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Why it’s worth researching birthday wishes

It’s not usual for me to spend a lot of time on Facebook, writing birthday wishes – usually a quick note says enough. Today I felt like researching this some more. I knew the recipient adored Jane Austen. In no time at all, I came across this brilliant quote.

It’s not usual for me to spend a lot of time on Facebook, writing birthday wishes – usually a quick note says enough. Today I felt like researching this some more. I knew the recipient adored Jane Austen. In no time at all, I came across this brilliant quote.

There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails,human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.

All it took was a quick read, a copy-and-paste – the epitome of a brief Facebook interaction. But I ended up thinking about this quote, and wishing to remember it myself. That’s what I think of now.

As kids, me and my brother tended to wish our family what we ourselves wanted for Christmas or birthdays. This does not really change much. The first thing on our mind – and, if we rehearse or research the text, our first line of inquiry – tends to be what we desire.

Can you think about it the next time you’re tasked with coming up with nice wishes for someone? Acknowledge whether you would also wish this for yourself – and how you can get to make that wish come true.