Day 3

Today, a co-worker I admire came and told me that something I'd said had made all the difference. She'd mentioned being concerned that her young-twentysomething daughter had postponed joining the "real world" in favor chasing down fun. I told her that I wish I'd done exactly that, that her daughter was out living in the real world. It's hard to fit lots of that sort of living into the 10 days of vacation most Americans get when they take a job.

I'd offered it flippantly, the way I tend to shoot off my opinion even when no one asks for it. So I was sort of surprised when she popped in, weeks later, to tell me this. It truly made my day. In the same way my friend Mia's telling me, a few years ago, that she'd grown to love chick peas because I convinced her to try them in college. Who knew?

The littlest things we do or say can have a huge impact on someone else. You may never know it. But it's awesome when they let you in on it.

So. I'm going to make a point of telling people when they've helped me with a breakthrough. When they've squashed one of my shitty moods. When they've told me what I needed to hear: "You're acting like a baby. Get over it."

I'm also going to try to follow more of the great advice in Katie Couric's newish book, The Best Advice I Ever Got. It's a super quick but awesome read (that I just blew through on my Kindle, for free, thanks to the new-available Kindle library loans. Woo hoo!)

What one little thing - something someone's said, or done, something you've read - has made all the difference for you?

Who can argue with this great advice?