but mostly, have a really fun time

I admit I've never been a big fan of Katie Couric. No one can be perky all the time. But in her defense my opinion was based solely on her news anchor persona. So I didn't really know anything about her at all. However, my (false) opinion changed markedly since discovering her book, The Best Advice I Ever Got: lessons from extraordinary lives.

The book's dustjacket says it best, "this inspiration-packed book reports from the front lines of the worlds of politics, entertainment, sports, philanthropy, the arts, and business -- distilling the ingenious, hard-won insights of leaders and visionaries, who tell us all how to take chances, follow our passions, cope with criticism, and, perhaps most important, commit to something greater than ourselves."

"Among the many voices to be heard are financial guru Suze Orman on the benefits of doing what's right, not what's easy; director Steven Spielberg on listening rather than being listened to; quarterback Drew Brees on how his (literal) big break changed his life; novelist Curtis Sittenfeld on the secrets of a great long-term relationships, not to mention advice from Michael Bloomberg, Joyce Carol Oates, Jimmy Kimmel, Apolo Ohno, Madeleine K. Albright" to name just a few .

One of my favorite pieces of advice comes from Emmy Award-Winning Actor, Eric Stonestreet who wrote the following entitled:

but mostly, have a really fun time

follow your fear
prepare don't plan
do what you say
say what you mean
know what you don't know
don't hold yourself to other people's standards
own a pet
call your parents
create a comfortable living space
be happy for other people
cultivate friendships
stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves
understand what realistic expectations are
don't lie
get to know your gut and then listen to it
say you're sorry before you're too embarrassed to
always wear clean underwear
be on time
be nice to receptionists
appreciate other people's talents
identify people who don't have your best interests in mind
people will disappoint you
people will amaze you
people will inspire you
overlisten
you will disappoint people
you will amaze people
you will inspire people
don't drink too much alcohol
remember that the old lady who's taking forever in line is someone's grandma
be curious
ask questions
give yourself a break
have truthful conversations with yourself
think about your day in the shower
reflect on your day before you fall asleep
reward yourself from time to time
have a good clean joke at the ready
have a good dirty joke at the ready
silence can be golden
have someone you admire evaluate your handshake
be humbly confident
smell good
don't let the highs be too high, so the lows aren't too low
get to know you
learn to like you
let people love you
no one does you better than you
want what you have and you'll have what you want
lead with justice and judge with mercy
don't let your mouth overload your rear

Filled with down-to-earth, common sense advice to keep you on your path to wherever you're going, Couric intersperses, and dispenses, her own advice with personal anecdotes. It's a quick read and wherever you open this book, new insights will be found on every page.

Happy Reading.

Namaste
Chris