What is one piece of simple advice that actually changed your life?

I have 3. I was struggling to decide whether to save money by taking the slow train or to save time by taking the express. My boss just said to me “ you will always make more money, but you’ll never get your time back”

I had been working very hard at a conference on campus. It was lunchtime and I was famished. There was a rule against eating in the main lunchroom with the conference guests, but I thought this situation called for an exception. I asked my boss if I might make an exception this day. He looked at me and said “it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission”, then he turned and walked away.

finally. I was working in a student pub on a night when a customer got particularly rowdy and caused a large fight to erupt. It was my job to break things up and get rid of the culprits. The pub owner heard the ruckus and came downstairs to see what had happened. I told him and i finished with “shit happens”… he said “No, it takes an asshole to make shit happen”.

3 distinctly different bosses each with some simple advice which has made a difference in my decision making process for the rest of my life.