled with joy.

Then everything changed. I did end up for awhile married to that man after we went out. I allowed myself to be swept into a sense of possibility, coming from hubris instead of humility and gratitude.

I was always doing the best I knew how with the knowledge I had, but deep down inside I did not feel worthy of all the good I had attracted and set about dismantling it unconsciously...until.

Life has it's ups and downs. We get to learn our lessons or create more of them. We get to live in gratitude for all the lessons we've learned or decry them, judge them, fall victim to them. I choose life. I choose love. I choose joy. I choose creation.

So, January 5, 2023, I didn't have an extravagant party, but had the very best day I can remember since 1986.

Why? Because I ASKED for it. And played. And shared it with anyone who would play with me. Those of you who asked back and gave me a physical address will receive a small gift in the mail. Those who sent birthday wishes receive my heartfelt thanks. Every single person I encountered got to share in my birthday joy, with my beautiful 89 year old sister all the way:

Eyeglass prescription staff

Bakery where I picked up favorite treat (an amazing coconut cream pie)

Nail salon

Brunch at First Watch breakfast restaurant

Movie theater staff (saw excellent new Tom Hanks movie)

and back home for dinner, saving dinner out for another day.

Thank you thank you thank you for helping me start 2023 in such absurd childlike gratitude, joy and play. Thank you for letting me feel the love and connection.

Join me in carrying this spirit forward into 2023, our bestest year ever.

Join me in living in a state of Gratitude.

May we all step into a New vision of the future, instead of living in the memories of old stories that no longer serve.

Let's keep playing and creating extraordinary wealth at the same time.

Let me into your heart as I open mine. What would it be like to get more of what you want and less of what you don't want?

I love you.

Sharon

p.s. It's not too late to send me your birthday wish and physical address. Who would you become if 2023 were your best year ever?

 Text:  702 979 8412
Facebook.com/sharonhgist

“Living Full-Out, I am a Stand for Infinite Possibility,  
inspiring and leading 1,000's of others to live their dreams." SHG

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