Issue #82: This Tweet Has Reached Millions of People. Here's What Happened.

What actually happens when you have a tweet that goes viral...and no it may not be what you think.

Picture this. The year was 2019. I’m lying in bed on a bright Saturday morning while feeding my very new two-week-old daughter. While I should have been sitting there soaking in the fleeting newborn moments, instead I couldn’t get over how guilty I felt for not working. Hustle culture had done such a number on me mentally that I felt bad for not hopping back into work after giving BIRTH! As much as I loved the work that I was doing (or so I thought at the time) I was also more exhausted than I had ever been in my life.

While trying to talk myself down from the raging guilt that I was feeling, I tapped on the Twitter app and wrote this:

I closed the app and went about my day as normal. Never in a million years did I think that 5 years later this one tweet would blow up in the way that it has. At the moment of typing this, this tweet has been shared over 73,000 times, has been featured in major online publications, and has been seen across social media by millions of people. That one thought that I had while lying with my newborn baby has resonated with so many people across the world.

And you know what has happened since then?

Nothing. 😂

While I have gained a few new followers and subscribers here and there, ultimately I’ve not gained much from going viral. Which has been a great reminder that virality doesn’t immediately mean success. So no, going viral has not made me rich and famous but here is what it did do.

Little did I know that this post was a foreshadowing of what was to come. Since writing this post, I’ve healed from the hustle culture mentality, shut down my coaching business, took a one-year sabbatical, and leaned into building a brand in the wellness industry.

This tweet was also proof that we as entrepreneurs not only need rest but we also need permission that it is ok to make rest a priority. I have heard from so many people over the past 5 years about how this post has encouraged them to take better care of themselves, to pivot, and to start saying no to what’s no longer serving them.

I can’t help but think what life would be like if I received a dollar every time this post was shared 😂 but the impact it has made has been just as sweet.

I’m excited to spend more time writing about what really excites me and continue to let you know that it is ok to rest even if you love what you do.

Have you seen this post out in the wild? Let me know where!

Cheers to an incredible week!

– Alisha

GOOD FINDS

WATCHING: This has been the Summer of re-watches. After wrapping up the entire Sex & The City series, I decided to go back and rewatch POSE! I’m currently on season 2 and I’m already sad that I’ll be finished soon!

LOVING: To cut down on my overall screen time during the day, I’ve gone back to writing out my thoughts on paper versus on my iPad. If you’re a lover of thick, buttery soft writing paper, you need this Sugar Paper notebook* from Target. I’m on my second one!

LISTENING: I’ve been diving into

Emma Gannon

new podcast, Creative Coffee, and I’ve been enjoying the causal conversations that she has with her guests on writing, creativity, and rest.

ICYMI

DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE