What has someone said to you that changed your life instantly?

Have you ever had someone say the right thing to you at just the right moment, and it changed your life? Teacher Tony Acevedo gives an example: “I saw a freshman girl trip in front of a group of seniors. They laughed and she was dying of embarrassment. I took her aside and said, ‘It’s only embarrassing if you're embarrassed. Years later she told me how from that moment, embarrassment never held the same power over her. My advice might have been ignored at any other time. But that was the magic moment for her.”

A similar thing happened to a friend of mine early in her career. On her first project, she finished late, but thought it was a good effort. Instead of rewarding her, her manager criticized her. She complained to a co-worker who surprised her by saying, "Joe is judging you by your results, not by your intentions." That moment shifted her work habits, which has made all the difference in her career.

Another friend says that at her first networking event, she confessed to someone about being nervous. He leaned over and whispered, “Don’t try to interest them in you. Just be interested in them.” That advice made her into a networking queen.

Now it’s your turn. What’s something that someone said in just the right moment that forever changed your way of thinking?