Blessing #11 - The Unknown Hair Stylist - Words that Stick!

In the fall of 2009 I was getting a routine haircut at a Great Clips in Maryville, TN.  There was nothing special about the day, and nothing about the personality of the woman who cut my hair, it was just simple conversation.  However, the woman chose to share something with me that has stuck with me for several years now and has had a major impact on my life.  The lady talked about her struggle with her weight, she was probably in her sixties, and told me that she had made some changes in her life that had helped in her overall health and how she feels.  I have had a autoimmune disease (Behcet's Syndrome) all my life, although I did not know until around 2000.  So I've heard every idea/remedy/cure you can imagine to make you feel better or to improve your health.  This lady had no idea my health background, obviously she could see I'm obese, but I her words didn't come in the way as if she was trying to exchange something valuable for me, just simply small talk about her life.  However, to this day I'm sure she still has no idea how much her words would impact my life.  You must be wondering what profound wisdom gave me that day!  Well she simply told me that she had lost over 50 lbs in a year, out of respect I asked her "how".  She simply replied, "I put down the cokes, started drinking water instead.  She continued to talk about how she hated water, but simply learn to use a lot of ice and add a slie of a lemon."  That's it, nothing that you would think would be life changing.  But I knew what she had done did make a change in her life, and she had major results.  See it wasn't the advice she gave that helped me, it was her testimony of pursuit and making small decisions to make that difference.  That night, I went home and thought about making my own pursuit.  That night I vowed to "try" to stop drinking drinks that contained sugar.  I drink cokes,tea,coffee,water constantly. Matter of fact that day I realized the majority of my calories came from drinks.  That one day turned into nearly three years now.  I didn't even follow the same pattern she did, but I cut sugar from my beverages.  In the process (though it's gone up and down), I now too have lost around 50 lbs.  Now it's complete habit that I now prefer diet beverages or water.  As I saw how the words like this stick, I now think of that pursuit she had and now try to apply it to other parts of my life!  One person makes a difference, in many cases they never no!  Who knows how much healthier or longer I will live because of just a few words! From this, I also no pray that my words always be ones that stick for others! 

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”